November Beauty Empties!

Hi guys! It's time for another beauty empties post. I think I may have absentmindedly thrown out a few things (oops!) so this probably isn't everything. Also, I definitely need a good house clean up, because these were located all over the place. I envy those of you who are super organised!

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Rose Gold)
I really liked the fragrance of this one and would definitely get it again. The floral packaging design is super pretty too and I do like looking at cute products that look good in the bathroom!

Batiste Dry Shampoo Plus (Heavenly Volume)
I'm definitely going to keep buying this one as it's specifically formulated to impart extra volume, which my hair needs. Not as pretty to look at, but meets the needs of my hair type better than the Rose Gold version.

3 x Maybelline Masterliners
Hands down my favourite everyday eyeliner, of course I will continue to buy them, and have already done so (I like having at least two back-ups in the cupboard). I'm not sure that I used all three of these last month, but that's how many I found! You can usually get them half price at Chemist Warehouse or stock up when Priceline are having a makeup sale.

L'Oreal Elvive Fibralogy Thickening Shampoo
I've already bought my next bottle, as I love this stuff. I really hope it's not discontinued as I believe the Fibralogy Thickening Serum has been. Give a girl a break, L'Oreal!

Hair Recipe Strawberry & Mint Cleanse Shampoo
I love using this as a first cleanse to get rid of any build up of product, before going in with the above-mentioned Fibralogy thickening shampoo. I tried some different deep clean type clarifying shampoos but nothing really worked until I tried this one. Again, I get it when Priceline is having a half price haircare sale!

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Solution
I won a trio of mini Bioderma micellar waters and aren't they just the cutest thing ever? These are the best micellar waters I've tried and the only negative is that the bottle isn't bigger!

Oh Deer Sugar Use Your Melon Shower Moose
This watermelon and lime shower mousse was amazing! I love these fragrances and the Oh Deer Sugar mooses (spelled that way on purpose!) are definitely Holy Grail products for me. I love the whipped texture and they're so much fun to use. I'm currently using a Banana and Vanilla Milkshake one from the same line. You can read my mini-review of the Oh Deer Sugar Rose & Passionfruit Shower Moose here.

Lime Crime Glitter Helper
I'm throwing this out because unfortunately it has gone off. I didn't get that much use out of it either! Oh well.

Revlon Photoready Colour Correcting Pen
I love love love this product and have already replaced it during the recent Priceline cosmetics sale. It's perfect for hiding my dark circles and the formula smooths on effortlessly and blends like a dream.

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Disclaimer: Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

What have you finished up recently? Let me know in the comments below!

Priceline 50% Off HairCare Haul

Hi guys! Super quick post today, just outlining what I got in the 50% Off HairCare Priceline Sale last week! My main goal with these sales is to stock up on my staple products, because there's no better time to buy them, but I have to say, I occasionally throw caution to the wind and use the opportunity to try something new. How do you shop the half price sales?

Products Bought
~ Schwarzkopf Super Styling Lacquer 
~ 2 x Batiste XXL Volume Spray (could only fit one in the photo)!
~ Hair Recipe Strawberry & Mint Cleanse Shampoo
~ L'Oreal Elvive Fibralogy Thickening Shampoo
~ L'Oreal Preference Hair Colour in Light Rose Gold

The Schwarzkopf hairspray and Batiste volume sprays are both staples in my haircare routine, so I had to snap them up. I love using the Hair Recipe cleanse shampoo as a first shampoo to remove any built-up product, before going in with a volume shampoo. I've gone back to the Fibralogy thickening shampoo but I've got a horrible feeling it's being discontinued (which always happens with my favourite finds!). The reason I think this is because my quest to buy the accompanying L'Oreal Elvive Fibralogy Thickening Serum was quite a difficult one! Everywhere I looked didn't stock it and the other products from the Fibralogy range were getting low too. I eventually found one serum at a supermarket, but I don't like my chances of picking it up again. The two Pricelines I went to didn't have it, and their Fibralogy shampoo and conditioner stock was super low. And lastly, I bought a new Preference hair colour. My roots are dark at the moment, so I'm going to have to lighten everything up first or this just won't work. I'm interested to see what rose gold comes out like though!

