Empties August - September 2011

I was so lazy last month (and back logged with reviews) that I didn't post an empties or a favourites post. I am so over writing reviews (mostly cos I think I am rubbish at them) that I decided to do something else for a while. So this week I have hauls, NOTDs and this empties post -ahhhhh back in my comfort zone again.

I think I'll do my giveaway at the end of this week - there have been numerous giveaways going on (I won 2 lol) so figured I would wait a bit before doing mine, I hope you don't mind. Anyway blabber, blabber, blabber let's get on with the empties shall we? 

Dr Lewinn's Synergise Anti-ageing Facial Scrub
This was given to me by Dee after she had reviewed it for Beauty Heaven I believe (she'll correct me in the comments if I am wrong). I loved the product itself which had a lovely apple scent and is available exclusively in Coles in Australia. My only compliant is the texture of the tube - it's semi-NARS packaging in texture and towards the end it became very difficult to get the product out. I'm undecided if I would buy this again. I attempted to see the price on the Coles website - but that site is sh*t and wouldn't let me see products without signing up. Not happening Coles. 

Body Shop Earth Lovers Shower gel in Cucumber and Mint
I loved it - I've reviewed it on here already so let's move on. Definitely would buy again.

Sukin Creamy Cleanser
Loved this as well and also reviewed on here.  I will buy this again.

Lush Smitten hand cream
I've also reviewed this one but I think from memory it has been discontinued. Great hand cream for dry skin. You will be missed.

Lush Ocean Salt facial scrub
I've gone through a few of these and I love using it in summer. This last tub was a little different - it was more blue. I'm a bit over Lush at the moment but I know I'll go crawling back in during summer because I always do.

Palmers Night Cream 
Lol how many times have I mentioned my love of this product? I'd be using it now except I am trying a moisturiser sent to me. Love it and will be buying this again. I think this is my second or third jar. 

L'oreal Gentle Make-up Remover for Eyes and Lips
I never used this on my lips. This is one of those shake it up eye makeup removers. It was gentle and it did effectively remove anything on my eyes. However when you turn it upside down to put some on your cotton pad it dribbles everywhere. Crappy form L'oreal. I'm already looking elsewhere for an effective eye makeup remover and I am trying the Neutrogena one included in the ABC goodie bag right now.

KMS Moistrepair restructuring therapy
Last time I had my hair done at Liquid Hair I picked up a KMS pack - that was probably a year ago now. This hair mask smells just incredible and always made my hair feel so soft. I did find that it weighed my hair down slightly but I think that is because my is so fine. I think KMS products are lovely and would recommend them to most people.

Well that finishes up what went out my door - next post is about some of the stuff that came in - HAULING!

Have an awesome week guys
Jac x

Review: Palmers Cocoa Butter Gentle Daily Cleanser.

I have been putting off doing reviews for ages so I decided to actually chain myself to my laptop to get a few done to post over the next couple of weeks and I'm starting with one of the oldest I have on my list - a cleanser I have had for months from Palmers.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know I love Palmers Night Cream (I'm about to finish my second or third jar soon), so I was eager to try more of their skincare range.

Packaging: I like simple packaging and am a huge fan of tubes so this got a thumbs up from me just on first impressions. However, I have found in the middle of winter that the formula is a little hard to squeeze out of the bottle at times (my bathroom is also freezing in winter) which is ok but a little annoying. Overall though it's sleek, portable and for the most part easy to get the amount you need.

Smell: I am on record as not being a fan of the usual Cocoa Butter smells. The fragrance of this one is similar to the night cream but is a little stronger which I wasn't keen on but it is not a deal breaker. To me the fragrance in this range is perfumey in the same way that Lancome is perfumey so buyer beware on that one.


Texture: This has a lovely rich texture and feels creamy which I love, given I have dry skin. It doesn't lather up into bubbles - but you can still feel it working into your skin. I have used this cleanser with my Sigma Beauty Brush very successfully. What I like most is that it does remove my makeup (I do not wear long lasting foundations like EL Double Wear or waterproof mascara) without giving me that tight dry feeling I get with some cleansers. If you have oily skin I'm not sure you would like the richness of this product.

Performance against its claims:

They say:

• Milk proteins and antioxidants brighten and hydrate, leaving skin soft, fresh and glowing

I say:

• My face does glow afterwards and it does feel hydrating

Value for Money: This cleanser comes is a 150g tube for around $10 which makes it a total bargain for those who dry and sore/irritated skin.

Here's the issue for me... I like Palmers, I like the cleanser, I can't fault it at all but it doesn't have wow factor for me. I find myself easy distracted away from using this consistently by other cleansers but I will happily use this one up and possibly repurchase in the future.

Have you guys tried this cleanser -what did you think?

Favourites June 2011

Here are my monthly favourites finally - sorry about the delay but I had to reinstall my picture editing program on my new laptop before posting. Oh yes I said new laptop....and I LOVES IT! Anyway onto the good stuff:

Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix was my foundation of choice for this month - mostly as I was trying to consistently use it to write a review - see how I sacrifice myself for you guys? lol

Blush:Physicians Formula Shimmer Stip in Vegas Strip.While this is meant to be used as a bronzer it can be used lightly to add some colour and sheen (no glitter here) to the skin.

