Clarisonic - Lavender Mia

You may recall that on my Wanting, Desiring, Needing list I had the Clarisonic Mia listed. I caved on Wednesday and purchased the Lavender limited edition Mia from AdoreBeauty and it arrived the next day. Yay! :) I was very excited to find it in the letter box.

On first opening I was a little sad to find it had to be charged for 24 hours before it could be used. So onto the charger it went whilst I had a sad face. I wanted to use it then!

The Clarisonic Mia is a more travel friendly version of the Classic and Plus Clarisonics. The Mia only has one speed and does not have a charging cradle. The Mia is also not intended to be used on the body.

I have used it three times since receiving it and I love it already. My skin feels smoother and softer. My skin seems to absorb my moisturiser better and quicker. At this stage I am only using it once a day. It can be used twice a day but my skin can be a little touchy so I wanted to start off slowly. I can already see this becoming an essential step in my skincare.

Do you have a Clarisonic? Do you love it? Do you want one?



Urban Decay - Naked 2 Palette

You may recall that I made a post titled Wanting Desiring Needing about a month ago. Well I am finally starting to get my hands on some of the items on that list. The first is the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette.

I had been hanging out to get this since it was released before Christmas in the US. Sadly Urban Decay does not ship to Australia and I am a little unsure of how to use mail forwarding companies. Therefore I waited until BeautyBay had it in stock. BeautyBay is where I purchased my original Naked Palette from and I was very happy with their service. BeautyBay got the Naked 2 Palette in stock about a fortnight ago and I ordered that day. It arrived on Monday, therefore it took about 9 business days to arrive from the UK.

Naked 2 on the top, the original Naked on the bottom

For me this palette is every bit as amazing and awesome as the original. There is an excellent range of neutral shades. The shades range from a pale milky colour to a dark black. The Naked 2 Palette includes a double ended brush. One end is a shadow brush and the other a crease blush. I find the brush works well with the palette. It also came with a mini Lip Junkie lip gloss in Naked.  

The first 6 shades in the Naked 2 Palette

I am not going to include swatches at this stage. My swatching abilities would not do the palette justice. Instead I will show close up photos of the shades.

I love how there is a variety of finishes with the shades, especially the three matte ones - I am loving matte shadows at the moment. I also love that each shades looks different and significantly so from each other.

Like the original palette all the shades are buttery soft and highly pigmented. I find them to be easy to apply and to blend. The packaging on the Naked 2 Palette is also an improvement. Instead of cardboard packaging it is in a heavy duty metal case that is sturdier than the original and won't get marked easily like the velvet on the original.



The last 6 shades in the Naked 2 Palette

I know many people who have the first one will be trying to decide if they purchase the second one. Also people who haven't got either will be trying to decide which one is better to purchase. For me I love them both. There is only one repeated shade between the both palettes and it is Half Baked.

I think either palette would be an asset to any one who loves neutral eyeshadows. At this time I am really loving the Naked 2 Palette but I think that is just because it is new.

BeautyBay currently has both the Naked Palette and the Naked 2 Palette in stock and they have free shipping on at the moment. The Naked 2 Palette retails for AU$54.90.

Are you a fan of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes? Which is your favourite?

Oops I went Shopping...

This is just a bit of a collective post of the beauty related items I have picked in the last week or so. I continue to do these posts because they are amongst my most read posts, but please let me know if you don't like these types of posts. :)

First off a couple of things I picked up a Chemist. I purchase two more Polished London nail polishes. This time I got London Eye which is a nice bright orange. The other colour I got is Bambino which is a bright pink. Again they were only $7.99 each.

I also I picked up a new Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm. This is the limited edition version that I believe was released for NYFW. The scent/flavour is Protecting Baby and it is nice, not too strong. I find the Baby Lips are okay lip balms when lips are not too dry. This was about $4.00.

After seeing all the advertising for the new Maybelline Master Precise liquid liner, I had to get one. It has a very fine brush tip which will hopefully be easy to use. I haven't tried this on my eyes yet but it does not seem as black as I expected. I paid around $14.00 for this.

The other items I picked up were from a discount store called Cheap as Chips. It is similar to the Reject Shop. The had a pile of Loreal, Maybelline and Revlon cosmetics for $3.00 each so naturally I had to pick some items up. :) The only problem is many of the colours were horrible, so I had to spend a good amount of time digging through the items.

