tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87076698358220273022024-03-06T15:15:43.224+13:00Intrepid Forays and AdventuresAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-73860405213621104752016-09-22T20:44:00.000+12:002016-09-22T20:44:15.960+12:00Lust Have It - August 2016Kia Ora!<br />
<br />
It's that time of the month again. I know I've only really been doing Lust Have It unboxings recently, but I have a good reason, I promise! I'm about to head off on my honeymoon - to Europe! I've been crazy with planning the trip, the wedding, and coping with a new job. So I'm sorry about the infrequency of my posts recently, but I have lots planned for January (after my life settles down a little bit). Anyway, check out what was in the August box (which was a little late getting to me because of the Trans-Tasman journey, and the fact that NZ Post only delivers a few days a week now).<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>* is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus
shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and
New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although
it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.<br />
<br />
You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box! <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Mystery Item - The Cosmetic Kitchen Clay Mask</b><br />
<b>RRP: $39.95 </b><br />
<br />
Another mystery item - but I love face masks so I'm really happy to see this in my bag. Apparently you mix the powder with avocado and apply to face. I'm probably not going to use avocado (as I'd rather eat it than put it on my face), but I'll certainly have fun using this on my face!<br />
<br />
The only sad thing about this product is that it was popped when I received it. That meant powder everywhere (which to be honest wasn't as bad a liquid product to clean up), but I've also lost at least half the product. Boo!<b> </b> <br />
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<br />
<b>Baimeni Eye & Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid</b><br />
<b>Sample size - RRP: $2.50</b><br />
<br />
The card says this is a full size (which it's clearly not at 3ml), but on their Facebook Lust Have It has clarified that that was a typo. I mean, it happens. Otherwise, this is a pretty neat product. It's awkward packaging, and won't last very long but I like the looks of the product itself. Hyaluranic acid stimulates moisture in the skin, encouraging it to become more hydrated - and we can all use that! So I'll give this a go (but not until after my wedding in December - don't want to mess with my current skincare routine after all). <b> </b> <br />
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<br />
<b>Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick - Mocha</b><br />
<b>RRP: $27</b><br />
<br />
I've heard some great things about this brand, and this lipstick has me swooning! It's fantastic! I not only LOVE the colour, but the formula is pretty neat too. I have applied it before work a few times this week, and I still have full colour at lunchtime.<b> </b>It lasts through several cups of tea, plenty of talking, and light eating. It doesn't generally last through lunch, but a piece of fruit or a few crackers won't make it wear off. I'm officially in love, and am so grateful this was in my box! <br />
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<br />
<b>Manna Kadar Radiance Split Pan Bronzer and Highlighter Duo</b><br />
<b>RRP: $28</b><br />
<br />
Honestly,
this isn't something I'll use. My minimal approach to makeup (and lack
of skills at applying it) means I won't even think about using this.
However, it will make for a nice present to my sister-in-law - so she
can look forward to seeing this one at Christmas!<b> </b> <br />
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<br />
<b>Gosh Mineral Colour Pigments - Pink Melon</b><br />
<b>RRP: $14</b><br />
<br />
I really love this colour! I think it's a great everyday shade, and I can't wait to start using it. I've been neglecting eyeshadow recently as I've run out of primer for my lids. If I don't use a primer the eyeshadow has disappeared by lunch because of the oil field that appears out of my eyelids, so I'll hold off on using this until I get a new primer (any recommendations for good ones please let me know in the comments). <b> </b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5_rg0_5udEI4MepFaUH8lw_W5gPEgutma1PYxnnfNY5HZNgWiZ5XGKLnDSL2oSItTJLrBtNcehi8fQ8FmLQgjcfwdEXi75vhHl4rZrLC1ISd7VrPb1RHKNam7XINqYaIJuLjrlBn0Zw/s1600/IMG_4727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5_rg0_5udEI4MepFaUH8lw_W5gPEgutma1PYxnnfNY5HZNgWiZ5XGKLnDSL2oSItTJLrBtNcehi8fQ8FmLQgjcfwdEXi75vhHl4rZrLC1ISd7VrPb1RHKNam7XINqYaIJuLjrlBn0Zw/s640/IMG_4727.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swatches: Ofra lipstick (Mocha) and Gosh colour pigment (Pink Melon)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Total value of the bag: $111.45 </b><br />
<br />
I think this is a pretty great birthday bag! It's got 4 products I quite like, and only one that I won't use. The value is great too! I'm particularly grateful to have received the Ofra lipstick, and I know I'll get great usage out of it!<br />
<br />
What did you think of the bag? Hit or miss?<br />
<br />
Don't forget that if you want to sign up to <a href="http://www.lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>, you can use coupon code <b>IFORAYS1</b> for $10 off your first box!<br />
<br />
Until next time ...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: right;">*PR sample and affiliate links.</span> </div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JOaW5iKRR-W4UJax9JfUKYoNQDAreUQoiSIzs8spKvBpVd6_6E-deXTC8wwIXuQmlyL4tXAWL1NrTUKx0OpQiTtVkuALuCguejvyfIWdMGnEzUwVOo9AMq8-MxjoP72wumMQZZSibo0/s1600/Coupon+code+-+insert+into+posts+bigger+image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JOaW5iKRR-W4UJax9JfUKYoNQDAreUQoiSIzs8spKvBpVd6_6E-deXTC8wwIXuQmlyL4tXAWL1NrTUKx0OpQiTtVkuALuCguejvyfIWdMGnEzUwVOo9AMq8-MxjoP72wumMQZZSibo0/s640/Coupon+code+-+insert+into+posts+bigger+image.jpeg" width="640" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-58171289279136555912016-09-04T19:40:00.002+12:002016-09-04T19:40:19.436+12:00Fortune Cookie Soap - Fall 2016Kia Ora!<br />
<br />
One of my favourite boxes has arrived - ok, it
arrived a little while ago, but I haven't had a chance to put this blog
up until now!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fortunecookiesoap.com/pages/the-soap-box" target="_blank">Fortune Cookie Soap Box</a> is
a box that comes out seasonally, so every three months. For
international it costs $34USD for each box. However you get a $10USD
code with each box to use on their website, which is an awesome bonus.<br />
<br />
I've received the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/fortune-cookie-soap-box-fall-soap-box.html" target="_blank">Fall 2015</a>, <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/fortune-cookie-soap-summer-soap-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Summer 2015,</a> <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/fortune-cookie-soap-winter-box-2015.html">Winter</a> 2015 and <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/fortune-cookie-soap-spring-soap-box-2016.html" target="_blank">Spring 2016</a>
boxes, and it continues to be my all time favourite subscription box.
I've even taken advantage of the discount code on occasion to order in a
set of OCD Hand Sanitisers. <br />
<br />
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<br />
The Fall 2016 box has a theme of 'As You Wish' - which is great since <i>The Princess Bride </i>is one of my favourite movies! <br />
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<br />
<b>True Love - Facial Cleansing Oil</b><br />
<br />
<i>A sparkling blend of fresh citrus, creamy jasmine petals, and a dash of sea salt.</i><br />
<br />
I
don't know how I feel about this product. I've never used a cleansing
oil, although they sound like a cool idea. I will give this one a go in
the new year - as I'm too scared to start trying new products in the
lead up to my wedding (December). <i> </i><b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Pit of Despair - Steam me up Scotty!</b><br />
<br />
<i>Enticing blend of patchouli, fresh-cut lemongrass and tropical plumeria. </i><br />
<br />
This
is not a scent I like. I don't think I like patchouli - but that's the
bonus of getting a box full of different scents - you can figure out
exactly what you like/dislike. I do like the idea of a shower steamer,
so I'll happily try this out for the novelty of the product, despite the
scent. <i> </i><b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Inconceivable! - Perfume Oil</b><br />
<br />
<i>Fall woods, black amber and poached pears topped with whipped vanilla cream.</i><br />
<br />
Holy
heck, this scent has me in heaven! I've been using it non-stop since I
got this box, and have barely made a dent in the bottle. This tiny thing
will probably last a good 6 months of solid use. (And I love this scent
so much I've actually made an order of various products in it - so keep
an eye out for that haul if you're interested). <i> </i><b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Mostly Dead - Whipped Cream Body Butter</b><br />
<br />
<i>Golden honey drizzled over toasted almonds and pumpkin puree, warmed with amber. </i><br />
<br />
This
smells like a delicious winter dessert - I quite like it. It's warm and
sweet, and makes me feel like I should be lounging in front of a fire!
Mmmmm. Bonus that the Whipped Cream is one of my favourite products from
FCS!<i> </i><b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Buttercup - Shampoo</b><br />
<br />
<i>Candied rum wrapped with ripe fig, bergamot, vertiver, warm sandalwood and sweet vanilla musk. </i><br />
<br />
I
sort of like this scent - I like the fig elements to it but I'm not
sure about the rest. I do like that they included a reasonable sample of
the shampoo - I can get 3-4 uses at least out of this bottle which will
certainly help me figure out if I like it or not. Woohoo!<br />
<br />
<b>Prepare to Die - OCD Hand Sanitizer</b><br />
<br />
<i>A warm blend of fresh baked cookie dough spiced with clove and saffron. </i><br />
<br />
Yum!
This is my other favourite product (which happily appears in every box)
and I quite like this scent. It smells like baking. I put some on the
other day and my fiance started looking around for the cookies. <i> </i><b> </b><i> </i><b> </b> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkITtrVvqzz6D3MvUVO5jAq-7cKspykSTjK60Oa_eClD2pISkYOiH193KE-pyKDRNCQGsidF6pmeu83pNPhO_KWuIe0H3ekRHIds58X5dQzgs8-JAHQFulfPRKU-r65ICutz2CINy60U/s1600/IMG_4459.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkITtrVvqzz6D3MvUVO5jAq-7cKspykSTjK60Oa_eClD2pISkYOiH193KE-pyKDRNCQGsidF6pmeu83pNPhO_KWuIe0H3ekRHIds58X5dQzgs8-JAHQFulfPRKU-r65ICutz2CINy60U/s640/IMG_4459.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Knight Cream - Facial Moisturiser</b><br />
<br />
<i>Unscented. </i><br />
<br />
I
like that this is included, and the cream itself is a particularly rich
cream that would be great for dry skin. However, for my purposes I like
to test new skincare for at least 2 weeks - and this would last maybe 7
days if applied very sparingly. So I'm going to use it as a hand cream
instead.<br />
<br />
<b>Mawiage - Scented Cotton Ball</b><br />
<br />
<i>Rich pound cake, scented with cardomom, pistachio, and rosewater topped with a creamy buttercream. </i><br />
<br />
Yet
another fantastic scent (one I can't get enough of), but it's a weird
thing to include. I get that it's an easy way of showcasing the scent<i> </i>but I wish it had been another real product. <b> </b><i> </i><b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdFXQws8SA2UjytK0RCnZV7iIphkTlWrDTupRUQK4qGsVebQNF2GNGd0p8XbOz-NeRhwV4eznOKz6jlkR23SWjnVhdNS0P_Wgb3S5rzRkNO3d-w9dt937a8TT1kby-OtIQ740y89Ss50/s1600/IMG_4461.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdFXQws8SA2UjytK0RCnZV7iIphkTlWrDTupRUQK4qGsVebQNF2GNGd0p8XbOz-NeRhwV4eznOKz6jlkR23SWjnVhdNS0P_Wgb3S5rzRkNO3d-w9dt937a8TT1kby-OtIQ740y89Ss50/s640/IMG_4461.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Drop. Your. Sword. - Fortune Cookie Soap</b><br />
<br />
<i>Aromatic blend of medieval honey apple mead.</i><br />
<br />
Last
but not least, the star of the show! I love the detail of the sword and
the glitter - it's so creative! And it smells amazing - like sweet
apple juice. Mmmmm.<br />
<br />
Overall, this box is awesome.