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What's your must-have hair product?

May Empties!

Hi guys! A short and sweet empties post from me today. I only finished seven products last month, but then as soon as we went into June, the empties started piling up, so next month's post will feature a lot more products. In the meantime, here's everything I completed in May.

Batiste Stylist XXL Volume Spray
This is still not as good as my favourite Batiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo (that they discontinued - boo!) but I'm learning to like it more I guess. I'm settling. I'm still pissed off that I can no longer buy the best volumising dry shampoo I had found on the market though. Can you tell?

Hask Coconut Oil Nourishing Shine Hair Oil
I wish this wasn't so hard to find because I flat out love it! The coconutty fragrance immediately transports me to a tropical island/white sand/blue water/laying on the beach/sipping cocktails type sitch, and it makes my hair look healthy as well. I couldn't find it in-store to repurchase, so I'm trying the Argan Oil Healing Shine one (featured in this Priceline 50% Off Haircare Haul post) instead!

Clinique Youth Surge Age Decelerating Moisturiser
This was a little sample pot that still managed to take me forever to finish. It was nice enough but I've got other moisturisers to get through, so I won't be buying it.

Oh Deer Sugar (Oh) Candy Cane Mint & Coconut Body Scrub
I actually won this in a Giveaway two Christmases ago (eek!) so I thought I better get a wriggle on and use it up! I wasn't a huge fan unfortunately, despite loving most Oh Deer Sugar products. I find their dry scrubs quite harsh on the skin, and much prefer the softer, gentler formula of the Soda Pop creamy scrubs. It did smell minty and fresh though!

Oh Deer Sugar (Oh) Confetti Fawn Jellybean & Popping Candy Shower Moose
The Oh Deer Sugar shower mooses (moose, deer, get it??) are my most favourite line from this brand! I adore the creamy, whipped formula and they are an absolute delight to use. I did enjoy Confetti Fawn but I won't repurchase as I want to try all the fragrance varieties in the range. You can read my thoughts on the lovely fruity Peachy Keen one and the Rose & Passionfruit one in my March Favourites and September Favourites blog posts respectively.

L'Occitane Divine Eye Balm
The L'Occitane store at Westfield Marion was handing out these samples as I was passing by so I thought I'd try them. I haven't tried much from this brand (maybe a hand cream?), and I have a particular interest in eye creams, however I couldn't really form much of an opinion from this tiny sample. The product was fairly thick and moisturising, as you'd expect from a balm.

L'Occitane Divine Eyes
This is a much lighter formula than the Eye Balm and was nice enough, but again I couldn't really test it properly from the sachet sample, as it just lasted a few goes. A good way to make my expensive eye creams last longer, via the use of free samples in the interim though?

So I didn't finish up that many products last month, but blogging about them has inspired me to try harder and I think I'll aim to write an Empties post every month. That way I can actually bin my finished products instead of hanging on to them for a blog post I never end up writing!

You may be interested in my April Beauty Empties post!

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Disclaimer: Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you tried any of these products? 

Priceline Haul + A Life Update!

Hi guys! I have been really good with my spending since my Melbourne trip, where I went a bit crazy with my MAC/Lush/jewellery Haul, Sephora Haul and the yet-to-be-blogged Mecca Maxima haul that led to my upgrade to Level 2 Beauty Loop status (check out my Level 2 Box here). I avoided the Priceline Skincare Bag GWP *pats self on back*, however I did jump at the recent Maybelline sale, because my beloved Masterliner was getting dangerously close to running out, and that's one of my staples, so it's totally fine. And in fact, it makes sense to shop for my staples when they are marked down, I'm actually saving myself money! So I'm happy to say the majority of these purchased items are staples AND were on special.