I picked up:

• Revlon Age Defying Light Makeup SPF30 in 30 Skin Brightener.
• I tried this today and it is a little orangey but I love the SPF30 and it feels light on. I would call it a tinted moisturiser.
• Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in 002 Peach Sorbet
• This is a really nice pinky peach. I am really into matte eyeshadows at the moment and this seems really smooth and pigmented.
• Loreal HIP Liquid Highlighter in 208 Ornate
• I got this thinking it was a face highlighter but once I got it home a peeled off the price label it says to not use on the face. So this probably won't get used now - I was really disappointed as it is a pretty bronze colour.
• Maybelline Eye Express Cream Shadow Stick in 200 Touch of Toffee
• I love cream shadows - they are so easy to apply. This is a pale, sparkly champagne colour that seems quite pigmented.
• Loreal HIP Colour Crystal Eyeliner in 912 Silver Sparkle
• I wish they'd had other colours, this is so creamy and pigmented. I think the packaging had called it a gel pencil liner. I can't wait to use this.
• Maybelline Line Stylist in Bright Highlight
• This is a silvery white highlight pencil. Sadly it seems a little dry and not very pigmented.

The items were only $3.00 each so I don't mind if they turn out to be fails but at this stage I am pretty happy with the items I picked up. If you have a Cheap as Chips near you, head there soon to check out what items they have.

What have you purchased recently? Have you used any of the items I purchased? Any suggestions for items I must have? :)

BellaBox - February 2012

My BellaBox finally arrived today, quite a bit later than my other subscription boxes. This month the box arrived in a bag instead of an outer box. I don't know if this is new way they are sending them or they just ran out of the outer boxes.

For Valentine's Day this months box had a theme of "A Little Bit of Love" from BellaBox.

The items in this moths box are:

• Sasy n Savy - Citrus Souffle Body Creme 10ml - RRP$15.00 50mls
• B by Bloom - Collecta Eyeshadow in Hudson River (full size) - RRP$9.95
• Mememe - Seventh Heaven Facebase 10ml - RRP$34.95 30ml
• Sparoma - Shimmer Wrap with Jasmine (no size given) - RRP$44.95 150ml
• Star & Rose - Confetti Soap Rose (one rose) - RRP$25.95 box of 12
• The Chocolate Box - 2 Chocolate Hearts - No price given.

 

 

 

 

Overall I am happy with this months box. I am excited to try the Mememe Facebase and it smells really nice. The B by Bloom eyeshadow is a deep brown colour and seems to be highly pigmented. The Sasy n Savy body creme is a very small sample - it will only be one use. The Sparoma body shimmer isn't that exciting but using that type of product on your legs can be nice. The soap rose is cute, almost too cute to use. Chocolates are always yummy. :)

 

BellaBox has again delivered another good. They are very consistent each month with the quality of the box. The only bad thing this month was the length of time it took to get the box. However BellaBox were very good at keeping everyone up to date, as to when to expect the box.

 



My Nails are Wearing... Essie

I had meant to post this yesterday but didn't get around it... Oh well! As you can see I am still on my Essie nail polish kick. This shade is called Lollipop and it is such a pretty red colour. I don't normally paint my nails red but being Valentine's Day yesterday I had to go red. It took two coats to get this colour and then I used 3 Way Glaze top coat to make it nice and shiny.

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day. xox :)

ILoveThisBox - February 2012

I received my February ILoveThisBox this morning and I love the Valentine's Day theme. The box has red tissue paper and shredded paper (I know what it is called this time (: hehe). The box included a little packet of red jelly beans that I look forward to eating when I am feeling less sick.

The products in this months box are:

• Elizabeth Arden - Red Door EDT (10ml mini) - RRP$95 100ml
• Keratinology by Sunsilk - Overnight Treatment (full size) - RRP$13.95 100ml
• Nail File - RRP$4.95
• Rimmel - Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Lip gloss in 110 First Kiss (full size) - RRP$14.95
• The Aromatherapy Co. - Rose & Patchouli Hand & Nail Cream (full size) - RRP$7.95 - 13.95 100ml



ILoveThisBox has impressed again. There is four full size products and a generous sample. I love that the perfume sample is a mini bottle and not just a vial of perfume. I have already given the hand cream a try and it smells divine. The nail file is cute with its heart print and they are always handy to have. The Rimmel lip gloss is in a very pretty pink (my type of colour) so I will give it a try though I am not much of a fan of lip glosses. I loved the Keratinology shampoo & conditioner from a few boxes ago so I am pretty excited with the overnight treatment. My hair can always do with the extra moisture and nourishment.

This is another great box by ILoveThisBox, they just keep delivering usable and consistent boxes.

