Red Hot Mani!

I'd been wanting to do a Red Hot Manicure for some time, and it took all my strength not to add some kind of glitter top coat! With so many glitter polishes in varying shapes, sizes and colours (including several multi-coloured bottles) combined with a severe Glitter Obsession, I think I displayed enormous courage and restraint in keeping this mani glitter-free. Pretty sure my next one will resemble a fucking Christmas Tree!

Products Used:
Bourjois 1 Seconde Gel Texture Nail Enamel in Rouge
Max Factor Nailfinity Glossy Top Coat

Disclaimer: Bourjois was won by me and Max Factor I paid for.

A Beauty-Full Revlon Win From Priceline!

I was lucky enough to win $260 worth of Revlon goodies from a Priceline competition recently! As always, Priceline delivered my prize super-fast. I'm thrilled to be able to try out some new products from the PhotoReady range. And now that I've photographed it all for le blog, I can have a play! WOO!

Pretty cream and gold Makeup Bag!

Above (left to right):
Nail Art Moon Candy in Orbit
Nail Art Moon Candy in Galactic
Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in Grape
Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in Orient Express

Above (l - r, back to front):
Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup 24 hrs in Natural Beige
Colorstay Dual Phase Eye & Lip Makeup Remover for Longwear
PhotoReady BB Cream Skin Perfector in Light Medium
PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener

Above:
PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara in Blackest Black
PhotoReady Cream Blush in Flushed
Super Lustrous Lipstick in Apricot Fantasy

Above:
Photoready Sculpting Blush Palette in Neutral

Above:
PhotoReady Primer + Shadow in Pop Art

Random Thoughts.......

* Cannot WAIT to try the Moon Candy polishes! LOVE that they are 2-in-1!
* I'm hoping the BB Cream and Whipped Makeup shades aren't too dark for my pale skin :o/
* The Apricot Fantasy lippie gets washed out in that photo. However, it is pretty light.
* LOOK AT THE FLUSHED BLUSH! It is scaring the shit out of me!
* Sculpting Blush in Neutral. WTF? Blush is normally a proper colour. Confused brain is confused.
* The Pop Art eyeshadow is stunning! Like really, really pretty. My photo doesn't do it justice.


Disclaimer: All products were won by me. This is not a sponsored post. Priceline and Revlon had no idea I would blog about it.

Reviews: Dermalogica & Clarins Goodies from RY

Thanks to the generous lovelies at RY (Recreate Yourself), I've been trialling an array of skincare goodies (Clarins and Dermalogica in particular) for the last couple of weeks, for the purpose of reviewing on this here blog. This is not a sponsored post (check out the Disclaimer at the end for further clarification).

If you're unfamiliar with RY, they are an Aussie company that stock a large range of brands across a variety of categories at discounted prices. They price match, guarantee the authenticity of their products and offer free shipping on orders over $99. From skincare to haircare, makeup, electrical and perfume, RY sell popular brands such as OPI, Model Co, Benefit, Tigi, Fudge, Essie, Napoleon Perdis, Becca, Ecoya and of course Dermalogica and Clarins.

CLARINS TONING BODY BALM
I love the smell of this! It's intoxicating. On inspection of the ingredients, it seems I'm inhaling apple, rosewood and rosemary. I've been using this toning balm before bed every night. It's a thin, white cream that absorbs quickly and easily into the skin, leaving it soft, smooth and silky to the touch. For me, a stand-out product from the ones received.

CLARINS MOISTURE-RICH BODY LOTION
This lotion is also thin in consistency and a little does go a long way, however I found the product didn't absorb easily, and sat on top of my skin, leaving it a bit clammy-feeling. The fragrance is soft, gentle and barely there; you could easily layer your perfume over it without a clash. Suitable for those with dry skin (not me).

CLARINS BODY TREATMENT OIL
This firming and toning oil contains 100% pure plant extracts. To me it feels like the oil version of the Toning Body Balm, for it has the same delicious smell and toning/firming qualities. I've been smoothing this oil over my chest daily (because who doesn't want firmer bewbs?) and I've noticed my skin is more toned and supple. It's nourishing and you only need a tiny bit unless you want to resemble an oil slick. My skin felt slightly tacky until the product absorbed. I'm really enjoying this one and the results it's giving me!

CLARINS FOOT BEAUTY TREATMENT CREAM
I'm big on the whipped mousse-like consistency of this white foot treatment cream, but don't really like the aroma. I guess your feet are all the way down there, though, so it's not of paramount importance. It feels rich and luxurious going on and works well to soften the hard bits, but I'm not in love with it.