I also just wanted to touch base and explain what's been going on, because it's going to impact my blogging in August and September. Nothing too dramatic, unless you count everything going wrong with our house all at once! Firstly, our long-awaited bathroom renovation will be starting soon, so this means I have to clean up the entire house and declutter like a mad woman. SO MUCH WORK. We have boxes everywhere because the water damage in our bathroom rotted our linenpress which had to be ripped out, meaning we have minimal storage, and a crap-ton of boxes of stuff to sort through. I'm hoping we can throw a lot of stuff out and start living my dream of having a minimalist-style home. On top of that, our ducted air-conditioner decided to shit itself cease functioning, so we've been freezing for nearly two weeks. So things are going well. We had a few different companies come through (both with conflicting opinions of what was wrong, because of course) and during this time I basically couldn't do more than 15 minutes work on my computer at a time because I'd begin freezing my tits off, lol. We had a small heater set up in the lounge (this explains why I've been watching so much Netflix lately!), but it's too much hassle to keep moving it. So basically, it was really hard to get any blog posts done as this is where I blog from! Thankfully the heating is fixed now, but as a result, I am way behind on everything.

The upshot of all this is, there may be fewer posts until I get myself sorted out. As previously mentioned I'll also be busy cleaning like a mofo in preparation for the bathroom renovation. Then, while that's happening (five weeks from September to October) I plan on going out everyday, because I can't eat or wee when there are workmen in the house, lolol. In September, before the renovation starts, we are mega-busy as well, with Father's Day, my Wedding Anniversary, the Royal Adelaide Show (yay!), my son's Birthday and Party and my Birthday all happening! I still have blog posts planned for August and September though, for instance, right now I'm trialling:

~ new Lush lip balms, toothy tabs and tooth powders
~ new Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine lipsticks
~ new Natura Siberica bath salts and face mask
~ new Rimmel highlighters

So I'll be blogging about those, plus the usual stuff, just not as frequently. I'll also be holding a Giveaway on Instagram soon, to celebrate 1000 followers, so stay tuned for that! OK, thanks if you made it through all that, I just wanted to explain my ridiculous life and make you super-jealous.  Haha. #not

Onto the Priceline Haul!

~ Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume
~ Batiste Dry Shampoo Plus Heavenly Volume
~ Maybelline Masterliner in Black (x 2, but only 1 pictured)
~ Maybelline The Blushed Nudes eyeshadow palette
~ Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme



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Have you bought anything from Priceline lately? They are having so many sales!

Priceline 40% Off HairCare Haul!

I think I may singlehandedly be keeping Priceline in business with the amount of money I've been giving them lately! There was my Cosmetics Bag GWP Haul and hubby threw some cash their way to get me Lady Gaga's Fame, YSL's Parisienne and Katy Perry's Royal Revolution for Mother's Day in their fragrance sale, too. And there's still the Skincare GWP to go!

Let's talk HairCare, though. My hair has been giving me a fair bit of grief lately. It's naturally fine, but lately it's becoming increasingly difficult to inject some volume into it. I need to cut an inch or so off, as that usually gives me a little more body, but I'm getting frustrated with how flat and lifeless it appears. I use volume shampoo, conditioner and mousse plus various root booster sprays and thickening lotions, so I'm really throwing everything at it and I'm just not getting the results I used to. So I used the 40% off sale as an opportunity to buy a bunch of volumising products (plus a few extras) in the hopes of finding something that works well for me. Fingers crossed that something in this massive haul is a miracle worker!

Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume (x 2) - my favourite ever dry shampoo because it gives me extra volume from the roots. When this goes on special, I stock up, as it's a staple in my hair styling routine. Check out my mini-review here.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Light & Blonde - I use dry shampoo every day, so I go through it fairly fast. I've tried this before and just decided to get this to mix things up a bit.

