Collective Haul, Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my approximately April-June collective haul! First of all are some purchases from Chemist Warehouse. I re-stocked my Comvita Medihoney Eczema Cream, which I find invaluable for keeping my eczema from getting too out of hand. Also below is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, in a gorgeous lavender shade called Darling Cherie. (See last photo for a swatch.) This new product is a revolutionary cross between lip balm and lip stain! I just happened to be at Chemist Warehouse during their half-price makeup sale, and I couldn't resist. I also bought a couple of deodorants - not for myself though! For a secret purpose that I'll unveil soon.

The next haul was from Priceline. I had the day off and somehow found myself at the big Priceline in the city. How do these things happen?? I think I was quite restrained, but I'd just spent a lot on magazines and craft supplies, so that probably had something to do with it. I purchased an Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Make A Wish, a dark, slightly salmony coral (again, see last photo for a swatch). There's a Models Prefer Sponge Tip brush, because I had no way of applying the powder eyeliners I bought from Ananda Beauty a few months ago. I hope it'll do the trick. I'm still a bit derpy with eyeliners! Bio-Oil has been around for ages, but I'd seen a few good reviews for it lately, so I guess it's been on my mind. I finally decided to try it.

The Trilogy Hydrating Facial Mist was a complete indulgence purchase! I was feeling a bit hot and tired from walking around all afternoon, and was feeling a strong need for a spritz of facial spray. I'm in love with that signature Trilogy smell, so again, I couldn't resist. Last but not least is the Models Prefer Lipstick Organiser. As you might have guessed, I'm becoming more interested in lip colour lately. My latest obsession has been to have a range of different lip colours to match every (or at least most!) of my eye palettes. Hence the fairly extreme difference between the two colours I've swatched here!


Photo taken under my daylight lamp.My makeup basket was just getting too full of eyeshadows and all my new lipsticks and glosses. I need to re-organise! (Don't worry, there'll be photos. ツ ) I've also bought other things here and there, but it's hard to remember all the bits and pieces. It can all pass by in a blur sometimes. I'm sure other beauty addicts can relate! Stay tuned for an epic Empties post soon!

Might You Be Interested In...

Collective Haul, Part 1 Etsy Shop Haul: Ananda Beauty

Etsy Shop Haul : Ananda Beauty

I'm a complete sucker for a cat-in-need story, and when I heard that Etsy indie beauty shop owner Jill was raising money for her cat Roland's vet bills, I just couldn't resist making a purchase. (~~Note: I placed my order a few months ago, so the promotion is over now.~~) Ananda Beauty stocks a range of hand-made tinted lip balms, mineral eyeshadows and eyeliners, hair balm and other goodies. All products are vegan and tested on humans only. The aesthetic is metallic and sparkly, with shades of grey, bronze, peach, red and pink.

I chose the Lip Tint in Ripe Shimma, Hair & Body Balm in Woodsy Scent, and three eye products: Cumulus and Taupe Eyeshadows, and Black Amber Eyeliner powder. Ordering through Etsy was easy and safe as always - the hardest part was choosing which colours I wanted most! The order arrived quickly. My parcel was carefully packed in a bubble-wrap-lined bag, and the items were wrapped in sophisticated black tissue paper, with a lovely thank you note. There were also 4 free samples, which is very generous: Raw Brass and Blue Velvet eyeshadows, Rosalina Highlighter and Sunset Blush. They are all colours that I can see myself using, so thank you to Jill for choosing well!

The Hair & Body Balm is marvellously thick, and once warmed between my fingers and smoothed on, made a difference to my dry ends. The Woodsy scent, with cedarwood and patchouli, is a delight. The only eye product I've used so far is the Taupe Eyeshadow, and I was pleased with its colour payoff and longevity. Here are some swatches!:


Photo taken indoors in sunlit room.This was my first purchase of beauty products from Etsy and from an indie beauty brand. I was very happy with my experience and would definitely purchase from Ananda Beauty again.