My Nails are Wearing... Chanel

I really love this colour. It feels so summery on the nails. It is Chanel nail colour in 577 Mimosa. It is a pretty yellow with a fine golden shimmer through it. It need three thin coats to get a perfect colour. The only thing I don't like, is it takes ages for it to dry.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - Review

"The Healthy Mix Serum foundation reveals and boosts the radiance of the complexion with its vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula. Its fresh gel foundation instantly blends onto the skin, for an even, very natural finish, with no streaks. Imperfections are erased, signs of fatigue are smoothed, the radiance of the complexion is boosted for 16 hours. Instant anti-fatigue vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula with litchi, goji berries and pomegranate." - bourjois.com.au

I had wanted to purchase the original Healthy Mix foundation but the Target I went to only had my colour in the serum version. I decided to purchase it after watching many Lisa Eldridge videos and realising she uses it regularly. When I realised this I had to try it especially because I think Lisa is a make up genius :).

I chose the shade 51 Light Vanilla. There is only 5 shades in the range so some people may have difficulty finding the right shade. Luckily 51 suits my skin well. The bottle is slim and plastic which means it won't break easily - great for the make up bag. It has a  pump dispenser which always makes application easier.

The first time I used it, I didn't really like it. I applied it with a brush and it just didn't seem to blend into my skin. The next time I tried a damp sponge and it was so easy to apply and the finish looked beautiful. Therefore I recommend using a sponge with this foundation - I used my Manicare blending sponge (the purple one).

This foundation has a light coverage. It evens out my complexion but doesn't quite cover the redness my cheeks can have sometimes. It has a slightly dewy finish giving a radiant complexion. I have found when first applied it can make my pores seem enlarged but once powder is applied it goes away. It is long wearing and doesn't fade or go patchy like some foundations can. It keeps my complexion looking fresh throughout the day.

I really like this foundation for a natural, radiant finish. It doesn't feel like you are wearing foundation which I love. I plan on picking up the original Healthy Mix foundation when I can find it in my shade and I will do a comparison and tell you which I like better. From what Lisa Eldridge has said it has a more matte finish and medium coverage, hopefully I can get it soon.

Unblended swatch. Excuse my horrible hands..

If you want to see how this foundation looks on my skin, I have used it in some of my recent 'My Face is Wearing..." posts.

Availabilty: Priceline & Target
Price: $32.00 for 30ml


GlossyBox - February 2012

I was happy to receive my February GlossyBox this morning. I subscribed to GlossyBox when they first began but cancelled after two months because I was constantly disappointed with the box. I resigned up a couple of days ago for the February limited edition Valentine's Day box. They were hyping it up so much I had to see what it was all about. Luckily I am happy with this months box.

I love the hot pink box and the pink shredded paper. It is very Valentines Day. I also like how quickly the box got here too, I got the notification email on Wednesday, which for GlossyBox is early. Previous boxes have arrived at the very end of the month.

The items in this months box are:

• Bobbi Brown - Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara 3ml - RRP$48 6ml
• Jane Iredale - Tantasia Self Tanner sample - RRP$54 124ml
• Proactiv - Deep Cleansing Wash 60ml - RRP$39.95 475ml
• Star and Rose - Floral Wonderland Emergency Nail Files 12 mini files - RRP Upon Request
• Polished London - Nail Enamel in Waitress 10ml - RRP$7.99 10ml

The box also included a little packet of love heart lollies, a Proactiv offer exclusive to GlossyBox to try it for $29.99 (30 day supply) and a $15 off voucher for activeskin.com.au but you must spend more than $75 to redeem.

There is a great variety in this months products. I love the nail polish, I have recently discovered Polished London and I think they are great quality. Mine has leaked a little though so the whole box smelt like nail polish. I am excited to try the Bobbi Brown mascara as I have never used one before. The nail files will be going into my handbag very soon. I am not so excited about the tanner and the Proactiv. I never fake tan - I am happy with my pale skin. I don't particularly have acne (especially body acne) either so I may not use this, but I am sure my brother or mum will give it a go. The lollies are a nice touch and I will definitely check out the activeskin website.

I am impressed with this months box especially considering I was not expecting it to be any good. At this stage I think I will stay subscribed for next months box and re-evaluate at the end of next month.

GlossyBox is $14.95 a month, check out glossybox.com.au for more information.

Are you subscribed to GlossyBox? Was your box different?

Lust Have It - February 2012

I was very happy to receive my February Lust Have It box today. Especially since there was no box last month and I really missed it. When I picked up the box from the post office I was worried to see the box was very bashed around and ripped. I hoped the whole way home that nothing was missing and thankfully, everything is here.