L'Oreal Elvive Fibralogy Thickening Serum - I've gone through about four bottles of this, and when used daily, I can easily finish a bottle in a few weeks. If it's on special I'll get it, because it's a lovely product that does give my hair body, providing I scrunch it through properly. I'm not loving it as much as I used to, though, going by this post where it made my Favourites last year!

L'Oreal Elvive Fibralogy Thickening Shampoo - Another repurchase, because this one is quite good. I do have a fair few bottles of shampoo in the cupboard waiting to be used up at the moment though!

Fudge Root Juice - this is a 'medium hold root booster for extra volume and grunt'. I will give anything a go that claims to provide body from the roots and I'm loving a few other Fudge products at the moment, so hopefully this is just as good.

VO5 MattClay - I included one product for hubby, because it makes me feel slightly less guilty about this huge haul! I can also use this on my son's hair, so it was a no-brainer.

VO5 Give Me Texture Tousled Style Spray - I still don't know if texture is a good idea when you have fine hair, as you don't want it to go too piecey, but I'll give this a go. I'm thinking it will be similar to salt spray.

Toni & Guy Glamour 3D Volumiser - this sounds promising. I'm expecting miraculous results from this 'volume boost with a spritz of shine' spray. No pressure or anything!

Pantene Light Detangling Spray - I'll only need to use this right before I wash my hair. That's when it's at its tangliest. I don't blame it, with multiple days worth of dry shampoo, serums, various sprays and lacquer through it!

Schwarzkopf Ultime Sea Salt Texture Spray - I just finished off my Tigi Catwalk Session Series Salt Spray and thought I'd try this as a replacement. Schwarzkopf is a good brand and all salt sprays would be pretty similar ingredient-wise, wouldn't they?

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Have you used any of these products?

December Empties!

Another round of Empties, and I'm making a conscious effort to finish products lately. I think it has something to do with the huge amount of self-gifting I participated in around Christmas. I have so much stuff, I have ascertained I'll never need to buy makeup, skincare or nail polish ever again (excluding staples). Of course, I still will, but I'm going to try living off my built up stock for as long as I can hold out. Excluding staples. Always excluding staples.

Formula 10.0.6 Down To The Pore Strips
These 'blackhead banishing pore strips with tea tree and kaolin' were no different to any of the other pore strips I've used. They all go on the same, work the same way and do the same thing. I don't even have a blackhead problem really, I just get these (any brand, I'm not fussy) for the fun of pulling it off and seeing all the gross bits come out. Is it just me who gets a kick out of this? I hope not.

Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume
This is my favourite dry shampoo ever, and is most definitely a staple. It gives my fine locks tons of volume and soaks up oils between washes. I stock up when they are on special, because I use this product every day. I've spoken about it before here.

Australis Glitter Polish in Rio Riot
I have a lot of glitter nail polish, and most of the Australis nail glitter varieties (hello Milky Way, Fairy Bread, Glitter Strikes Back, etc). However this bottle was damaged (the inner lid was broken and it didn't screw closed properly) when my online order arrived and I never bothered to replace it. I was able to use it for a while, but then I put it in my vast polish collection and forgot about it. Suffice to say it's now dried up and useless, so into the bin it goes.

Revlon Lash Potion Waterproof Mascara
I was using this and wondering why I was getting a clump effect, then switched to another mascara and the problem ceased. I think this might just be too dry (can't remember when I got it), so I'll toss it and continue with my newer mascaras instead.

Maybelline Age Rewind Treatment Concealer
This is an effective dark circles corrector, and it's another staple in my makeup organiser. I love the formula and consistency, although the foam applicator can be a pain in the arse. I've blogged about it before here.

Australis Eyeshadow Primer
I'm not into expensive eyeshadow primers, and there's no need to be when this cheapie works so well. The white, creamy primer blends in effortlessly and really helps the shadow stay put throughout the day. Don't make my mistake and apply shitloads of bright green, sparkly eyeshadow as an experiment after using this primer, because you will be fucked for the entire day. The only drawback is the metallic pink tube means you cannot see when you are about to run out.