Beauty Boxes : Lust Have It February 2013

February's Lust Have It box is a little different to normal. In a spirit of honesty they sent an email last week explaining some changes to this month's box. One of the full-size products they wanted to include was so large and heavy that they couldn't put it in their new signature box, and they also had to leave out one of the products from the card due to the weight limit. There was to be 3 full-size products in total to make up for it. I was so intrigued as to what they might be!

The box finally arrived on Friday. The postie had put it in the letterbox instead of by the front door like normal, and unfortunately, being a 33oC day, the contents felt warm. Grrr again, Australia Post! I really hope the heat didn't affect them too much, though it can't have been too bad as the lipstick hadn't melted or warped. Moving on though, let's see what we got:

* Mancine Summer Tan Self-Action Tan in Dark, full size 250ml.
This is the large bottle that caused all the last-minute swapping surrounding this month's box, and unfortunately I have to say it's a product I probably won't use. I've received tanning products before and said I'd use them, but never do. Sometimes I get vain and want my legs to be a bit more tanned, but I always fall back on my good old Palmer's Gradual. Even then, I sometimes have to dilute it with moisturiser because even after one application it looks too weird with my pasty fair rose skin. I may well try it out, but I can't imagine going through a whole 250ml bottle of the stuff! So I was kinda disappointed to find that the product I'd been waiting for and which I had to miss out on my 5th sample for, is wasted on me.
The product is made in Australia and not tested on animals.

* Styli-Style L3 Timeless Lipstick in Spirit, full size.
I don't use lipsticks too much, but I'm in love with this colour! It's like a dusty rose pink with a touch of mauve, and quite sheer. I have swatched it below! It comes in a nice solid metal tube that I could throw in my bag and take everywhere with me. I can see myself using it often. This brand comes from the U.S.

* The Natural Source Camouflage Colour Nail Lacquer in Brown Plum, full size.
I just can't get enough nail polish! This one is a deep brick red tending to brown. I probably wouldn't have chosen it myself, but it might make an interesting base for some of the glitter nail polishes I've acquired lately.

* Lon Vitalite C9 Moisturising Hand Mask, 1 pr.
This looks like a really interesting product: like a cloth face mask except for your hands. I'm really looking forward to using it. My hands have been so dry in the heat, so I think they deserve a bit of pampering. The price seems very reasonable, $4.50 per pair, so I might buy some if I enjoy the pampering. ;)

Gunna Use It Right Now Rating: 75%
Summary: I'm in two minds about this box. While it was disappointing to only receive 4 products, I did like 3 of them, and LHI's upfront email went quite a way to make up for it. I can't help wondering though if they couldn't have thrown in one or two lightweight sachets as compensation, or if the box really was too heavy. Normally my box ratings depend on giving 0-2 points per product, and with only 4 in this one I'm afraid it only gets 5/10.

Rating: 5/10

Now for the lipstick swatch. This was taken under my daylight lamp. The colour is much more true-to-life in this shot (compared to my monitor settings anyway!). I think it will be fairly long-wearing as the lippie took a bit of rubbing to get off my arm!:

Beauty Boxes: Bella Box February 2013

Welcome to Bella Box February 2013! As always, my postman delivered it to me way after everyone else. I had to avoid reading beauty blogs since about last Wednesday so as not to accidentally see any reviews and ruin my surprise. Grrr Australia Post! Anyway, on to the box!:

Here we see:
❝ Nuixe Huile Prodigieuse - sample size 10ml.
According to the card, this is a non-greasy, multi-purpose oil that can be used on the face, body and hair. I'm intrigued and I'm looking forward to using it. It smells lovely too, like gardenias.

❝ Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Mermaid's Tale - full-size 14.7ml.
On first glance, this looked sadly similar to the Blue Lagoon colourway I purchased from Glitzology recently. I had to whip this on straight away just to be sure though. Plus I took a photo, see below!