There are five products in this months box. They are:

• Lancome - Juicy Tubes (in a pretty pink-red) 7ml - RRP$46 14ml
• Davroe - Tame Lemongrass Detangler 50ml - RRP$21.50 315ml
• Sassy n Savy - Rose Lavender Hand n Nail Repair Creme 5ml - RRP$25 100ml
• Lush - Sugar Scrub - RRP$6.50 100ml
• Taut - Collagen Infusion Mask 1mask - RRP$44.95 5masks



I must say I am pretty happy with this months box. I will definitely give all the products a go. Love the Lancome Juicy Tubes and it is such a pretty colour too. I have long, thick hair that gets knotty very easily so the detangler will come in handy and it smells nice. Love trying Lush products though this will be only my second Lush product (the first was also from a Lust Have It box). The hand creme smells nice and appears to absorb well and I'll give the Taut mask a try.

Overall I think this months box definitely has value for money and some of the products are pretty exciting. I love how Lust Have It introduces me to brands I have never tried before (and sometimes never heard of). I also really like their new logo - it is very cute.

This month I am subscribed to four boxes so I will let you know what is in them when they arrive. =]

My Nails are Wearing... Essie

I am really loving Essie nail polishes. They have such cute colours and I find that they wear really well on my nails.

This time I used a mini I had called Mint Candy Apple. It is a beautiful, pale pastel green. Two coats were definitely needed, the first coat was quite streaky (like most pastel polishes) but the second coat gave even colour.

I really love this colour it reminds me of Easter (mmm chocolate) lol.

Do you like Essie polishes? Any colour recommendations?

January Au Revoirs

This post is a few days later than I was planning but oh well, better late than never.

At the start of January I decided that I would keep a plastic bag on the back of my door and keep track of what products I use during each month and what I am throwing out. I have cupboards and drawers full of products and I decided it was time to try and work my way through them. These posts will mainly be body products and occasionally make up.

This month I emptied:

• 3 x Nutrimetics Botanicals Shower Gel (Black Cherry, Apple & Cinnamon and Vanilla & Guava) - I quite liked these, they smell amazing and lather well however they are not very moisturising. Probably won't repurchase.
• Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream - Really like this product, it exfoliates my face well without being harsh on my sometimes sensitive skin. May repurchase in the future.
• Face of Australia Nail Polish Remover - I picked this up cheap at Big W and it's fine, just a normal polish remover but I do like that it is acetone free.
• Kosmea Purifying Cream Cleanser - This is a sample from one of my subscription boxes. It was okay but I felt like it didn't make my skin completely clean like a gel cleanser does. Wouldn't purchase full size.
• Simply Organic Everyday Scalp & Hair, Wash and Rinse - Another subscription box sample. Smelt nice didn't weigh my hair down but sadly left my long hair very knotty (so knotty, that I got my Nan to brush my hair for me). Wouldn't purchase.
• Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturiser - Another sample and I really liked this. I used it at night and my skin felt really lovely and soft in the morning. I would consider purchasing this in the future.
• Loreal Nutri Shine Lip Balm (Nudy Pink) - Loved this! Nice and moisturising and left a nice sheen on my lips. I also really like the packaging, I think it is a bit more stylish than a normal lip balm. Will definitely repurchase.



Lastly for my bin in January is this pile of make up. These are products that are either really old or just didn't work and aren't worth keeping or passing on to someone else.

So that is my Au Revoirs for January, not a bad start to the year I think. Let me know if you would like me to continue doing these posts in the future.

Oops I went Shopping...

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days, I had a dentist appointment on Monday and had a tooth removed so I wasn't in good shape for a couple of days (translation - I spent two days in bed dosed up on panadene forte). I went to Bendigo on Wednesday because my brother had a neurologist appointment. Which for me is perfect chance to check out the shops and pick a few items.

I picked up Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation. I had wanted the original after seeing Lisa Eldridge using it in many of your videos but the stand had very little left I could only get my shade in this.

I finally purchased some Moroccanoil, I have been wanting this for ages but didn't want to fork out the $50, this mini bottle was $25 so I thought it was perfect to give it a try.

I purchased two Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine lipsticks in 140 Juicy Bubblegum and 161 Juicy Pink, two pretty pink shades. I love sheer lipstick so I look forward to trying these out.

After seeing all the great reviews for the Face of Australia Lip Quench lipsticks I just had to get some. I purchased Malibu Barbie a bright pink, Pink Champagne a pale pink and Lychee Crush a nude colour. I worn Malibu Barbie today and it was so creamy on the lips and moisturising and lasted a good couple of hours.

When I was at Target I saw they had a whole pile of jewellery reduced and I picked up four necklaces. They were only $3 each!!!! Amazing bargain, I couldn't resist them. They all have a long chain except for the feather style one.

What have you purchased lately? Any great bargains? Any suggestions for my next shopping trip?