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel
Half of my label has rubbed off, so I must be super aggressive in the shower! This limited edition cult product is only available at Christmas time, hence stocking up often occurs (I still have a huge one from last year I'm madly trying to finish; the expiry date is fast approaching so from now on my son will be having seventeen Snow Fairy bubblebaths per day!). Anyway this is a pretty pink, super sweet candy floss fragranced gel that's fun and lovely. I've talked about it before here.

Disclaimer: All products bought with my own money. All reviews are my honest opinion.

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).

Colour Me Pretty Priceline Haul!

I'm actually proud this is such a conservative Haul considering I haven't hit the shops in what feels like forever. Armed with my Priceline Beauty Club voucher and a mindful of pretty coloured lippies and nail polishes, I raped my local store of the following goodies .......

Left to Right, Back then Front:

L'Oreal Paris Feria Preference Permanent Colour in Metallic Silver Blonde
Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume
Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 106
Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 16
Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 20
Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Sun Downer
Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Sky High
Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Portobello Pink

106 (matte), 16, 20

Sun Downer, Sky High, Portobello Pink

*Priceline had a 'Buy 2, Get the 3rd Free' deal on Rimmel products :)


What have you hauled lately?

Empties Reviewed: March 2013

Here's every beauty product I finished (or 'emptied') in March!

Lush Rub Rub Rub
This 'startlingly refreshing shower scrub' was satisfactory, but I didn't fall in love with it. Given my recent addiction to Lush products (see my huge hauls here and here), this was a little disappointing. Body scrubs as a general category rate near the top of my beauty favourites, and I have tried a lot, so I probably have quite high expectations. I won't be repurchasing, as I have a TON of other Lush products to get through before I even think about buying anything else from them.

Thank You, Neil :)

Batiste Dry Shampoo Blush
This is such an effective dry shampoo that soaks up oil with ease, provides volume and doesn't make my hair go white like some dry shampoos. That the can designs look pretty on the bathroom shelf is a bonus. Batiste is currently my favourite brand of dry shampoo since Toni & Guy changed their formula with their latest range. Blush has a delicate, subtle fragrance and is a regular on my Empties posts, along with Fresh, Diva, Tropical and XXL.

Clinique Anti-Fatigue Cooling Eye Gel
Love, love, love this product from the Skin Supplies For Men range, and have already re-purchased. I actually had quite an aversion to rollerballs before trying this, but it has single-handedly changed my mind. There's nothing better than the cooling sensation of rolling this on under my bleary eyes every morning. It seems to address a multitude of issues, reducing puffiness, dark circles and generally improving the appearance of my under eye region. I use an eye cream over the top to facilitate the application of concealer, because this is a treatment gel, not a moisturiser.

Benefit Erase Paste
Another favourite (and yes, I've re-purchased, taking advantage of Adore Beauty's March goodie bag GWP). I don't even care that it's in a little pot that I have to shove my finger into; the product's formula, consistency and effectiveness as a multi-purpose concealer more than makes up for this. Confession: I'm a Concealoholic. I LOVE buying and trying as many concealers as I can, and use different ones for red spots, dark circles and hiding fine lines. I'm currently using Erase Paste under my eyes, as it's really good at hiding dark shadows. I warm it up on my fingertips, mix in a little Benefit Eye Bright, then apply under my eyes. Erase Paste featured in my June Beauty Favourites here.


** When you finish your Lush products, remember not to throw them out! Instead, collect 5 empty containers and claim your Lush freebie!

FREEBIE ALERT!

Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me.

Empties With Reviews: A'kin, Benefit, Trilogy, L'Occitane and more!

Break it doooooooooooown ......

L'Occitane Gentle Body Scrub
This is a Certified Organic foaming body scrub containing powdered olive stones and moisturising olive tree extracts. This scrub has the most satisfying scratchy particles for effective exfoliation and I love how it lathers, making it easier to spread over your body. The only downfall is that even when I shook the product, it remained separated in the bottle. This resulted in lots of gel shooting out quickly, until I'd used half of the scrub. Then I had to squeeze the hell out of the tube to get some product out, which, you guessed it, was 90% scrub particles. Then I'd be squeezing really hard and suddenly a crapload of gel with no particles would squirt out! Fun fun fun!