❝ John Frieda Friz-Ease Dream Curls Perfecting Spray - sample size 30ml.
I love John Frieda products and I already have a few things from the Frizz-Ease range. I don't often rock out with my curls out, especially in the hot weather! But I'll definitely use it later on, I think.

❝ Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush - travel size 50ml.
I just ran out of this last week! Yay, now I have more!

❝ U Skin Solutions Clean and Go Exfoliating Gel Cleanser - sample size {estimate 5ml}.
I've raved about my love of cleansers before, so I don't need to tell you that I'm looking forward to using this soon! It has a refreshing citrus scent. It also apparently has calendula, tea-tree oil and microfine bamboo beads for exfoliation.

❝ Banana Boat Sport SPF 30+, sample sachet 30ml.
BONUS PRODUCT - You can never have too much sunscreen, I believe, so I welcome this.

Summary: This is a well-rounded box with some nice products. There's a mix of everyday and luxe, things I needed and things I've never even heard of. I'll definitely use all of the products, and I've even used one already. So yeah, this is a good box.
Rating: 8/10
Gunna Use It Right Now Percentage: 85%

Now for the nails! This is one coat of Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale, no topcoat. I probably would apply a second coat for better glitter payoff, but I was feeling lazy tonight. The glitter consists of sparkly greenish-blue hexagonal pieces and small dots in a medium blue jelly base. Yum!

Glitzology Glitter Nails from Etsy

Update: Unfortunately this Etsy shop is now closed.

Before Christmas I decided to treat myself. After reading a blog pot on independent nail polish creators, I somehow got the idea into my head that I didn't have enough glitter nail polish in my life. After a lot of backing-and-forthing, I finally decided to make my purchase from Glitzology.

There's such a huge range of polishes available from Stacy's shop, that the only thing I could do was get the 6-bottle bundle. And then spend another half an hour deciding which colours to get! It was a lot of fun, though. These are the polishes I chose:

Normally I don't like cheesy names for things, but I found these variations quirky and fun. They are (left to right):
Nebula - a black jelly base with blue, purple and silver hologram pieces. Reminiscent of the night sky.
Cotton Candy - a subtle lavender base with pink, purple and silver pieces in a mixture of shiny and matte textures. A cute and girly look.
Blue Lagoon - a clear base with a mixture of different shades of blue. Like swimming through the ocean.
Sherwood Forest - a blend of green, yellow and brown pieces. This makes me think of looking up through the forest canopy on a sunny day.
Bad Things - a deep red base with silver, pink and black pieces, and red hearts. Inspired by the TV show True Blood.
The Island of Misfit Toys - red, yellow, blue and green pieces set in a clear base with silver micro glitter. It's like an explosion in a toy factory!

I love these polishes so much! The suspension of glitter is extremely generous. Making the purchase was easy, and my parcel came fast. The bottles were carefully packed, and included a page full of tips with a discount coupon for my next purchase. I've decided to showcase each glitter in a separate post. So here's the first:



Single coat; under daylight lamp.The Island of Misfit Toys is set in a clear base and features the primary colours - red, yellow, blue and green - in various shapes including large squares, medium-size hexagons and small dots. There are also a few pastel yellow squares thrown in. The whole is set on a background of silver micro glitter. As I said before, the inclusion of glitter is much more generous than other brands I've tried - I only used a single coat for this mani!
I have presented the polish here over a neutral-ish base: Adoree Brown Gaucho. The photo was taken indoors under my daylight lamp.

I'm not sure when I can show you the other glitters in detail. My nails are pretty weak at the moment and need a rest. I hope it will be in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, look out for more haul posts and perhaps a review!

Nails of the Week: a few dots

Here is my nail art that I did a few days ago. I didn't have time for anything elaborate, so I just did a few accent dots on my thumbs and ring fingers. I absolutely love polka dot art, but I don't think this one was entirely successful!