CLARINS HAND AND NAIL TREATMENT CREAM
Another favourite from the bunch! This is an off-white coloured cream and is like whipped butter! It smells delightful (like mandarins to me! - nope, ingredients say Shea Butter and sesame seed oil, lol) as you massage it into your hands, leaving them soft, moisturised and ready for the day's tasks. Or a manicure; this would be PERFECT for a pre-manicure treatment. Feels luxurious, absorbs quickly and produces a big smile on my face.

DERMALOGICA SKINPERFECT PRIMER
Such a deceiving product! This primer is a beige shade (I instantly knew it was way too dark for my pale skin, and thought 'oh no'), however, when I rubbed it in, it seemed to disappear magically and blend right into my skin. No dark patches, just a (nearly) flawless, smooth primed base, ready for makeup application. My makeup stayed put throughout the day and I developed considerably less shine because the product mattified my skin. This primer surprised and delighted me and I'm even considering purchasing it once the sample tube runs out. Did I mention it's SPF 30 as well?

DERMALOGICA DYNAMIC SKIN RECOVERY
An adequate SPF30 daily moisturiser. I wasn't overly impressed with this one. I guess it absorbed quickly and was light enough, but I've tried better moisturisers that have done more for my skin.

DERMALOGICA MULTIVITAMIN POWER FIRM
This has the look and feel of a non-tinted primer and absorbs instantly. It contains Vitamin E and targets fine lines, working to firm them. I've only just started trialling this, given all the different creams I've been using, so I need to give it a bit longer before formulating an opinion. Although, my first thoughts are positive since I wore it overnight and this morning my face is looking smooth and I can barely see any fine lines under my eyes. I'm definitely interested to see the results of this with continued use.

DERMALOGICA EXFOLIATING BODY SCRUB
Seriously love this! It has lots of grainy bits for a very satisfying scrub, with a gentle almost almond-like fragrance. My skin felt like new; clean, scrubbed and refreshed. A lovely body exfoliant that I'd definitely consider buying.

JANE IREDALE LIPDRINK
This made my lips feel soft and moisturised but somewhat muted the natural colour of my lips, leaving a slight white appearance. Best used overnight or to prep lips under a lipstick.

CARON BUMP ERAISER
This thick white cream was soothing but I have no idea if it prevented ingrown hairs because I didn't have any before using it and I don't have any after; I don't know if I *would* have got any and this prevented it happening or if I just wasn't going to get any regardless. *Brain explodes*

JUICE SMOOTH ENZ
This repair product was very conditioning and made my hair easy to brush after washing (no small feat) however it would probably be more suited to dry hair types.

I've yet to try the other samples!

In summary, my Favourite Products were......
Clarins Toning Body Balm, Clarins Body Treatment Oil, Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, Dermalogica SkinPerfect Primer and the Dermalogica Exfoliating Body Scrub.

Disclaimer: All products were provided by RY for trial and review purposes. No payment was offered/accepted. All reviews are my honest opinion.

What's your favourite Clarins or Dermalogica skincare product?

Where I Rave About My May Faves!

Favourite products for May. Let's go!

Tangle Teezer (Disco Purple)
I'm so glad I jumped on the Tangle Teezer bandwagon, as it's an absolute godsend. My hair gets really tangly, but this baby breezes through the knots relatively painlessly and much more efficiently and effectively than normal brushes. Its unique design allows you to detangle dry or wet, just-washed hair with ease and minimal tugging. I hardly use my old hairbrush these days; I picked up this easy to hold delight and I haven't looked back. I also use it on my 5 year old son's hair, and he loves it, because "it doesn't hurt" when I do his hair now. And might I mention the colour; I just had to get the glittery Disco Purple!

Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick (No. 12)
First of all, I'm a massive fan of the Kate Moss range of Rimmel lippies, because the formula, consistency and wear is just divine. They are creamy, yet stay in place for a good amount of time and feel great on. On top of that, at $11.95 they are budget-friendly (and that's the full RRP - Priceline frequently have a 2 for 1 deal or similar offer where you can get a considerable discount). I'm loving Number 12 at the moment; it's a bright, cheerful orangey-coral shade that brings my face to life without being over-the-top. Creamy, non-drying, great-wearing inexpensive lipstick in a pretty shade that suits me and brightens my day = winner in my book! I've Instagrammed a pouty lip swatch of this shade here.