A'Kin Orange Blossom Body Wash
High lather alert! This satisfying body wash imparts a heady, earthy orange aroma more so than a sweet one. A thick gel that left my skin feeling soft and clean, this product is parafen and sulphate free and not tested on animals. But mostly, it made me feel happy. Must be the 'aromatherapy benefits' of citrus!

Trilogy Clean + Balance Shampoo
I quite liked this shampoo that's formulated for fine, oily and combination hair types to combat product build up. It contains wheat amino acids and certified organic rosehip oil. A lovely gentle shampoo with a subtle pleasant fragrance. I felt like my scalp was thanking me for putting something non-chemically on it.

The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Shower Gel
Hauled here and given Top 5 Product status by me here. Impressive lather with an addictive lemon meringue pie aroma!

The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Scrub
Again, hauled here. This scrub has a strange, thick consistency and leaves a film on the skin, which some people will find annoying. Not as good as the gel, I still enjoyed the lemony goodness.

Benefit Sugarbomb Blush
Reviewed like a noob here, this blush has grown on me with time. I also use my own photos now. LOL!

ASAP Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub
Reviewed here, this scrub is as harsh as Judge Judy. Yet, not as endearing. Proceed with caution. I used it as a body scrub, because I'm quite fond of my facial skin.

The Usual Suspects - the following products are regular empties, so expect maximum linkage to previous posts on them!

TN Dickinson's Witch Hazel
A toner for clear, smooth skin, reviewed here.

Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume
One of my Top 5 Products, lookie here.

Maybelline MasterLiner Eyeliner
Love it! Reviewed here in October Favourites and here.

Olay Total Effects 7 in 1 Anti-Ageing Cream
My favourite moisturiser ever, reviewed here.

Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub
I love the medicinal (unpleasant to many, I'm sure) stench of this scrub, and have returned to it, after trialling a few others. Reviewed here.


Disclaimer: Products I bought: The Body Shop Gel & Scrub, Batiste, TN Dickinsons, L'Occitane, Maybelline, Olay, Garnier. Products I won: Trilogy, Benefit. A'Kin was free as a thankyou for completing a trial and ASAP was a Gift With Purchase. All opinions are my own.

What products have you finished lately?

Teeny Weeny Colourful Haul!

OK, so I indulged in a teeny, weeny colourful haul the other day. I went to the mall for the first time in months (sad, I know!) and I had a list as long as my arm of things to get done. None of them were beauty-related. I got all my shit done post haste and it was straight to Priceline for me! Although, I think I picked up the Ulta3's at KMart or Big W while I was there for something else. Someone needs to invent Beauty Blinkers so I can walk past and ignore a store's makeup section. Until then ..........

(back row) 
2 x Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume
(front row, left - right)
Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 20
Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 19
Rimmel Fruities Nail Polish in Strawberry Fizz
Ulta3 Nail Colour in Tahitian Lime
Ulta3 Nail Colour in Honolulu

So bright and pretty!

What have you hauled lately?

Get Clean, Naked and Balmy with My Top 5!

Nude up, beauties! I'm bringing Naked back! Take a walk down memory lane as I dust off Urban Decay's Naked Palette and rediscover its magnificence. The ORIGINAL release, not Take 2, either! And I guess I didn't really dust it off because the front is a tad crappy. Luckily the precious shadows housed within are well-preserved. Without further ado, I present My Current Top 5 Beauty Products! (in no particular order) ....

1. The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Shower Gel
I've finished the small one, so I've whipped out the 250ml so you can see how it looks. This gel is delightful! I love washing myself in lemony goodness; the fragrance is strong and invigorating and the formula works up to quite the impressive lather. I've been using Sweet Lemon Body Scrub then following up with this gel, and I tell ya, I smell like a Lemon Meringue Pie afterwards. WIN!

2. Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume
To say I was excited when I spotted this new product would be an understatement. You know I'm a dry shampoo junkie, right? And that I'm always looking for products to create volume in my fine locks? THIS COMBINES THE TWO. And I know dry shampoos by their very nature add volume, but THIS SAYS IT ON THE CAN! And it totally lives up to my high expectations. I would have to say this dry shampoo, out of the millions I've tried (slight exagerration), gives me the most volume. And yes, it also works in the 'soaking up oils and refreshing/cleaning my hair' department. It's really good. Go get it now.

3. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
This 'Synchronized Recovery Complex' (what the hell are they purporting to synchronize?) is pretty damn good. You only need a couple of drops from the little, err, dropper thing, on each cheek for the serum to cover your whole face. This leaves my skin soft and smooth and I've noticed my skin is generally clearer since I've been using it. Besides, I love products that work overnight. Sneaky side; I've worn it a few times during the day under moisturiser and it provides a decent base for makeup. Don't skip the moisturiser though, or you may have problems. As a general rule, night products should just be used at night, though. I was just rebelling :)

4. The Body Shop Candied Ginger Lip Balm
First of all, I bought this from a Body Shop store in Singapore half price, so I'm not sure that it's available in Australia. I probably shouldn't rub your face in it too much, then. But the texture of this balm is amazeballs. It's creamy and nourishing, with a lovely ginger fragrance that's subtle and comforting. I use this before bed to keep my lips from drying out overnight.

5. Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette
You know when you find something you stopped using months ago, give it a whirl and then think 'why did I ever stop using this?'. Yeah, that. These earthy natural, bronze, brown, grey and black shades are gorgeous. Highly pigmented, with great staying power, these eyeshadows look great, blend well and compliment each other perfectly. Like just about every beauty freak, I Had To Have this when it first came out, and certainly paid a pretty (fucking enormous) penny for it. Funnily enough, I didn't end up getting the second Naked Palette. My favourite shades here are Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Smog and Toasted.

Disclaimer: I bought The Body Shop lip balm and shower gels, Batiste Dry Shampoo and the Urban Decay Naked Palette and won the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair.

April/May Empties: Mega Editiion!

I've decided to combine my Empties from the last two months together into one giant post. Many of these are regular Empties products so I won't bore you with my thoughts on those. Let the Emptiness begin!

The Body Shop Papaya Body Scrub
O. M. G. I bought this in Singapore for half price. Best buy ever! The aroma was sensational and the scratchy exfoliating bits knocked my socks off. SO satisfying. Alas, this is no longer available to buy in Australia (I checked with The Body Shop staff). Although, they said try eBay. This product alone has totally got me hooked on body scrubs. Let me know in the comments your favourite body scrub!


Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Shampoo
I love this! It's infused with Wild Violet and Pomegranate. Smells great and my hair actually looked good after use. I will probably buy this again once I use up all my other shampoos.


Colgate Max White One Toothpaste
Again, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm no Dentist, but this seemed like an exfoliant for the teeth! It contains little particles that help remove stains. It claims to give you whiter teeth in one week, but I actually noticed whiter teeth after one use. Maybe my teeth are just that bad. LOL. I got two tubes for free, so I'm now on my second tube, and will probably buy (shock, horror!) one when it runs out.


Garnier Fructis Fortifying Conditioner
I wasn't really impressed with the results from this and I won't get it again. Probably not the conditioner's fault, as I need hair products aimed at fine hair, something that will give me volume. Shit know why I bought something with the word 'Normal' on it! Maybe this is hubbys? LOL.


Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Conditioner
This is a "lightweight nourishing" conditioner that is supposed to give you "hair that is beautifully nourished with virtually no weight". Apparently the Aqua Light range was developed with a low-suds formula, because when the product is not rinsed out properly (due to too many bubbles) it can weigh the hair down. Personally, this conditioner (in conjunction with the shampoo) left my hair squeaky clean. But to the point where it was really difficult to brush (ie, it left my hair tangled). I already have really tangly hair, so this may or may not be related to the Aqua Light formula.