It was the combination of pale pink nails and brown dots. Whenever I caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of my eyes, I kept thinking the dots were freckles that had suddenly appeared on my fingers! Next time I'll try another colour scheme, I think.

Base Coat: VOV Color Song in Pink 1
Dots: Be Creation Polka Dot Set, Colour B
Top Coat: Etude House Jelly Pop Nail Topcoat
P.S. Excuse the ragged cuticles in this shot - I tend to pick at my cuticles and they always look embarrassing. I have some Eulactol Gold Cuticle Balm that I haven't started using yet. I vow to use it every day for a week and then compare the results (and try not to pick my cuticles for a week, either)!

Nails of the Week: Sally Hansen Sonic Bloom

I'm proud to present my very first Nails of the Week post! I've hesitated to do posts like this before, due to technical problems. i.e. all my photos come out looking like poop! Loving my new Sally Hansen nail polish, but being frustrated at not being able to get any good photos of it, Husband offered to take some using his camera. Here's the result:

Brand: Sally Hansen
Shade: Sonic Bloom, 1 coat
Topcoat: Ulta3 Base Coat (I was too lazy to go into the other room to get my topcoat - first world problems!)
From: My October 2012 Bella Box (but Sally Hansen is widely available)
Price: RRP $13.95 (but I got it as part of the beauty box subscription)

Comments: Isn't it gorgeous? So bright! It had an extra-wide brush that made application very quick, and was opaque enough with only one coat. I found it dried extremely fast as well, in half the time of some other polishes I have. It's a fantastic party look, for a summertime barbeque or on holidays.
It's two pink-tipped thumbs up from me for this polish!

Here's a nice, juicy close-up:

Now that's what photos are supposed to look like! Not all dark and blurry like mine. I realised after the photo session though, that my camera is 4 years old now. That's practically vintage in today's world! So there may be a new camera on the horizon for me (it's either that or bother Husband every time I paint my nails ... and I'm sure I know which he'd prefer!).

Beauty Boxes: Lust Have It June 2012 and Blogging Fail

Lust Have It sent out an email a couple of weeks ago detailing some changes they're making: mainly, not using tracked postage, and giving different items to different subscribers (though not according to our profiles because, with all the ex-GlossyBox subscribers they have now, it's just too much effort). I was left feeling a little miffed, and vowed to cancel my subscription at the first sign of trouble. Apparently now they also charge your card about 2 weeks before they send out the box, as I found out. So without the tracking, I had no idea when my box was coming. I was starting to see reviews from beauty bloggers popping up early in the week, and my box still hadn't arrived! I was starting to get quite worried. But then I found it in my letterbox on Thursday. Again, the items came in a LustHaveIt-branded makeup bag, this time a lovely purple colour. The package has come in a makeup bag the last 3 months, and I've gotten a different colour each time. I don't know if this is deliberate or not, but if it is, it's a Good Thing. I actually prefer getting the makeup bags to the box I get with the other packages; they're more practical.

I'm just doing a shortened review today; I can't be bothered searching for all that extra information. Here's what was inside:


✔ Lon Vitalite 24K Active Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask
✔ Lon Vitalite 24K Active Gold Full Eye Mask
✔ Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush
✔ Bloom Shade & Line 3-in-1 in Times Square
✔ Marc Jacobs Lola
✔ Chloe L'Eau de Chloe

Summary: Most of the reviews I read expressed disappointment in this months' box, and I can see why. Only one of the products (the Bloom eyeliner) is full-sized; having 2 perfume samples is a bit repetitive and boring; the masks are treated as separate items when I really think they should be treated as one, which is a bit cheeky; the dry shampoo is a bit of a bottom-shelf everyday item.