So many great scents, and I'm pretty sure I'll use the majority of the
products! The perfume oil is already a daily necessity!<br />
<br />
Does anyone else get this box? What did you think of it?<br />
<br />
Until next time ... <i> </i><b> </b><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-58702388537743299712016-08-10T18:22:00.000+12:002016-08-10T18:22:39.772+12:00Lust Have It July 2016Kia Ora!<br />
<br />
It's time to see what's in another Lust Have It! I've had to cut down significantly on subscription boxes this year - planning a wedding and a trip to Europe puts a big dent in spending money. That has meant that I look forward to my Lust Have It a lot more, as it's the only regular subscription I have at the moment!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>* is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus
shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and
New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although
it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.<br />
<br />
You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoB3lt3qDxIyQeT0-mjjNcDIOwRj-0clx7DSAtbGFcH4Z4ji083nzBeOwkdl8XkUzZxI8dinddFQbwS1XGvKpbcJmvB3If6p3FnC5jMIC8UKkUZXx-zbzbAOZ5XLLzHQAjM9Fjbp1HYM/s1600/IMG_4442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoB3lt3qDxIyQeT0-mjjNcDIOwRj-0clx7DSAtbGFcH4Z4ji083nzBeOwkdl8XkUzZxI8dinddFQbwS1XGvKpbcJmvB3If6p3FnC5jMIC8UKkUZXx-zbzbAOZ5XLLzHQAjM9Fjbp1HYM/s640/IMG_4442.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I love that there is a black bag this month! The pink is alright, but it's not a colour I'm overly keen on. I am really excited to see this black one!<br />
<br />
The theme is 'All about makeup' - which is to be expected after a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/07/lust-have-it-june-2016.html" target="_blank">skincare theme in June</a>. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDxcMy7kZeMAF9xWF8aSLjLCZe4mv8OvBUijFONRyAjqla8R7_W5LBu65l9txJhPk7maWFoJ9OOq8gz6irkEok80FDdUx7TkiHKd0EGVsj6asduheOgUifUQ4DN0b6o4lFOB2VTfn680/s1600/IMG_4443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDxcMy7kZeMAF9xWF8aSLjLCZe4mv8OvBUijFONRyAjqla8R7_W5LBu65l9txJhPk7maWFoJ9OOq8gz6irkEok80FDdUx7TkiHKd0EGVsj6asduheOgUifUQ4DN0b6o4lFOB2VTfn680/s640/IMG_4443.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Essenzza Fuss Free Naturals Cherry Blossom & Argan Oil Masquerade mask</b><br />
<b>RRP: $4.95</b><br />
<br />
I've used Fuss Free silk masks before, and their face wipes are my absolute favourites. I'm really excited to see this mask in my Lust Have It. I haven't tried their masquerade series, and I can't wait to give it a go. Major win with this product for me! I just wish there were more than one. <b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOfPvAmioP-LyiRYAH3uYP6pLWFXvAduFfdMSyjUCaN0Fgk2lEXQ8_ktlNkWZgUwbBYjcpFdSpUppCbD4WsavA8h3_Mshj6l_N1F7UMzZ3yUg5dKMfRbx_rbOlci0_FQDCiMusMF0_LI/s1600/IMG_4445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOfPvAmioP-LyiRYAH3uYP6pLWFXvAduFfdMSyjUCaN0Fgk2lEXQ8_ktlNkWZgUwbBYjcpFdSpUppCbD4WsavA8h3_Mshj6l_N1F7UMzZ3yUg5dKMfRbx_rbOlci0_FQDCiMusMF0_LI/s640/IMG_4445.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Teez Cosmetics Desert Metals Mascara</b><br />
<b>RRP: $32.50</b><br />
<br />
I have enjoyed the Teez products that I've received previously, so I'm pretty happy to see this. I have started wearing mascara every day for work, so this is very welcome in my daily routine. Even better is the fact that it's a <i>brown</i> mascara - not something I've ever tried but I can't wait to see how it looks!<b> </b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_Yc0LsshtX3LmStF3vQxy_3XbcUbyFut4tvr7UYmvjx_gkLxuUAlHhbRTdlpLcYYYVAe4OIySFwICRENkSnNg0vNdpxHg-3_6g-hOc5CiR7Zj-ESw35Mig1td0uNEzS3U2uNW43h-QU/s1600/IMG_4446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_Yc0LsshtX3LmStF3vQxy_3XbcUbyFut4tvr7UYmvjx_gkLxuUAlHhbRTdlpLcYYYVAe4OIySFwICRENkSnNg0vNdpxHg-3_6g-hOc5CiR7Zj-ESw35Mig1td0uNEzS3U2uNW43h-QU/s640/IMG_4446.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow - Vanilla Frosting</b><br />
<b>RRP: $29</b><br />
<br />
I thought this was a white eye shadow, but it's more silver (see the swatch below). I'm not a huge fan of mineral shadows, but I'll certainly give this a go. I think silver eyelids will look rocking with my work outfits, so I'm looking forward to using this one too. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp6jM-tef__zBPkSwGbiHvURBtU9llO9jGdIfcoDBo5JhziYi_lEc0xAhiFuG3LQhSRpSiZSSNyau-Fg4mdffB-P9egMhzJ_InsBuGLh4nxuYCWXkxhffh9c2F_wUDj69CUN5SDnTIlA/s1600/IMG_4448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp6jM-tef__zBPkSwGbiHvURBtU9llO9jGdIfcoDBo5JhziYi_lEc0xAhiFuG3LQhSRpSiZSSNyau-Fg4mdffB-P9egMhzJ_InsBuGLh4nxuYCWXkxhffh9c2F_wUDj69CUN5SDnTIlA/s640/IMG_4448.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>MPrincess Mineral Blush</b><br />
<b>RRP: $15.45</b><br />
<br />
This is probably the least exciting product for me in this bag. I don't use blush, even when I do attempt to do more than mascara and lipstick. I won't use this, so I'll be passing it on to someone else. It's a purple pink, as you can see in my not-so-stellar swatches below. <b> </b> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWUyI-IZkxlGAYfhrv11_-0KQMICKXgH51hTCK_Nddi10p6XyEl5LxHAv9ifMtbNIzEC6NRS_ly_GeOesTzMp23e8DuyXDruk2boJ4sdsIf07F5qTZ-rbUXfUeXX4ghvQE1d87E0N2Wc/s1600/IMG_4450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWUyI-IZkxlGAYfhrv11_-0KQMICKXgH51hTCK_Nddi10p6XyEl5LxHAv9ifMtbNIzEC6NRS_ly_GeOesTzMp23e8DuyXDruk2boJ4sdsIf07F5qTZ-rbUXfUeXX4ghvQE1d87E0N2Wc/s640/IMG_4450.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marsk Vanilla Frosting, and MPrincess Blush swatches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IaD_0DsyhhYB1-vQSNdLgpP2LcaSH6-AeyIT1m7pzUrqumpMmoZglVq2ICyBxqGJl1_CcP8qTRkmiyRLtjDT1ZvTu34XWNcAPTk34xrRH1rAHjF4tsCErdNCE9bnNqZoJHGHWA5gYXI/s1600/IMG_4449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IaD_0DsyhhYB1-vQSNdLgpP2LcaSH6-AeyIT1m7pzUrqumpMmoZglVq2ICyBxqGJl1_CcP8qTRkmiyRLtjDT1ZvTu34XWNcAPTk34xrRH1rAHjF4tsCErdNCE9bnNqZoJHGHWA5gYXI/s640/IMG_4449.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Glamourflage Saucy Sue Shower Cap</b><br />
<b>RRP: $7.95</b><br />
<br />
Again with the mystery item thing - this one is quite different, and pretty cool. I personally don't like using shower caps, but I think this is perfect for my best friend so I'm still happy to have it. I do really like the design though, and it feels like a high quality cap.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Total value of the bag: </b>$89.85.<br />
<br />
That's a very nice value, but there is the same discrepancy in value that I discussed for the last couple of months. There were two eyeshadows that were options for this bag; the Marsk one (worth $29), and a Gosh one (worth $14.99). I just think it's not fair to the people who got the lower priced product - and that has been me the last couple of bags (although I preferred the lower priced product in those bags). Basically, I think that if a choice is offered then the price difference should be minimal.<br />
<br />
Other than this, I really liked this bag. I didn't think that I would, but I will use the mascara, eyeshadow, and face mask. The blush is a dud product for me personally, and the shower cap will make a good present. Overall, I'm pretty happy!<br />
<br />
What do you think?<br />
<br />
Don't forget that if you want to sign up to <a href="http://www.lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>, you can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box!<br />
<br />
Until next time ...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: right;">*PR sample and affiliate links.</span> </div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JOaW5iKRR-W4UJax9JfUKYoNQDAreUQoiSIzs8spKvBpVd6_6E-deXTC8wwIXuQmlyL4tXAWL1NrTUKx0OpQiTtVkuALuCguejvyfIWdMGnEzUwVOo9AMq8-MxjoP72wumMQZZSibo0/s1600/Coupon+code+-+insert+into+posts+bigger+image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JOaW5iKRR-W4UJax9JfUKYoNQDAreUQoiSIzs8spKvBpVd6_6E-deXTC8wwIXuQmlyL4tXAWL1NrTUKx0OpQiTtVkuALuCguejvyfIWdMGnEzUwVOo9AMq8-MxjoP72wumMQZZSibo0/s640/Coupon+code+-+insert+into+posts+bigger+image.jpeg" width="640" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-44687183161746689272016-07-30T22:25:00.000+12:002016-07-30T22:25:44.270+12:00Lust Have It - June 2016Kia Ora!<br />
<br />
I've been pretty sporadic these days; I'm going to blame life in general. Planning a wedding, and a honeymoon, and working full-time isn't too conducive to blogging on a regular basis. It doesn't help when the postie delivers your Lust Have It to the wrong apartment and you play door tag (like phone tag but with knocking on doors) for over a week. Anyways ...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>* is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus
shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and
New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although
it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.<br />
<br />
You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyHPg20vRig7gwPCAxirK2NJguWQ7-g5iB-zwC41jEtiTdKmkt4aR7zu-mYlsaLQPUvAnckcOOrgnL2MO6Efr9zU_Xo96z25iKAZ3l7McT4UPxlGyZCUqirVk8IT-1S2EDgb3Umc0okQ/s1600/IMG_4293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyHPg20vRig7gwPCAxirK2NJguWQ7-g5iB-zwC41jEtiTdKmkt4aR7zu-mYlsaLQPUvAnckcOOrgnL2MO6Efr9zU_Xo96z25iKAZ3l7McT4UPxlGyZCUqirVk8IT-1S2EDgb3Umc0okQ/s640/IMG_4293.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutp7KShpwmRWvjNxcnaeTB9dDcg2YGWndk2PcqWaON27BmE5spZHdRmCAO8DOKBzBbqgOaWDza-_AnLwNslKF5WD2fBlZo-1LBGsEipVC0IQfHoC6j0amEPJSqDzbekte9zCRr9vEKBg/s1600/IMG_4298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutp7KShpwmRWvjNxcnaeTB9dDcg2YGWndk2PcqWaON27BmE5spZHdRmCAO8DOKBzBbqgOaWDza-_AnLwNslKF5WD2fBlZo-1LBGsEipVC0IQfHoC6j0amEPJSqDzbekte9zCRr9vEKBg/s640/IMG_4298.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Wipes</b><br />
<b>Deluxe size - RRP: $3.64</b><br />
<br />
I love cleansing wipes, I use them more than I actually use cleanser to clean my face at night. I'm really happy to have these as I haven't tried them before, and love finding new wipes I can use! Seven is a great trial size to receive, as you can test them out properly to see if you like them. This is also a great size for travel, or to throw in your handbag. I'm really happy with this start to the June bag!<b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlCthwjy037Ebc6i4FEkUMcT6hiX33XJVSIz8bWDTL8k60L_5ohzP9sQ1qswXAOc40R0dGNCFyY74C_J7HXVkWQtvGw_QlmulU6eW45va1NbMJZW4NHReOkhKc90Z_RIMoTpoujF_p78/s1600/IMG_4310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlCthwjy037Ebc6i4FEkUMcT6hiX33XJVSIz8bWDTL8k60L_5ohzP9sQ1qswXAOc40R0dGNCFyY74C_J7HXVkWQtvGw_QlmulU6eW45va1NbMJZW4NHReOkhKc90Z_RIMoTpoujF_p78/s640/IMG_4310.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Sasy N Savy Peppermint N Rosemary Revive Bath N Shower Gel</b><br />
<b>Deluxe size - RRP: $4.20</b><br />
<br />
I love receiving shower gels, and I quite like the combination of rosemary and peppermint in this one. I haven't used it yet, but am looking forward to it.<br />
<br />
My issue with this product is not the product itself, but that there were two options you could receive, and a massive price difference between them. The shower gel is $35 for 250ml (full size), or you could receive a sample of the cleanser which is $42 for 100ml (full size). I don't mind there being two options for the bag, but I think it sucks that some bags will receive a much more expensive product. Although I prefer to receive the shower gel, I do think more care needs to be taken in making sure all bags have the same value. <b> </b> <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTaDW7mjIlyJGGaYhzOhvH1Pb9YcEcFxnrfIkvvI6TY9BitYBh6kqh3D4FvhYoReyH-3d4ZMfAtvvVMDp_853GCqCDGfHensZ0MVP0sy3eCfpy8JUbkeiTTiKFgsiH3eGAZfH1BrZJus/s1600/IMG_4312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTaDW7mjIlyJGGaYhzOhvH1Pb9YcEcFxnrfIkvvI6TY9BitYBh6kqh3D4FvhYoReyH-3d4ZMfAtvvVMDp_853GCqCDGfHensZ0MVP0sy3eCfpy8JUbkeiTTiKFgsiH3eGAZfH1BrZJus/s640/IMG_4312.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Edgy Tempting Cosmetics</b> <b>Eye Liner Pen</b><br />
<b>RRP: $15</b><br />
<br />
This is a blue/grey colour - very neat! However we received an eyeliner in the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/may-lust-have-it.html" target="_blank">May bag</a>, and I don't wear a lot of makeup anyway. This one is going straight into my giveaway bag, as I'm never going to use it. I know subscription boxes are known for having eye liner in them, but I don't think two months in a row is reasonable! <b> </b><br />