Yves Saint Laurent Paris Eau De Parfum
Basically, this is my all-time favourite perfume. I've been wearing it since I was 20, and I think I'm emotionally connected to it more than anything. That being said, I am IN LOVE with the fragrance of Paris, and no matter how many other perfumes I sample or buy, I always come back to this. Describing fragrances isn't my forte, so I googled and came up with scents of rose, violet, iris, jasmine, sandalwood and bergamot. To me, it smells of flowers, sweetness and overwhelming sentimentality.

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
This cleanser is effective, gentle and gives me a satisfying clean without drying out my skin. I like the consistency, the way it lathers and the overall feel of it when I'm massaging it in. I'm experiencing lots of hits and misses with Dermalogica lately, but this Gel fits firmly into the 'hit' category.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder (Light)
My loose powder/makeup brush application combo was not really cutting it in terms of minimising the dreaded shinies my oily skin likes to present me with on a daily basis (even in winter), so I switched things up and started using this powder, and I couldn't be happier! I am only needing to touch up once or twice during the day and there's usually only a tiny amount of shine (around my nose) to fix. This ridiculously obvious epiphany has also led me to start using eyeshadow primer and face primer under makeup to mattify my skin and prolong the wear of my concealer and foundation. I also might switch to mattifying foundation, but for now, this powder has really improved the look of my makeup.

Have you tried any of these products? Feel free to link up your Beauty Faves below in the comments :)

Disclaimer: All products were bought by my except the Dermalogica Gel, which I won.

Giddyup for my May Empties!

Another month, another bunch of Empties. Most notably, Lush Happy Hippy. Goodbye, sweet lover. Oh, how I loved you. Until we meet again (which will be as soon as I can haul thy arse instore).

Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Ageing Cream
I love this moisturiser! It really seems to improve the look of my skin and address the concerns it purports to. I've reviewed it before, here.

Lush Happy Hippy Hair and Body Gel
I refer to this product as a shower gel because I've never used it in my hair, but I have to say, out of all the shower gels I've tried, this is my favourite ever. By far. I simply adore it. It produces a high lather, which is satisfying in itself. But the fragrance, oh my GOD, the fragrance. It's subtle, grapefruity aroma is one of the most uplifting things I've ever experienced. True to the name, this makes me Happy. I don't know about the Hippy part, though. I got this half price during my trip to Melbourne in January, and I'm quite upset it's finished. Already planning when I can get my next bottle. I highly recommend this gorgeous shower gel to anyone and everyone. You won't regret it.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original
Batiste Dry Shampoo is one of my staples, however I prefer XXL Volume to Original. I can't get by without dry shampoo and don't know how I coped before it was invented. I probably would have actually had to WASH my hair with actual water! LOL. I've blogged about Batiste Dry Shampoo many times before: here are all the places.

Lush Big Shampoo
This is quite fun to use, and quite unlike your everyday liquid shampoos! It contains raw salt, seaweed and lime juice and smells great. You essentially scoop out some Big, dump it on your head and massage it in, complete with chunky raw salt crystals. Make sure you listen for the 'clink, clink, clink' sound as the salt drops down and hits the shower floor! I can't say my hair was bigger after using this, but it was clean and looked good. I'm undecided on a re-purchase at this point, because I still have a Lush New solid shampoo to finish. Besides, I'm single-handedly keeping the Dry Shampoo industry afloat.

Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant
This was a sample size I received. I'm a big fan of facial exfoliants, but this was way too gentle for me. I could barely feel the exfoliating particles and it basically just felt like a cream cleanser. It didn't feel like it was giving my skin a deep down clean, and was far from satisfying. It would probably suit those with sensitive skin.

Clean & Clear Advantage Fast Clearing Spot Gel
I really like this spot gel; it works effectively to clear my breakouts and the great thing about it is you can apply it then put makeup over the top and it doesn't have that annoying 'rub-off' effect. I wear makeup all day and I want a treatment that I can use throughout the day, not just at night when my makeup comes off. I received a bunch of these to trial from one of the trial/survey companies ages ago, and I'm still using them up.

REMINDER! Don't throw out your LUSH empties! Bring five empty pots instore and swap them over for a FREE Lush Fresh Face Mask!

Disclaimer: Batiste, Olay & Lush were bought by me. Dermalogica was a free sample and Clean & Clear was provided to trial and review for another company (non-blog related).