On the other hand -
There were some things that saved this box for me, though I have to say they were purely coincidental:
* I tried my first cloth face mask just the other day (don't worry, pictures are coming soon!) and I really like them. I can't afford to buy the really fancy ones like this brand (RRP $59.00 for a pack of 5 face masks), so getting one in my box gave me a little thrill.
* I like perfumes, and both the Marc Jacobs and the Chloe were ones I'd been wanting to sniff for some time. I could always go to Perfume Connection or one of those places, bug the saleslady for a while, and then walk out cheekily empty-handed; but I'm too shy for that! The only time I get to try testers of the really top-end perfumes is at the duty-free shops at the airport - and that's not very often! ツ Even when I do get to try them out, I'm never sure if I'll like them in the longer-term and if it's really worth shelling out the crippling amounts they cost. So when I get a tester vial in a beauty box, I'm always very happy, because then I can see if I still like it over time. So I have to admit ... I'm not really annoyed at all to get two perfumes.
* I've always had a soft spot for Bloom, though for some strange reason I don't have many of their products. It was the first non-chemist brand that I was really interested in. The eyeliner is actually a shade that I would wear, too. Other subscribers received a glittery gold eyeliner, which is definitely not me! I was glad to receive it. I was so excited that I did a swatch of it - my first swatch for the blog! - and here comes my beauty blogger fail ....


So above is my swatch. I tried taking pictures in various places around the house - even under my brand new daylight lamp that I got for my birthday - and this was the best I could come up with. I was moderately proud of it, until I was looking at my products again later, and wondering why it's called a 3-in-1 stick. I realised ... there are actually 2 products in the stick! When I screw off the coloured section, there's a gunmetal grey eyeshadow as well as the eyeliner in the stick! Arrgghh! It's actually even better than I thought. ツ

Total Value: $50.15. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $35.20
Rating: 7/10

Review: W7 Trends Lipstick in Fuchsia

I'm a beginner at reviewing makeup products, and I don't wear lipstick very often, so I apologise if I left out any useful details. I've also never taken such a close-up photo of my lips before, and I had a bit of a freak-out session when I saw the pictures: do I really have that much upper-lip hair? Do I really have that many freckles on my lips??! I hesitated posting this for a couple of weeks because of it. But then I realised: nobody's perfect! So why not?? It also made me realise how little I actually look at my own face when I'm putting on my makeup in the morning. Food for thought. But in the meantime, here's my review:

THE PRODUCT & ME
W7 Trends is a bargain brand from the U.K. It recently appeared on shelves at Chemist Warehouse. The Lipstick comes in 20 shades that I could see in the display. My secret dream is to have a trashy pink lipstick, so when I saw the Fuchsia shade, I made a totally frivolous purchase. It cost $4.99.

PACKAGING
The Lipstick comes in a silver tube with a clear rounded lid. For a bargain bin cosmetic, this looks quite sleek and glamorous. The tube is quite short, so it would fit well in a makeup bag. It feels very light, however the lid snaps on firmly, so the lipstick would be well protected in your bag. The tip of the lipstick is stamped with the W7 logo, which I think is a cute, quirky touch.


Above: bare lips; below: with W7 Fuchsia Lipstick.APPEARANCE & PERFORMANCE
As you can see, the Fuchsia Lipstick is very highly pigmented. The shade is a bright hot pink with just a hint of orange. It goes on shiny, but then dries to a semi-matte. My lips dried out a little, so anyone with dry lips might want to use a lip balm before applying. The texture isn't very creamy, but it isn't very hard either: I would say it's in-between. It has a light powdery smell which I found pleasant.
I checked the lipstick again after eating dinner, and it was mostly gone. There was only a slight pink stain remaining, and none of the semi-shine it originally had. So the W7 Lipstick is not the best when it comes to staying power.

Pros:                             Cons:
cheap.                            very little staying power.
highly pigmented.                 slightly drying.
nice-looking packaging.                         

WOULD I GET AGAIN? Yes, if I wanted to experiment with new shades of lipsticks without spending a lot of money.