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<b>Winter Skincare Item - Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid</b><br />
<b> RRP: $???</b><br />
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This is a cool product. It's a chemical exfoliant, and I've heard some amazing things about Paula's Choice. It's not a brand easily available in New Zealand, so I'm really excited to see this, and be able to give it a go. It's another mystery item category - clearly still clearing out warehouse backstock - but I'm happy with my item so I am ok with this. <b> </b> <br />
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<b>Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub</b><br />
<b>Sample Size - RRP: $ 1.55</b><br />
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I've used this scrub before, and it was fine. It's small microbeads suspended in a thick cream. It's a reasonable scrub, but I honestly don't think it does anything that a more natural scrub doesn't do, and since microbeads are so terrible for the environment I generally try to avoid them. I checked <a href="http://beatthemicrobead.org/images/pdf/RED%20UNITED%20STATES.pdf" target="_blank">this document</a> to see if this did have microbeads, and I think it's a bit disappointing to see companies still supporting products that do contain microbeads. This one is for the bin for me, although I know others will still use it. <b> </b> <br />
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Total value of the box: $24.39<br />
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The value of this box is rather disappointing, as it's only just above the price paid. I know lots of people get boxes like this because of the great value you often receive so this box is a dud in that respect. I'm also not keen on two of the products (the eye liner, and the scrub), although for me the rest of the products are great.<br />
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Overall, I have mixed feelings about this box. I thought it would be awesome, as with a theme of 'Winter Skincare' I assumed it would be right up my alley. I do like most of the products, but the value isn't what I would have expected. <br />
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I'm looking forward to July's box, which will probably have a lot of makeup in it to make up for a skincare heavy box this month.<br />
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Don't forget that if you want to sign up to Lust Have It, you can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box! <br />
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Until next time ...<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: right;">*PR sample and affiliate links.</span> </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-84382898426278936782016-07-03T22:29:00.002+12:002016-07-03T22:29:16.017+12:00Empties April - June 2016Kia Ora!<br />
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Welcome to the first empties post in months! I've been saving up all my trash just for this post - and my fiancé has been threatening to throw everything away before I could write this post. Let's just jump in - there are a lot of things that I'm sad to see go. Check them all out below. There are body scrubs, perfumes, skincare, and body care products. Just about something for everyone. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gt8LAMwLTGTleFtxJmdlyPJbNz_cR-nV-zGYpsU0JIaakMdOpwt9MaClYFIDKOOy-CbpVCH1wwfHgnrjtuYbXKNAp6k7e1SQlejj6JaLAGvrnaB7_rCqPqQ8Z2R8TrDf_JctLSROWw8/s1600/IMG_4268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gt8LAMwLTGTleFtxJmdlyPJbNz_cR-nV-zGYpsU0JIaakMdOpwt9MaClYFIDKOOy-CbpVCH1wwfHgnrjtuYbXKNAp6k7e1SQlejj6JaLAGvrnaB7_rCqPqQ8Z2R8TrDf_JctLSROWw8/s640/IMG_4268.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Bonjour Jolie Pumpkin Walnut Body Polish</b><br />
I received this in a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/bonjour-jolie-november-2015.html" target="_blank">Bonjour Jolie</a> box last year. It smelt <u>fantastic</u>, and I love the spices that were added to the scent. I didn't really like the texture of the body polish though - it felt like a very fine sand. It gave a nice scrub, but my hands were basically numb after using it for my whole body.<br />
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<b>Bossy Cosmetics Salted Caramel Scrub and Vanilla Whip Topping</b><br />
This is one of the most delicious scents I've ever used. I <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/brand-review-bossy-cosmetics.html" target="_blank">grabbed it from Bossy</a> quite sometime ago now, and have been sniffing it frequently - a bit like a junkie I admit but I can't help how good it smells! It's a wonderful scrub product, with the perfect amount of particles - it gives a great deep scrub while also making you smell absolutely delicious. I'm a sucker for anything caramel, so attempted to savour this scrub as much as possible. I'm going to be buying several replacements for this as soon as I can! <b> </b> <br />
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<b>Swisspers Make-up pads</b><br />
<b> </b>These appear in most of my recent empties. I love these circular cotton pads for applying toner during my skincare routine, and for removing eye makeup. They are very strong, and don't fall apart at all. They are also very soft, and don't ever scratch my skin (like some of those really cheap ones do). I buy these at Countdown, so they're very easy to access too!<b> </b> <br />
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<b>The Body Shop Glazed Apple Perfume</b><br />
This is from a couple of years ago, during The Body Shop's Christmas promotions. I love this scent, it's sweet and fruity, and lasts for ages. I used this up over summer, and was quite sad to see the last of it go. I really enjoy the perfumes from The Body Shop, as they smell fantastic and are easy to wear. I have a few other scents to use, but if I see this in store again I'll seriously think about buying some more!<br />
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<b>Vanessa Megan Darling Perfume</b><br />
This was from a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/flora-and-fauna-spring-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Flora and Fauna box </a>last year. It smelled of spices and was a very natural scent. I really enjoyed it, although I think that lots of people who like very sweet scents probably won't enjoy it as much. I really liked the size of this perfume. It's a sample size, but it still lasted me at least a month of every day usage, probably longer to be honest. And it wasn't overwhelmingly large - I struggle with some of my other perfumes as the bottles are huge and I feel like I'll never finish them. This was the perfect size, and a great scent. Once again, once I've used up some of my other perfumes I'll seriously consider repurchasing this one!<b> </b> <br />
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<b>Fortune Cookie Soap OCD Hand Sanitizers</b><br />
<b><i>Swirly Twirly Gumdrops - Easter Town - This Thing</i></b><br />
I am completely obsessed with these hand sanitizers from Fortune Cookie Soap. The scents are fantastic, and so different from each other. I love carrying one of these little bottles in my handbag, having on beside my bed, one in the bathroom, and one on my desk at work. You may have seen <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/fortune-cookie-soap-haul.html" target="_blank">my haul of new scents</a> recently. <i>This Thing </i>is from the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/fortune-cookie-soap-spring-soap-box-2016.html" target="_blank">Spring 2016</a> box, and smells like fresh cut flowers. <i>Easter Town </i>is from the 12 Days of Christmas set, and smells like sweet vanilla (and something else I can't quite figure out). <i>Swirly Twirly Gumdrops </i>is from the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/fortune-cookie-soap-winter-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Winter 2015</a> box, and smells very sweet and like gumdrops! Basically, this is one of my favourite products right now, no matter what the scent!<br />
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<b>Bonjour Jolie Organic Lilac Blossoms Lotion</b><br />
This was a great pot of lotion - it was a thin one but it sank into the skin perfectly! There was no greasy overlay, not leftover product, I loved it. It smelled light, summery, and like lilacs. I loved using this, and would happily grab some more if I could. I received it in a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/bonjour-jolie-may-2015.html" target="_blank">Bonjour Jolie box</a> last year, and they have a great formula!<b> </b><br />
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<b>Etude House Milk Talk - Chocolate</b><br />
This is a great body wash - it smells exactly chocolate milkshakes and makes me want to eat it. I actually didn't really get to use this much (which was ok as it was a repurchase anyway), as my fiancé used it all - he's the chocolate fiend in our house. This is a pretty cheap product, I order directly from Etude House in Korea, and love it! I haven't got any more on hand because I have an overload of body wash at the moment, but will be ordering more in the future I'm sure.<br />
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<b>Sebamed Liquid Face and Body Wash</b><br />
This was in a recent <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/05/march-lust-have-it-unboxing.html" target="_blank">Lust Have It box</a>, and was a reasonable body wash. I'm more of a fan of scented ones, as I love the smells, but this one is good for sensitive skin or people who don't like strong scents. It lathers well, cleans you well, doesn't leave your skin too dried out, and supposedly balances the pH of your skin (I can't actually test that but I'll believe it). Not a bad body wash, just not right for me personally. <b> </b> <br />
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<b>Clarisea Sea Salt Solutions Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant</b><br />
This was an exfoliant that I received in a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/violet-box-new-zealand-november-and.html" target="_blank">Violet Box</a> a looong time ago. It felt like sand, and was a dry powder that you mixed with water before using. I used it in the shower, and tended to mix it with whatever cleanser I was using at the time. It was a great scrub, with very small particles that left my face feeling wonderful.<br />
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<b>Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Toner</b><br />
This toner came in a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/haul-innisfree-bossy-cosmetics-body-shop.html" target="_blank">set that I ordered</a> (over a year ago - hangs head in shame at not having used it sooner). I loved this toner. It did dry out my skin quite a bit, but I just used that as an excuse to use thicker moisturisers and more hydrating sprays. It had particles in it - presumably the volcanic part - and would be amazing for acne prone people. It certainly helped dry up my occasional spot. Highly recommended, and I'll be buying more when I can.<br />
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<b>Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub</b><br />
These were ... nice. They were scrubby beads in a thick cream. I felt bad using them though as I know using natural scrubs is actually better for the environment. However, since I had them I decided to try them out. These two little samples lasted for about a month when used together, and would be perfect for traveling.<br />
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<b>Dedicated to Nature Soothe Eye Cream</b><br />
This was from the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/beautiful-christmas-advent-calendar-2015.html" target="_blank">Beautiful Christmas Advent Calendar 2015</a>, and I loved it! The cream was lightweight, and perfect for patting into the eye area. It left it hydrated, and plump. It also smelled like cucumbers, which I personally loved! This is just a sample size, but it lasted me 3 months or so. I find this size perfect, as larger eye creams are very daunting to get through, and honestly I get sick of them - but this one was fantastic! I've repurchased this one, as well as a different sample of eye cream from Dedicated to Nature.<br />