Powder: Rimmel silky powder. This is a hero product for me and it's almost empty. I am yet to find a foundation that this powder doesn't suit.

Eyeshadow: I was lazy last month and rarely wore eyeshadow. I feel to put in a favourite here would almost be misleading

Mascara: I popped open my last tube of NYX Doll Eye Volume mascara. The wand on this mascara reminds me of the wooden tools they use to get honey out. I prefer the lengthening formula but for $7US this is a nice, dark, non-irritating formula. 

Lipstick/Product: Revlon Colourburst in Icy Nude. I only purchased this late in the month but this shade is STUNNING. While the price on these is crazy for a drugstore product I purchased it with some found dollars so the sting was small.

Skincare: My skin was prone to breakouts and was bitchy for the whole month. Palmers Gentle Daily Cleanser with Milk Proteins and Antioxidants made my face clean without upsetting what was a pretty out of sorts face already.

Hair: Biolage Volumatherapie Shampoo and Conditioner. I have loved these, gone off them and come back around just in time to empty them out again. Lovely product for fine/brittle hair in need of some volume.

Perfume: Truth time - when I am stressed, sick etc... the first things to go for me are fragrance and eye shadow. I only wore my perfume while I was away for work and the one I took with me (and glad I did) was Giorgio Armani's Aqua di Gioia. This is a lovely perfume and I am a big fan.

Other: I have 2 products for this section:

• Chapstick 100% Naturals Lip Balm in Botanical Medley - Canberra made my lips as dry as hell and this sorted them back out. It smells nice and was pretty cheap - it's now permanently in my hand bag.
• Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20 PA+ - I blame Jade for this purchase and do so happily as I jumped merrily onto the BB band wagon. If you have read my blog for 5 seconds you've probably seen me bitching somewhere about coverage for redness and SPF. This has both and made my skin feel as soft as it did when I was young(er). Gorgeous product - please go and check out Jade's review if you are interested.

What were your favourites of the month?

Palmer's Night Renewal Cream

Last year Palmers decided to expand their range by releasing new skin care products. Soon afterwards, I read a review of their eye cream that was very positive and I promptly filed that away in my brain for later.  I should also say that I have never used their body products before as I am not a fan of cocoa butter smells generally.

 The money I have wasted trying major brands only to break out in a couple of days is enough to make me cry – so I decided to try something more budget friendly – enter Palmer’s Night Renewal Cream.

I have hesitated in writing this review because unlike many review-based blogs that have a system (like Temptalia or Grey) I was unsure how to best organise my thoughts to make this  review useful for readers. I finally came up with – packaging, smell, texture,  performance against it’s claims and value for money.

Packaging – I like it. It is simple and reasonably forgettable.  I know some people hate jars because of the hygiene factor and possible degradation of ingredient but  I kept mine on the night stand so it was out of the way and sealed tightly.

Smell – in reading other reviews of this product some people noted that this had a strong fragrance – I tend to disagree but Lancome (my daytime moisturiser) are well known for strong fragrances so perhaps I am not a great judge. I certainly couldn’t smell anything once it was on my face and the scent is much more delicate than their body products.

Texture – I love the feel of this cream. It does have a thicker texture than a lotion but it is in no way gloopy or greasy. The cream itself is quite silky and I certainly feel softer in the morning after using it as well as when applying the cream at night. It does take a minute or so to be completely absorbed but as it is for night use this isn’t a real drawback for me.

Performance against its claims –

They Say:

•  “loaded with targeted skin firming and smoothing ingredients”
• “leave(s) skin soft, smooth and radiant”,
•  “maintain(s) moisture levels throughout the night for smoother, softer skin.

I say

•  I am not sure I can see any firming here but when my skin is hydrated my wrinkles seem milder anyway.
• I definitely agree with soft and smooth. I haven’t seen any brightening of my skin but I am pleased with the overall effect 
• Definitely agree that my skin feels more hydrated and pretty much like it did in my teens when I wake up.

I have consistently used this on my whole face including my eyes at night, where I had a persistent dry patch on my eyelid. After 3 days the patch disappeared and it hasn’t come back. I have no irritation with my eyes after application either. A very impressive but unexpected bonus.

Value for Money – I cannot express enough how fantastic I think this product is when considering I saw a great improvement in my skin’s hydration and softness without any breakout (even during summer). My first jar is almost empty now and I have been using this almost every night since November/December. And I get all of that for approximately $13 AUD. I love this stuff!

October Favourites

I'm trying something a little different this month by listing my favourite items by category...

Foundation: MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation (NW20)
Powder: MAC MSF Natural (Medium)
Eyeshadow: All that Glitters - fab all over lid colour that isn't boring
Mascara: Lancome Hypnoise - brilliant for sensitive eyes and so light I forget I have it on!
Blush: Milani Blush in Luminous
Lipstick/Product: MAC lipstick in Politely Pink (Lustre)
Skincare: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Night Renewal Cream
Hair: LUSH Big Shampoo
Perfume: I kept reaching for Burberry Brit Sheer this month
Other: I got right back into LUSH this month and rediscovered an unopened bottle of Snow Fairy. This is a LE Christmas product from LUSH and is an OTT sweet shower gel that somehow is OTT sweet without being sickly.

BTW Snow Fairy is back in stores now...YAY!

What were your favourites of the month?