Sunsilk Plumped Up Volume Hairspray
So I saw the words "volume thickening and flexible hold hairspray" and I thought YES, this is for me. I am on a never-ending quest for volume and thickened locks. However, I was mighty disappointed when this bastard sprayed out huge bubbles into my hair. WTF? I have never had this happen with my usual Schwarzkopf Super Styling Lacquer. So I shook that fucker like buggery and STILL got huge bubbles. Lucky I know the emergency fix: blast it with the hairdryer until the bubbles disappear. As a result, I cannot use this in my fringe, however I can use it in my ponytail and kind of scrunch it after spraying. I won't be buying this again.


Schwarzkopf EC Ultimate Repair Shampoo
I won this range of products, but it's not really suited to my hair type. It contains 3 x liquid keratin which is more suited to very dry hair. For me, it just made my hair lank and lifeless. If your hair is mega-damaged, the injection of moisture this provides would be a godsend. Luckily, just about every product works fine on my husband's hair, because I've given him this range to use, too.


Sunsilk Frizz & Weather Defence Shampoo
I have absolutely no recollection of using this, so I better not comment. In the interest of fairness.


Olay Total Effects Cream Cleanser
Love it! I've previously covered this product here


Schwarzkopf EC Super Styling Lacquer
My favourite hairspray ever. Thoughts on it here


Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush & Fresh
Adore these! I've blogged about them before here  and here and here

February Empties with Mini Reviews

Oh Hai! It's been a while, but here I am with my February Empties (the products I finished in February) with Mini Reviews of each product. Without further ado.....

Schwarzkopf Extra Care Super Styling Lacquer in Extreme Hold
My favourite ever hairspray. Distributes well and provides superior hold without looking stiff or terribly unnatural. The cans in this range are colour-coded, so even if I don't remember what level of hold I prefer, all I have to remember is to get the purple one!

Rexona Women Confidence Anti-Perspirant
This claims to be 'body responsive' and '48+ hours'. It has a great big pink tick on the front, which I guess beats a red cross AND let's hubby know it's mine. This performed adequately, however excluding beauty bloggers specifically trialling long-lasting deodorants, I don't know a single person who would skip spraying on the second day in the hopes their anti-perspirant actually met the 48+ hour claim. I find the + to be a bit cheeky. MORE than 2 days? Say WHAT?!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Diva and Tropical
Love this dry shampoo. Diva (described on the can as 'heady oriental') is probably my second favourite fragrance, after Tropical. Tropical kind of smells like coconut and pineapple (the can describes it as 'exotic'). This product doesn't make my hair go white like some dry shampoos, and really soaks up oils between washes, leaving my hair looking clean and full of body. Easy to use, great size (you could throw it in your bag for after the gym) and the cans are colourful and cute!

Maybelline FitMe Concealer in Fair Clair
I was a bit sceptical, at first, of a concealer that claims to 'let the real you come through'. If I wanted that, I wouldn't be applying concealer in the first place! However, it's actually a really great concealer. The consistency is creamy, the doe-foot applicator is easy to use and the results lasts all day without caking. It's easily blendable and feels lightweight on the skin. It's by no means the best concealer on the market, but for the price ($14.95), it performs well. Available in 6 shades, although I have found Light hard to come across.
Apparently, it's the "exclusive translucent base and lightweight pigments that match the skin tone effortlessly, creating a complexion that is free of waxes and oils, allowing skin's natural highs and lows to show through". This product would be well-suited to teenage girls just starting to use makeup, and women with minor blemishes who just need a little bit of extra coverage.
Note that the black writing and markings on the outer packaging of the tube rubs off quite easily with use, until you are left with a clear tube, like me!

Have you used any of these products? What did you think?