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Phew! This was quite a mega post (and I did throw out some things without putting them in this post - mainly really old things I haven't used in years and thus can't really review). I'm hoping it won't be so long between blog posts now, I have a few book reviews planned for the next couple of weeks. I'm also happy to take requests too if anyone wants to see anything in particular.<br />
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Until next time ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-70264126948692987972016-06-29T18:03:00.001+12:002016-06-29T18:03:35.525+12:00Fortune Cookie Soap HaulKia Ora!<br />
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One of my favourite subscription boxes to receive is from <a href="http://www.fortunecookiesoap.com/" target="_blank">Fortune Cookie Soap</a>, and I've unboxed the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/fortune-cookie-soap-summer-soap-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Summer 2015</a>, <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/fortune-cookie-soap-box-fall-soap-box.html" target="_blank">Autumn 2015</a>, <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/fortune-cookie-soap-winter-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Winter 2015</a>, and <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/fortune-cookie-soap-spring-soap-box-2016.html" target="_blank">Spring 2016</a> before on the blog. This is one of my indulgences, as it costs a bit more than usual but for me it's totally worth it.<br />
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Included in each quarterly subscription is a $10 voucher. I don't usually use it because of how expensive shipping from the US is, but I decided to treat myself a few weeks ago. I bought a whole heap of my favourite product (the OCD Hand Sanitizer), in lots of different scents. I've got them all listed below, and I'm super happy with what I received!<br />
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I decided to try a few of the scents that are generally always available on the website. I got <u>Rum Butter,</u> <u>Unicorn Farts,</u> <u>In the Loop,</u><i> </i>and <u>Polyjuice Potion</u><i> </i>(which I forgot to get out of my bag for the picture). The scents are all sweet and light, and I love the colours! I think my preferred one is <u>Rum Butter</u> but they are all great scents, and last pretty well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H-ataoZRRRj4FPa6PnLcJCWEBlGnweMi-PwEg06Vt27YYriICL-FvfXrmgxc-J9HwotAS-kt3OfmXW0XZ3OivvMhNJW-OmX3QMmzD_ntVJl8_CqM6EHvYsBwNTShp09GakOX586tIJc/s1600/IMG_4242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H-ataoZRRRj4FPa6PnLcJCWEBlGnweMi-PwEg06Vt27YYriICL-FvfXrmgxc-J9HwotAS-kt3OfmXW0XZ3OivvMhNJW-OmX3QMmzD_ntVJl8_CqM6EHvYsBwNTShp09GakOX586tIJc/s640/IMG_4242.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The main scents available when I ordered were from the most recent summer soap box collection, which was based on <i>Finding Nemo. </i>I totally failed as a blogger with this box, and it isn't up on the blog. It was great though!<i> </i>I honestly couldn't remember from my summer box which scents I liked, so I picked a couple that sounds like me. I am in love with the <u>Ooh, Barracuda</u> one, and <u>Aqua Scum</u> and <u>Whale Talk</u> are pretty awesome too! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6EZ72nPmPKDqLdlDltr0WBt_7FkIxcUsLH_PHtMRNjBkeribD5pwInBk_Y6phSqnxIYnSFyCTbqDx7vnLRiQWXqJx8F0hizKBNLwMpU7tlrXkrrKdr_x5-EOhedcllv_rA0Q5SWJ6CE/s1600/IMG_4244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6EZ72nPmPKDqLdlDltr0WBt_7FkIxcUsLH_PHtMRNjBkeribD5pwInBk_Y6phSqnxIYnSFyCTbqDx7vnLRiQWXqJx8F0hizKBNLwMpU7tlrXkrrKdr_x5-EOhedcllv_rA0Q5SWJ6CE/s640/IMG_4244.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This one is <u>Oogie Boogie</u> from the 12 Days of Christmas collection. I think I have this scent (as I bought that awesome collection when it came out) but can't for the life of me remember which product it was. However, it smells fantastic, and I love that there is a spider inside the bottle - certainly a point of difference! <br />
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Best of all, I received three samples of Whipped Cream (basically the best moisturiser I've ever used) from their newest collection - Wonderland! I really like two of the scents, and while one isn't my kind of thing, I love that I get more of the delicious whipped cream to use.<br />
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I'm over the moon with my order from Fortune Cookie Soap! I can't wait to stash Hand Sanitizer in every room/bag/desk, and have great smelling hands 100% of the time. I love the amazing quality of their products, and the wonderful extra bonus of whipped cream samples. I'm tempted to make another order when the Autumn box comes out in August (and keep an eye out for an unboxing then too!). <br />
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Does anyone else get the Fortune Cookie Soap boxes? What do you think of their products?<br />
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Until next time ...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-79338348060989251252016-06-19T18:24:00.000+12:002016-06-19T18:24:21.134+12:00May Lust Have ItKia Ora!<br />
<br />
Time for the next installment in the Lust Have It saga! I started a new job this week, so this weekend has been the first time I've been a) at home since I was on holiday before starting my new job, and b) at home during daylight hours because of winter.<br />
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I'm excited to show you all what's in the latest Lust Have It, and tell you how this box has inspired me, makeup-wise!<br />
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<a href="http://lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>* is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus
shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and
New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although
it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.<br />
<br />
You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box! <br />
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The standard pink bag appeared this month, and these are awesome to use for storage, and as gift bags! <br />
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The card with all the details, for those so inclined. <br />
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<b>Razzamatazz Perfectly Matte Opaque Leggings </b><br />
<b>RRP: $11.95</b><br />
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<i>Say hello to comfort! The unique Razzamatazz No-Dig waistband gently hugs your waist and moves with your body so you feel [as] good as you look. </i><br />
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This is an interesting item for a beauty bag. It's pretty cool, because who doesn't need tights - let's be honest. These are perfect for winter, and absolutely perfect for my new job too! I'm not too sure how I'll go with the Avg/Tall pair as I'm usually the Small sizes (side effect of being a short-ass). I'll give these a go, but hopefully they won't be too long and will be useful this winter. <i> </i><b> </b> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPJbFfJC9sg8WHCDAs0t1gISUWL-n_o5aIW0Bdr7NL4jDiCw12xFtD6RX5c2O_Ckz-ZCpyie0Y2r1Krnv5w_diQAeFlDDsMxa6C7Uh_AQoHpn-9KsqzuzVfGJGxNNgijvcXb4SB85H3M/s1600/IMG_4216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPJbFfJC9sg8WHCDAs0t1gISUWL-n_o5aIW0Bdr7NL4jDiCw12xFtD6RX5c2O_Ckz-ZCpyie0Y2r1Krnv5w_diQAeFlDDsMxa6C7Uh_AQoHpn-9KsqzuzVfGJGxNNgijvcXb4SB85H3M/s640/IMG_4216.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Urban Skincare Co. Daily Body Cleanser</b><br />
<b>RRP: ??</b><br />
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<i>Mystery Item: Curated by your Lust Have It team. Discover something beautiful with this range of skin care items. You'll receive a premium</i><b> </b><i>skin care deluxe sample handpicked by the Lust Have It team. </i><br />
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I love this brand, and haven't seen it in New Zealand, so I'm really happy with this mystery item. It's basically a body wash, and I love the natural, herbal scent. I've used their body lotion before and loved it. I do think this mystery item business is clearly a way to get rid of excess stock at their warehouse, but I'm happy with what I received so no complaints here!<i> </i><br />
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<b>PHR Recovery Leave-In Moisturiser 15ml</b><br />
<b>RRP: $4.31</b><br />
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<i>Uniquely rich natural leave-in moisturiser designed to seal in hydration and help protect hair against damage from heat styling appliances. It renews brittle hair and leaves hair beautiful looking, full of lustre and bounce. It feeds the hair with essential vitamin and proteins to maintain health and shine. Seals in hydration and helps protect hair against damage from heat styling appliances. </i><br />
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This is a pretty generous sample, especially since I have thin hair and will be able to use this 5+ times. It's a thick white cream, and smells like coconut. My hair immediately appeared softer, stronger, and healthier. I've only used it once so far, so can't speak about longer-term effects, but so far so good! <i> </i><b> </b><i> </i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRBzE6EuJOMD6x3rHwJIQclpJmb6fRN364Yox2av6BKwJVdIIz4cHfnQpBLRF_UGpiT2ZFrBVxajCf67mUWSMtjt6zBIdkjxXXwAenvBhBb2MPqFEcAcXW2HgsqmSKXShaDFDwbpr8hg/s1600/IMG_4220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRBzE6EuJOMD6x3rHwJIQclpJmb6fRN364Yox2av6BKwJVdIIz4cHfnQpBLRF_UGpiT2ZFrBVxajCf67mUWSMtjt6zBIdkjxXXwAenvBhBb2MPqFEcAcXW2HgsqmSKXShaDFDwbpr8hg/s640/IMG_4220.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Lollipops Baume Grenadine</b><br />
<b>RRP: $7.45</b><br />
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<i>Creamy lip balm and rich in shea butter, oil, macademia and vitamin E, with restorative and nourishing properties while gentle on the lips. Red shiny finish with irresistible sweet smell. </i><b> </b><br />
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This sort of product reminds me of the play makeup little girls are given when they are about 10. Honestly, this makes me cringe a little. It feels cheap, the stuff inside the tube is more of a tacky gloss than a balm, and the smell is sickly sweet. I'm going to give this to a young cousin, as I won't be using it. I think this product missed the mark.<br />
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<b>Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eye Liner Pen</b><br />
<b>RRP: $20</b><br />
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<i>A staple product for every makeup lover, this felt tipped pen makes it impeccably easy to create flawless eye lines of any variety. Whether daily, nightly, or anytime in between, Starlooks Eye Liner Pen enhances all eye colours, shapes, and sizes with its exclusive, incomparable Pro formula!</i><br />
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I've never tried an eyeliner felt pen before, and I've heard good things about the Starlooks brand. It went on smoothly for the swatch, and I'll be testing it out properly during the week - I now have to wear makeup for work so am attempting to try out new products and have a bit of a play. This is perfect for that, and looks easy enough for a noob like me to be able to use it easily. <i> </i><b> </b> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YQIdYahz-k0cw6MHo_TFruaqoWlhTILkZtHHhC5ykFXuwVEvT7uiRIDZv_Yi80MlLpythUbS4fn3Pxos89xNeWpft9Di9vKjsOwyv37f09cH_fs9jepzOhfWEetvc4pylega9iWwAjE/s1600/IMG_4221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YQIdYahz-k0cw6MHo_TFruaqoWlhTILkZtHHhC5ykFXuwVEvT7uiRIDZv_Yi80MlLpythUbS4fn3Pxos89xNeWpft9Di9vKjsOwyv37f09cH_fs9jepzOhfWEetvc4pylega9iWwAjE/s640/IMG_4221.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Swatches</b>: Starlooks eye liner, Lollipops Baume Grenadine, Teez Cosmetics Eyeshadow - Vanilla Sunbam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpGfLZGYQMJAz-G1UDCaIu_SDXYODC9ezA5wkHqvTvqdoGbagmkWeD-v35bCaOP2tg2P2kFwfuEtHCIauhjXzwpn2MZEYcsac-McIpRSYb71Lhw2DvrpsIGC5pyxc8BMYr4jyeb7db0k/s1600/IMG_4222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpGfLZGYQMJAz-G1UDCaIu_SDXYODC9ezA5wkHqvTvqdoGbagmkWeD-v35bCaOP2tg2P2kFwfuEtHCIauhjXzwpn2MZEYcsac-McIpRSYb71Lhw2DvrpsIGC5pyxc8BMYr4jyeb7db0k/s640/IMG_4222.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Teez Cosmetics Spectrum of Stars Eyeshadow</b><br />
<b>RRP: $29</b><br />
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<i>Curious array of intensely, eye-catching hues, add intrigue to any outfit. Some are double changeant, others are triple. They're all exquisitely crafted finishes from shimmering to metallic to high gloss. In a kaleidoscope of sublime colours with staying power. The effect? Luminescent. (Literally!) Including Argan Oil with anti-aging properties</i><b> </b><i>to moisturize your skin for a smooth texture. Don't miss this bit of velvety bliss for outrageous on-trend eyes. </i><br />
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This is one spectacular eyeshadow! I received the colour Vanilla Sunbeam, and it's beautiful! It applies nicely, is super soft, and blends well. The staying power isn't amazing, and for other glasses wearers - beware the glitter fallout over the inside of your lenses! I love this colour though, and it fits perfectly with the neutral shades I wear for work. It adds something a bit funky, and I'm really grateful to have received this from Lust Have It!<i> </i><b> </b><br />
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<b>Total value of the box: $72.71</b><br />
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This is one of the best boxes I've received in awhile. I love most of the things in the box - and it's really encouraging me to try out makeup outside of my comfort zone. Other than the tacky lip gloss, I'll use every single item!<br />
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What do you think of this box? Do you get Lust Have It? If you don't,
don't forget to use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box!<br />
<br />
Until next time ...<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: right;">*PR sample and affiliate links. </span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-72175212076430219862016-06-15T21:35:00.001+12:002016-06-15T21:35:19.867+12:00April Lust Have It ReviewKia Ora!<br />
<br />
I received the April Lust Have It quite awhile ago, but life got a bit crazy, and I haven't had a chance to post this blog. So read on to see what was in it!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>* is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus
shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and
New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although
it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.<br />
<br />
You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box! <br />
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I love it when the bag has some interesting looking products in it! Let's see what was in it! <br />
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Full card details for those who want to see those. <br />
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<b>Appelles Apothecary & Lab Shampoo and Conditioner 35ml each</b><br />
<b>RRP: $6.58 </b><br />
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<i>Blackseed Shampoo cleans and nourishes, gently removing excess oil and dead skin from the scalp and providing follicles with the necessary nutrients and hydration for strong, healthy hair. Tamanu Conditioner repairs and protects, shielding hair from UV and chemical damage by maintaining hair hydration, manageability and softness. </i> <br />
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I've tried these before from other subscription boxes, and love them! They are quite a herbal scent - rosemary being the primary scent - but I love that. They work quite well as a shampoo and conditioner, leaving hair soft and shiny. These are also a generous sample size, and I should get 2-3 uses from these! Yay! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ucMmzGmGlDkFd4VCUG6_dNJSvG7TU6kNnSY6vjJMn9l0LaePie2sWd3guiV5wBMUMoYJhInIGvI4kZz0lTsAfKGu2wY5hB2bWIa3nDyYSYScu-x5_P01gkX6telupGin0-YPK2QZyhg/s1600/IMG_4173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ucMmzGmGlDkFd4VCUG6_dNJSvG7TU6kNnSY6vjJMn9l0LaePie2sWd3guiV5wBMUMoYJhInIGvI4kZz0lTsAfKGu2wY5hB2bWIa3nDyYSYScu-x5_P01gkX6telupGin0-YPK2QZyhg/s640/IMG_4173.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Marsk Certified Organic Browliner</b><br />
<b>RRP: $28.95</b><br />
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<i>Nothing is worse than bad eyebrows, which is why we designed the MARSK Certified Organic Brow Liners. Whether you're going for a stenciled look or a natural full arch, the MARSK Organic Brow Pencil will get you there smudge-free. </i><br />
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I've been using this to do my brows every day for the last week, and it's amazing! I've struggled with the colour of brow pencils before - as despite claims of universal colour they are always too dark for my blonde brows. However this one is nearly perfect! It's a lighter blonde colour, and makes it so easy to do my brows! I'm a convert, and the creamy formula certainly helps!<br />
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<b>Marsk Certified Organic Eyeliner</b><br />
<b>RRP: $28.95</b><br />
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<i>Wear it all day and all night and they won't slip off the eye (don't you just hate it when that happens?). The added benefit with these wonderful liners is the delicious ingredients in them that have earned them an Organic certification. </i><br />
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I don't wear eyeliner. Ever. So this product hasn't been touched. It looks nice, and swatches well (see below) but I just won't use it. I'm keeping it for a friend, but this one is a dud for me personally - although I know lots of people love eyeliners in their subscriptions. <i> </i><b> </b><i> </i><b> </b> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKG2MVJC6T-0SlJk5fp6olU4ARwnT9m166GiQB9sCSTLfC5E5CU5ElSTSXBjSZeVuDoXNzdaKDGeWXjduGV8lo5jqkuvapjjg-sCjH89JghPdL6-_bq51OjP3k8K-wyo3qihuNRQmytU/s1600/IMG_4174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKG2MVJC6T-0SlJk5fp6olU4ARwnT9m166GiQB9sCSTLfC5E5CU5ElSTSXBjSZeVuDoXNzdaKDGeWXjduGV8lo5jqkuvapjjg-sCjH89JghPdL6-_bq51OjP3k8K-wyo3qihuNRQmytU/s640/IMG_4174.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Personail Nail Polish Wraps</b><br />
<b>RRP: $18</b><br />
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<i>Can't justify the dollars associated with professional manicures? Or - even worse - sick of at-home jobs that end with you looking like you let a toddler loose on your hands with a tin of paint? No drying time, no smell and - best of all - simple to apply! From the classic to the fantastic(ally) sparkly, there's a design here for every nail. </i><br />
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These are similar to Jamberry, and are those stickers that look like nail polish. Half the fuss, and not too much of a mess. Honestly, I haven't tried these yet as I've been too busy to worry about my nails. I love the 'Glamour' design I received, and I love that there is a $10 off code - I'm not sure if it's a one-off code but give it a go and see if it will work for you!<i> </i><b> </b> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23A7DJxOF5ORt1opRQd1Q5nA6_ViV-uw7ZZNopRcggpBfcFCwWbyKSpHPnyxtsrKTGxXwJTGQ9vhMoQXSR6L9dxPjB0buFyp-8C146PWwkA6bX-w1kL1lfmSqauplmEvwthVLSph9Fdo/s1600/IMG_4175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23A7DJxOF5ORt1opRQd1Q5nA6_ViV-uw7ZZNopRcggpBfcFCwWbyKSpHPnyxtsrKTGxXwJTGQ9vhMoQXSR6L9dxPjB0buFyp-8C146PWwkA6bX-w1kL1lfmSqauplmEvwthVLSph9Fdo/s640/IMG_4175.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Manna Kadar Fantasy 3-in-1 Blush Highlighter Eyeshadow</b><br />
<b>RRP: $25</b><br />
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<i>A pearlized powder blush, highlighter and eyeshadow. It has a special light and velvet-like texture which glides on smoothly and evenly to provide the perfect amount of colour for a healthy glow on your eyes, cheeks or desired areas for highlighting. </i><br />
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Once again, not something I've used recently, but it swatches nicely - smooth and creamy. I will be using this over the next few months since I've just started a job where makeup is a bit more of a requirement. I like it as an eyeshadow, to add a bit of a pop to the inner corner. <i> </i><b> </b> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8m-fFluK0kwUdxyUxW-oX38Ob2Ju78kv9aYwXKsE_okG5jhyfkl-5mbmln3T216jM-zwdWQ3ukGzez6Cdr3bVGZKmQ0wdsf8c6HAVcKDnYy_OuaK-cr2-1oCPFTO8908uPI-pa2k7YI/s1600/IMG_4176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8m-fFluK0kwUdxyUxW-oX38Ob2Ju78kv9aYwXKsE_okG5jhyfkl-5mbmln3T216jM-zwdWQ3ukGzez6Cdr3bVGZKmQ0wdsf8c6HAVcKDnYy_OuaK-cr2-1oCPFTO8908uPI-pa2k7YI/s640/IMG_4176.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Swatches: </u>MARSK eyeliner, MARSK browliner, Manna Kadar powder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Total value of the box: $107.48<br />
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Wow, talk about value for money. I'm going to use at least 3 of the products in this box, and will play with a couple more so I'm really happy to have received this one.<br />
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What do you think of this box? Do you get Lust Have It? If you don't, don't forget to use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box!<br />
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Until next time ...<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: right;">*PR sample and affiliate links. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qfL8loTfbiGZWHr9fnZYOQwZ7tbYA7nfHZ0UbktUc7V1EQWrBY04NyXXB5WDiQZ2-21O2oNOWebC63D4cF57Ayal8xQx5BmoECgaoCONBdLw3jcRDrlCmsZaMCewbklyB4HmQ8FBg3U/s1600/Coupon+code+-+insert+into+posts+bigger+image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qfL8loTfbiGZWHr9fnZYOQwZ7tbYA7nfHZ0UbktUc7V1EQWrBY04NyXXB5WDiQZ2-21O2oNOWebC63D4cF57Ayal8xQx5BmoECgaoCONBdLw3jcRDrlCmsZaMCewbklyB4HmQ8FBg3U/s640/Coupon+code+-+insert+into+posts+bigger+image.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-83847945794188714022016-05-18T18:52:00.000+12:002016-05-18T20:15:34.937+12:00March Lust Have It unboxingKia Ora!<br />
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It's been awhile since I've posted anything on here - more on that in a different post - but it's nice to start things off with a review of a monthly box!<br />
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<a href="http://lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>* is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus
shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and
New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although
it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.<br />
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You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $5 off your first box! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2kEk1yi93QJFmj_WGnjKcDENn57TsylaYMyeyclOZEIxN-8UWSDot1Q11cdLWvTXcl4PYHm3Gdpqi1ZYQ7uR7aw6mPtZChQh7vllbt4cI_NCfnaPRBPgXyyJlTnSYaTB77YQdzRt78E/s1600/IMG_4133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2kEk1yi93QJFmj_WGnjKcDENn57TsylaYMyeyclOZEIxN-8UWSDot1Q11cdLWvTXcl4PYHm3Gdpqi1ZYQ7uR7aw6mPtZChQh7vllbt4cI_NCfnaPRBPgXyyJlTnSYaTB77YQdzRt78E/s640/IMG_4133.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I forgot to take a picture of the other side of the card for this month, so I'll try and make sure all the info about the products is included below!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIU9fmq_YXUDNe0Zv3tahAPInmzNW-IU5-sPU5_HdJMG8leNqqhWgjYG2DuCbwnDy7mmrUdUFK5bn7sIu-3Bs583A78dAKegPr7yFWPStDdULwY-ucb-OE3xpq7vcUOV7vtmvOgTgiNcM/s1600/IMG_4136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIU9fmq_YXUDNe0Zv3tahAPInmzNW-IU5-sPU5_HdJMG8leNqqhWgjYG2DuCbwnDy7mmrUdUFK5bn7sIu-3Bs583A78dAKegPr7yFWPStDdULwY-ucb-OE3xpq7vcUOV7vtmvOgTgiNcM/s640/IMG_4136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Jersey Shore Cosmetics Anti-Aging Whole Body Balm 0.15oz</b><br />
<b>RRP: $20 </b><br />
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<i>A perfectly balanced, certified organic formula using the very best all natural ingredients. Premium, nutrient rich, organic Argan oil, Castor oil, Jojoba oil and Vitamin E, are known to have anti-aging properties and are proven to deeply condition, nourish and hydrate skin and hair. A superior all purpose balm, with a multitude of uses. </i><br />
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I don't like all purpose balms. I honestly just don't use them. I have been using this one (so I can properly review it here for you guys), and love it. I have only been using it as a lip balm - mainly because of the packaging - and it's amazing! The oils let this melt into your lips, and help them stay hydrated in the worst conditions. I've had very chapped lips recently due to a horrid cold, and this balm has been a lifesaver! It smells natural but in a good way, and I truly adore it! I'm not sure I'd pay $20 for it, but I'm going to love it while I have it!<i></i><b><br /></b><br />
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<b>Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash 50ml</b><br />
<b>RRP: $2.50 </b><br />
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<i>Great for normal and sensitive skin, adjusted to pH 5.5, the pH value of healthy skin. Contains a sophisticated complex of vitamins, allantoin and Pentavitin to protect the skin from dehydration. The wash also includes a blend of moisturisers to ensure no irritation to the skin. The gentle formula makes this body wash suitable for frequent use. </i><br />
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This looks pretty medicinal to me. It says it can be a face wash, but I only tried it as a body wash<i>. </i>I was surprised to see it is a bright green gel, but that's actually quite funky! It smelt like generic soap, which is fine. I prefer a stronger scent (fruity, sweet, something that smells like a specific thing) but generic soap smell is inoffensive. The body wash lathered nicely, left me clean, and didn't strip my skin. It's not the most moisturised I've ever been by a body wash, but not bad. I love that it leaves me feeling very clean! <b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIKgz034TyGB4f-PvZBPMGb9TzaI94GSaABuEQNVe4KlE6EmlPtGVCudOy_3wOmDF6LJd5z_fXnRvn5szS6JIREfh9EMAjNJAtISpYJTKewI7A307iehYgEqS-d8M1Pfi7rjQH6TUpjw/s1600/IMG_4135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIKgz034TyGB4f-PvZBPMGb9TzaI94GSaABuEQNVe4KlE6EmlPtGVCudOy_3wOmDF6LJd5z_fXnRvn5szS6JIREfh9EMAjNJAtISpYJTKewI7A307iehYgEqS-d8M1Pfi7rjQH6TUpjw/s640/IMG_4135.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Glazel Visage Single Matte Eyeshadow</b><br />
<b>RRP: $15</b><br />
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<i>A rich palette of silk-textured, highly pigmentated colours. Creates phenomenal and irresistible colour saturation. </i><br />
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I'm going to be honest, I didn't even swatch this. I just gave it away to a friend. I don't wear much makeup to start with, and I know I'd never use this green colour. It was better off with someone else. So no review, but the packaging felt a little cheap - that's about all I can say.<br />
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<b>Be a Bombshell Mechanical Eyeliner</b><br />
<b>RRP: $20</b><br />
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<i>This twist up mechanical eyeliner comes in bold colours for a defined eye or a pop of colour. Easy to apply and adds great definition; long lasting, and water-resistant. Use like a marker, drawing with the tip closest to your lash line for precise definition. Hold the pencil at an angle and draw along the lash line. Begin at the edge of the outer part of the eye.</i><br />
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As a makeup do-do, the instructions on the card are appreciated. However, this pencil was clunky and the formula was difficult to get on. It took awhile to get a swatch on my hand, let alone on the sensitive skin near my eye. I basically gave up, and then passed this along to a friend. Not friendly for makeup noobs. <i> </i><b> </b><i> </i><b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNbXStobu6FiOkC4d8vQT7RufeF2Uk1FfO_BxbcMf9EFPXQYDJl3q7Ps9C3V2Hp0bR7yxFge9_vd8Oje4kb2FIO_xP6I0B-CSDH5NMAG1PIomW0KVs4ZpPYrhC9VkTGR7n9012fMr7D4/s1600/IMG_4138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNbXStobu6FiOkC4d8vQT7RufeF2Uk1FfO_BxbcMf9EFPXQYDJl3q7Ps9C3V2Hp0bR7yxFge9_vd8Oje4kb2FIO_xP6I0B-CSDH5NMAG1PIomW0KVs4ZpPYrhC9VkTGR7n9012fMr7D4/s640/IMG_4138.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
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<b>Ruby Eye Shadow Brush Small Round</b></div>
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<b>RRP: $22.40</b></div>
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<i>Ruby Brushes are made from 100% natural hair and makes applying eye makeups easier. </i></div>
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I quite like this brush. It's the perfect size for packing on colour - something I am vaguely aware of how to do. It's soft, picks up eye shadow well, and transfers it pretty well too. It's probably not the best brush ever, but to someone who doesn't really have any makeup brushes, this is an awesome addition to my meagre collection. <i> </i><b> </b> </div>
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Overall, not the most exciting box for me, but I can see how makeup lovers will appreciate it! It also came with a card for Hello Fresh - but that's an Australia only company I think so that's basically useless to me. A nice addition though. </div>
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Total value of the box: $79.90</div>
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Keep an eye out for the April box - and let me know if you prefer reviews or unboxings!</div>
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Remember you can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $5 off your first box! </div>
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Until next time ... </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: right;">*PR sample and affiliate links. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-13176843139059236502016-03-30T16:22:00.000+13:002016-03-30T16:22:48.340+13:00March Favourites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Kia Ora!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I thought I'd try my hand at a favourites post this month, particularly as I've been loving certain products for the whole of March. </span></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDbADvHEq2R95eAGlTCLBu-lZzsYuD_R4XePZb7bYzDpaVno88S_Jzu85riS8eVAqDlONEKQmD3Yks8Y5h5f7VJfqMTyph1ehMCp7tm12Fwy-TNc_SIzpBMXyxwUvNzd1k3nQl_CLASc/s640/IMG_3849.jpg" width="640" /> </div>
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I have five things to talk about this month, all quite different from each other. </div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cXJLBBEAWS6ebnMvF90rst5rBc5vez-NCWMaKUCAA3sbBOObreJTgrG5XRix4XnU5iWjU-sKe0LKhkcLdri1-NEEI5KFv5CJqvnI0QyIDTD46bRct7yY02ObpUeD1_mZ53__cZsYnoU/s640/IMG_3842.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Vanessa Megan - Darling Perfume</b><br />
This was from a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/flora-and-fauna-spring-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Flora and Fauna box </a>last year, and I'm so happy to have it! It's the perfect size to carry around in my purse, and is a light floral scent that smells divine! I can't get enough of it, and am attempting to savour it a little (although that isn't working too well). There are lots of different Vanessa Megan perfumes on the Flora and Fauna website, and the 'sample' sizes are great for trying out a scent (and last for a month at least!). </div>
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<b>Gerard Cosmetics - 1995 </b></div>
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I'm a huge fan of lipsticks, and I have been reaching for 1995 a lot recently. It's easy to apply, you don't need to fuss about with it too much. It's a great brown colour, which is clearly my jam. I find that the colour fades evenly, and it does stick around for at least a few hours. I reapply 2-3 times a day, usually after eating, and find it lasts well for me. It also isn't too drying, so my lips don't feel like they are dead when I wear this. Love it!</div>
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<b>The Body Shop Body Butter - Blueberry </b></div>
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I'm officially in love with the Body Butters from the Body Shop. I've always been a little scared to attempt to use up one of the full size ones, but it's actually not as difficult as I feared. In fact, I am on track to have this one appear in my March Empties post. I love how thick the cream is, and the Blueberry scent is divine! It's sweet, without being overwhelming, and has a lingering blueberry smell. I use this before going to bed, and my legs always feel soft and moisturised in the morning. </div>
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<b>Bossy Cosmetics Body Scrub - Salted Caramel Scrub & Vanilla Whip Topping</b></div>
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Have I mentioned my body scrub addiction recently? The one I'm most obsessed with is the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/brand-review-bossy-cosmetics.html" target="_blank">Bossy Cosmetic</a>s <a href="http://www.bossycosmetics.com/?ref=weesa13" target="_blank">Salted Caramel scrub</a>. It smells like hot caramel and sweet vanilla. I can't get enough of the smell, and the scrub itself is great too. The perfect size sugar granules for a great all over scrub, and you smell like salted caramel for hours afterwards. What more could you want?!<b> </b></div>
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<b>The Herb Farm - Sleepwell Cream</b><br />
This was one of the best things that I received in my <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/beautiful-christmas-advent-calendar-2015.html" target="_blank">Beautiful Christmas advent calendar</a>. I use it 5-6 times a week, and find it really does help me to sleep better. I've been applying to my wrists every night just before I hop into bed, and the herbal scent truly helps me get to sleep. If I'm already tired, it helps me get to the point of sleep, and if I'm not tired, it helps me feel ready to sleep within 30-60 minutes. It melts into the skin, and the scent is gone by morning. </div>
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Has anyone else tried any of these? What are your favourites for March?<br />
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Until next time ...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-89872744781262183562016-03-21T11:22:00.001+13:002016-03-21T11:22:05.746+13:00Lust Have It - February 2016Kia Ora!<br />
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<a href="http://lusthaveit.com.au/" target="_blank">Lust Have It</a>* has once again arrived in my mailbox, and on the blog! The last one I got was in <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/lust-have-it-july-2015.html" target="_blank">July 2015</a>, so it's neat to see what's happening 9 months on. They have had some great looking boxes (or bags if you prefer) recently so I'm really excited to see what's in the February box!<br />
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Lust Have It is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.<br />
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You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $5 off your first box!<br />
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It's a red bag this month, perhaps as a special nod to Valentine's Day? The card is gorgeous! </div>
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Full details of the back of the card. </div>
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<b>Mellow Cosmetics Blush - Peach - RRP $14</b><br />
There was an option of a blush or lipstick this month. I received this blush in Peach, and it looks awesome! Regular readers will know I'm not a big makeup wearer, so I'm popping this aside for an upcoming giveaway (hint: it's the blog's birthday in May so keep an eye out then for something special).<br />
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I do love this colour, and I've heard great things about Mellow as a brand. I do think it's a bit annoying to offer two different product options that have different RRP's. I personally would have preferred a lipstick as that's what I would use, but the $4 difference in value is a bit strange. <br />
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<b>Garnier Fructis Full & Luscious Shampoo and Conditioner - Sample size - RRP $0.96</b><br />
I've received these exact samples before, and haven't gotten around to using them yet. I'm heading away for the Easter weekend, and that seems like the perfect time to try these out. I'm not a huge fan of foil packets, but these seem to have a reasonable amount of product in them. I do like trying new shampoos and conditioners, especially when I'm travelling. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Lanolips Everyday Hand Balm - $22.95</b><br />
Full size hand cream! I don't use hand cream all that often, but this sort of thing is always useful and handy (pun intended) to have around. It's a thick cream, sinks in reasonably well and leaves your hands hydrated without being greasy. It smells quite powdery and has notes of rose - it basically smells like something my grandma would love! <b> </b><br />
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Once again there's about $6 discrepancy between the two products you could receive. I'm happy I got the hand cream as I wouldn't use the fake tan, but I do think that if you offer two options they should be the same RRP.<br />
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<b>Be a Bombshell Mascara - Nightfall - RRP $21</b><br />
Be a Bombshell is a brand that appears all the time in Lust Have It. I haven't really used many of their other products as they are makeup I don't generally use. I do use mascara though, so I'm happy to have this to play with! It's black, which is always good. I did see someone else get a brown colour, which I would love to have played with, but black is still good!<b> </b><br />
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<b>The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensly Revatalising Facial Oil - Sample size - RRP $12.82</b><br />
This smells like rosemary, and feels divine. I've never used a facial oil, so I'm a little scared to try it out, but I think might have to give this a go. And wowee, look at how much it's worth. It may be small, but it looks like a great sample to try out!<br />
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<b>The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream - Sample size - RRP $7.49</b><br />
Oooh, now this one I'm excited about. I love using new face creams, and this would fit perfectly with my nightly routine! It smells beautiful, and is a great size so it should last for long enough to try it out properly.<br />
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<b>The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig - Sample size - RRP $1.11</b><br />
This smells divine! It's light, delicious, and I seriously can't get enough of it. The scent is quite strong, so you shouldn't need to reapply too often. I'm really happy that I got this sample, and will probably use it up quickly! <b> </b><br />
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Total value of the box: $80.33.<br />
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What a great box! Three Body Shop samples (of reasonable size), shampoo and conditioner samples, a mascara, a hand cream, and a blush. I'll use 6/7 products, and think it's a really exciting box.<br />
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Once again, if you want to purchase the box and get a $5 off coupon, use IFORAYS1.<br />
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Until next time ...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-72120378220465634282016-03-17T15:37:00.002+13:002016-03-17T15:37:46.339+13:00January Book WrangleKia Ora!<br />
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This post is really late. I don't really have a reason, other than life getting in the way of blogging. Oh well, hopefully you'll enjoy reading about the books I read, and loved. There isn't a bad one in this bunch!<br />
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I read a heck of a lot of books in January! Part of it was because of the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/biannual-bibliothon-winter-2016-tbr.html" target="_blank">Biannual Bibliothon</a> (which I didn't finish to be honest), and partially because of the summer break. Let's get started!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=winter+of+fire+sheryl+jordan&search=Find+book/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>Winter of Fire </i>- Sherryl Jordan</a></b><br />
This has been a favourite for years. It's about Elsha of the Quelled, a slave race that works to mine firestones from the Earth (in a very futuristic post-apocalyptic type world - where the apocalypse was so long ago it isn't really part of the plot). Elsha is chosen to be the Handmaiden to the Firelord, and she uses this position to turn many of the racial beliefs on their heads. It's a great book, with friendship and righting old wrongs as the main themes. I love the characterisation, the plot, the setting, and everything about this book. Go check it out!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/In-the-Hand-of-the-Goddess/9780689878565/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>In the hand of the Goddess </i>- Tamora Pierce</a></b><br />
Another childhood favourite (as you can probably tell since the copy in the picture is quite worn out). This is the second in a quartet, about Alanna the Lioness. Alanna is a woman who wants to become a knight, in a medieval world (with the addition of magic), and women aren't generally allowed to participate in war. She hides her identity with the help of various friends (including the King of Thieves). Tamora Pierce is a brilliant author, who puts female characters at the forefront of many issues. Tortall is her world, and she has written many novels set here. Basically a wonderful Young Adult fantasy novel, if you haven't read any of her books you need to remedy that right now.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Slow-Regard-of-Silent-Things/9781473209329/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>The Slow Regard of Silent Things </i>- Patrick Rothfuss</a></b><br />
Another of my favourite authors! This is a short story that turned into something more. It is about one of the characters in <i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Name-of-the-Wind--the-Kingkiller-Chronicle--Day-One-/9780756404079/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">The Name of the Wind</a>, </i>Auri. It's the best book I've ever read that has only one character, and no dialogue. It's a masterpiece, very thoughtful, and perfect if you already love Patrick Rothfuss' other works. Possibly not the best introduction to his world, and characters, but fantastic if you already love them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Method-Shannon-Kirk/9780751564310?ref=grid-view/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><b><i>The Method </i>- Shannon Kirk</b>*</a><br />
Imagine a helpless, very pregnant teenager who has been kidnapped. This is not who Lisa is; she is cold, calm, and meticulous in her planning to escape. This book turns kidnapping on it's head, while exploring the fears and paranoia that a kidnapped girl may experience, albeit through a sociopathic facade. I did enjoy this book, it was fast-paced, exciting, and draws you in. If you are into thrillers, you should check this out. It's not what I would call world-changing, but it is a great read for a lazy weekend.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Darkest-Secret/9780751550702/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><b><i>The Darkest Secret </i>- Alex Marwood</b>*</a><br />
Does anyone else love watching cop shows on TV (like SVU, Castle, etc) where a case is looked at, various red herrings are discarded, and then someone you don't expect was the killer? This book is a literary version of this, in a cold case kind of way. Identical twin, 3-year-old Coco Jackson disappears one weekend during her father's birthday party. This book switches back and forth between the weekend it happened, and one weekend years later when the truth comes out. It covers the various perspectives of important characters, and eventually reveals the unexpected truth. It's not often a book can surprise me with an ending, but this one managed it with a great twist. It pulls at your heartstrings, leaves you guessing, and it was another book I couldn't put down. If you like crime novels, mysteries, or thrillers, check this one out!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Aeronaut-s-Windlass/9780356504681/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><b><i>The Aeronaut's Windlass </i>- Jim Butcher</b>*</a><br />
First things first, this book is huge! I was a bit put off for awhile, but it's worth getting into this book. I loved it! The characters are fantastic, the plot is believable (for a fantasy world), and there is plenty of depth to this book. Intrigue, mysterious backstories, and an evil that is greater than any of the characters can imagine. Once I was into this book, I couldn't put it down. It required a bit of work to start with, but after the first 50 pages or so, it was effortless. I've always heard about the masterful work of Jim Butcher, and this was a wonderful book to read!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/All-Fall-Down-Geoffrey-Rice/9781927145104?ref=grid-view/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>All Fall Down: Christchurch's Lost Chimneys </i>- Geoff Rice</a></b><br />
A non-fiction book, not something I read a lot of generally. I studied history at the University of Canterbury, and had several classes taught by Geoff Rice. After the Christchurch earthquake in 2011, this book was published. I've been looking for it ever since, but only managed to get my hands on a copy in December last year. I loved this book. It told me more than I ever wanted to know about the history of chimney's, and particularly the history of chimney's in Christchurch. I've been noticing lots of the features of chimney's in Auckland since reading this book, and honestly loved learning about them. It has a chapter on the history, and the rest is written very well. I feel like I know Professor Rice on a personal level, as he has put so much of himself into this book. If you like non-fiction, history, or just something a little bit out of the ordinary then check this out!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*PR sample and affiliate links. </span></div>
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And that's that! Overall, January was a great month for me, book-wise. I'm off to make a start on the huge list of books I requested from the library earlier this week now. Keep an eye out for March's Book Wrangle!<br />
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Until next time ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-27769756498358417692016-03-14T09:59:00.000+13:002016-03-14T09:59:08.422+13:00February Book WrangleKia Ora<br />
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I know it's the middle of March now, but I'm catching up on all the book related blog posts this week. So be prepared for a lot of book reviews! Read on for what I read during February!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Stolen/9780545170949/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i><b>Stolen </b></i><b>- Lucy Christopher</b></a><br />
This book was a great read. It was told as a letter after the fact, and covered the time in which Gemma, a 16-year-old girl from London, was kidnapped and held in the Great Sandy Desert in Australia. It's a wonderful representation of the complicated relationship between Gemma and her kidnapper, Ty, and how she starts to experience aspects of Stockholm Syndrome. I really enjoyed the writing style that was used, and the way that the author explored both the details of such a complex relationship, and the effects that the setting had on both characters. The Outback is desolate and demanding of Ty and Gemma, and ultimately forces Ty to make a decision that leads to Gemma's release. It's interesting to see how the kidnapping changes Gemma as a person, and the nuances that affected her the most throughout the experience. I really enjoyed reading this, and although it's not a light book, it is a very good story. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Martian/9780091956141/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>The Martian </i>- Andy Weir</a></b><br />
I saw the movie in October last year, and have heard that the book was just as good so I had to see for myself. It's also one of the challenges on <a href="http://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-book-riot-read-harder-challenge/" target="_blank">Book Riot's 'Read Harder'</a> challenge to read a book and see the movie, so that was also part of my decision to read this book. I'm so glad I did! This book is fantastic! I couldn't put it down, and I laughed my way through it. The writing is witty, the science appears sound (from a non-scientist perspective), and it was inclusive of all perspectives. This is the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who is left behind on Mars after a failed mission, and has to figure out how to survive. It is a spectacular way of detailing many of the dangers of space and living on other planets, outlining the many challenges faced, and how that affects both the stranded astronaut, his crewmates, and those left behind on Earth. I really enjoyed reading this book, and the same sharp wit that is displayed in the movie is one of the predominant features of this novel. 10/10, would certainly read again!<b> </b><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Burial-Rites/9780316243926/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>Burial Rites </i>- Hannah Kent </a></b><br />
This book is about Agnes Magnusdottir, set in Northern Iceland in 1829, and the few months before her death - her participation in the brutal murder of two men is what has lead to this conviction. This book is a fictionalised version of a real story, giving personal details to the last woman to be executed in Iceland. I would liken it to other popular true crime stories that are currently popular, such as the <a href="https://www.netflix.com/nz/title/80000770" target="_blank">Making a Murderer</a> documentary and the <a href="https://serialpodcast.org/season-one" target="_blank">Serial podcast</a>. This book draws out details about Agnes' relationships with both the murdered men, and the two others accused of their murder. It allows a different view into the situation, and the ways in which Agnes may have coped in the months between her conviction and execution. A very enjoyable read, particularly for those who appreciate true crime stories. <b> </b><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Butterfly-Summer/9781472221339/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>The Butterfly Summer </i>- Harriet Evans*</a></b><br />
This book is told from two perspectives - that of Nina Parr in the present, and through a book written by her grandmother and hidden away. It describes the history, and myths, surrounding Keepsake, the family home. The horrors that have been common for the Parr women throughout history, and have been repeated through the generations, and revealed slowly to Nina when she discovers her heritage. This is a compelling book, and although it isn't what I would usually pick up, I really enjoyed it. I read it very quickly, over a weekend. and my Mum has snagged it to read next. I can't say too much more without spoiling the novel's secrets, but it was a great read, and easy - so perfect for a lazy day or a holiday at the beach. <b> </b><br />
<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Throne-of-Glass/9781408832332/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Throne-of-Glass/9781408832332/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>Throne of Glass </i>- Sarah J. Maas</a></b><br />
Celaena Sardothien is an assassin (of a very high calibre), and is co-opted into participating in a challenge to be the King's Champion by his son, Prince Dorian. There were many things that were supposed to be thrilling and dangerous in this book, but I struggled to finish it because the writing was terrible, and the plot/characters were simply boring. The old adage of 'show not tell' was clearly not told to this author because the entire book was a litany of telling the reader how wonderful, attractive, dangerous, clever, knowledgeable, and sexy the main character was. I couldn't stand the fact that most of the things had the potential to be very very interesting (the loss of magic in the world, an older form of runes and wards that were still accessible, the mysterious past of Celaena, histories of the different cultures interacting in the king's court) were glossed over in favour of having Celaena having to cope with both the prince and the captain of the guard fawning over her, and attempt to get into her pants, skipping over the action scenes in favour of talking about how great Celaena's assassin skills are, and her paltry friendship with someone who clearly is more than she seems. I was most infuriated when the author attempted to describe one or two of the tests that the potential king's champions were put through, and then the next paragraph was some seriously lazy writing - it started with some variation of "over the next week there were two more tests, both of which went well". If you're going to neglect to describe the tests, then don't bother to mention them. Most of the exciting action happens off-page and is mentioned in conversations after the fact by the characters, and what does happen on-page is clumsily written and attempts to tell the reader what happened and what to think, rather than showing the reader the events and allowing them to draw their own conclusions.<br />
I have heard that the further into the series you get, the better the books get. But I don't know that I can force myself to read anymore as this first book is very very painful (as my workmate can attest to as she was forced to listen to my wrath after just about every page). Do not read. Or read at your own risk. 1/10, and it only gets the one as there are glimmers of hope. Urgh. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: right;">*PR sample and affiliate links. </span><br />
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There you go folks, some seriously great books to check out, and one to avoid at all costs. Let me know if you've read any of these, and what you thought! Feel free to make friends with me on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7037556-louisa" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>if you want to keep up with what I'm reading.<br />
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Until next time ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-73577709667962369082016-03-07T11:54:00.003+13:002016-03-07T11:54:23.506+13:00February EmptiesKia Ora!<br />
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It's the empties time of the month! I look forward to this part, as I finally get to throw away all the things I've been busy using up and collecting. It's quite cathartic. Check out all the things I used up this month, there's some neat products in there! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRA7hd49O7D0mbdVf4E7X9sWZxcYAUllLYWpRrXIC9s_MREjIRko6stvceV2aNCK-u3l42_BqTnF2VJQJTupBoEdJUT8q4RUnKso1GR7a4S9UZaVvxxNehO1zBE1bQ6kUJZDMtpM1kL4/s1600/IMG_4027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRA7hd49O7D0mbdVf4E7X9sWZxcYAUllLYWpRrXIC9s_MREjIRko6stvceV2aNCK-u3l42_BqTnF2VJQJTupBoEdJUT8q4RUnKso1GR7a4S9UZaVvxxNehO1zBE1bQ6kUJZDMtpM1kL4/s640/IMG_4027.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That looks like quite a few products ... let's see what exactly they all are!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOuYGotPMJR8UsiCVY_-YxuSg662TzfRqcXZ0yXz02OcjMIerXcgaYKsIc95uaOaQGvXbSU4kKf1eSle8j3DyyreW0jBvYtwr_2Zjo2x-fPqh9FK2JPhvsrsDb9W1Ss59Hd1qwn2_wAs/s1600/IMG_4028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOuYGotPMJR8UsiCVY_-YxuSg662TzfRqcXZ0yXz02OcjMIerXcgaYKsIc95uaOaQGvXbSU4kKf1eSle8j3DyyreW0jBvYtwr_2Zjo2x-fPqh9FK2JPhvsrsDb9W1Ss59Hd1qwn2_wAs/s640/IMG_4028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Swisspers Make-Up Pads</b><br />
I grabbed these at New Years when I was on holiday and forgot to take my usual ones with me. I love the Swisspers cotton pads, they are reliable and decent quality. Basically they don't fall apart and don't soak up too much product when I'm using them. I'll happily repurchase these if I need cotton pads again.<br />
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<b>Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes</b><br />
I've been using face wipes a lot recently. I've been a bit lazy in my usual skincare routine, and have been using these instead of a cleanser more than I would like to admit. I love these wipes, they clean my face quite well and leave it a little moisturised too. I don't wear makeup so can't speak about those properties, but as a basic skin cleanser it's great. <b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv3IoGhvC0BxcrlqnGVcONj4LBeDUkZGYnW8l0KX-SBpNstUd4BwxooXVLiZ0Hh5aAmT4svV3QxvRsVGydQ1EYvN2KxoVXz31pe28ZCoFqAyCOlq2raKyM8lSMsS9nJjgxU6K6CZYU7g/s1600/IMG_4029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv3IoGhvC0BxcrlqnGVcONj4LBeDUkZGYnW8l0KX-SBpNstUd4BwxooXVLiZ0Hh5aAmT4svV3QxvRsVGydQ1EYvN2KxoVXz31pe28ZCoFqAyCOlq2raKyM8lSMsS9nJjgxU6K6CZYU7g/s640/IMG_4029.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Mata Natural Aloe Vera Gel for sunburn</b><br />
This gel is something I picked up in Thailand 5 years ago, but haven't used a heck of a lot since. I try pretty hard not to get sunburn, and I'm impressed about how long this lasted. I love using aloe vera for those rare occasions I do get burnt, and this was a great product. I don't know that I'd ever be able to find it again, but if I do I'm more than happy to buy it again!<br />
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<b>Tocca Body Wash</b><br />
This was a sample product from a Bonjour Jolie box last year. It was a nice body wash, this size lasted for 3 weeks or so, and the scent was great. It was a light, fresh, citrus scent and I quite liked it. I assume this is an American brand that I probably won't find easily here, but it's a neat product if you can get your hands on it.<br />
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<b>Linden Leaves Fig Liquorice Cream Wash</b><br />
I hated this product (you may be able to tell since it's still 75% full). The body cream/wash is fine - it lathers well, leaves you clean and not stripped of moisture, etc etc. The thing I can't stand is the scent. It's not pleasant, and neither my fiance or I could stand it. It smells like bad laundry detergent. Blergh. <b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9mAEsTVTqU0VOWP54AkKnFH4XmXQ426UNsvZrP3SnphkHImQxiezpUqHCVj1VuesQakC2hqTullo265Tf_bzjmvJvxGQz0Slov2285emEcSPYCbCbuGCG0Tc4JGtJev4NGM9SydLLzg/s1600/IMG_4030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9mAEsTVTqU0VOWP54AkKnFH4XmXQ426UNsvZrP3SnphkHImQxiezpUqHCVj1VuesQakC2hqTullo265Tf_bzjmvJvxGQz0Slov2285emEcSPYCbCbuGCG0Tc4JGtJev4NGM9SydLLzg/s640/IMG_4030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner</b><br />
I grabbed these when I was in <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/11/australia-haul.html" target="_blank">Australia </a>in October last year. I love them! They left my hair feeling soft and totally hydrated. Honestly, I don't think it's ever felt better. It looks soft and shiny and I am a little sad that I've finished these. Not least because the coconut scent is fantastic! However I have a huge line up of other shampoo and conditioners to use, so as awesome as these are I won't be able to repurchase for awhile. <b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsD29j0adP0G8DEWs8n3gvvX_pnbm-9J6BiSx_eMh-iAxh0ultyEaIZYgQIJaO2PiIB76h255GhaiC4JG9AMLWYWmwP9lRWlUqWOGA6UiZnYZNEV_wLcUkDQWS0DwmuEBkq_33Gteu-oE/s1600/IMG_4031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsD29j0adP0G8DEWs8n3gvvX_pnbm-9J6BiSx_eMh-iAxh0ultyEaIZYgQIJaO2PiIB76h255GhaiC4JG9AMLWYWmwP9lRWlUqWOGA6UiZnYZNEV_wLcUkDQWS0DwmuEBkq_33Gteu-oE/s640/IMG_4031.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Queen Helene Pomegranate & Raspberry Scrub</b><br />
This is something I grabbed from <a href="http://www.iherb.com/queen-helene-pomegranate-raspberry-scrub-6-oz-170-g/56101?rcode=tst433" target="_blank">iHerb </a>and I think this bottle lasted me a good 5-6 months. I really enjoyed using it, as it was a good combination of scrubby particles that leaves your face feeling great. I didn't notice any irritation at all, and my face felt very soft and smooth after using this scrub. I also noticed that any moisturisers, serums, and essences I applied after using this scrub would sink in quicker, and my skin looked visibly smoother. I have a few other facial scrubs to try out, but I would happily repurchase this in the future!<br />
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<b>Oasis Beauty Berry Brightening Tonic</b><br />
I've used about 3 of these toners in the last couple of years. Every time I'm looking for a new toner, I can't keep myself from treating myself with this one. I love this toner, I've called it my holy grail product in the past and I stick by that. It visibly brightens my skin, helps to fade red marks, and leaves my skin a lot healthier than when I use other toners. I can't say enough good things about this toner (and other Oasis Beauty products honestly). I haven't repurchased yet as I have some other toners I want to try out but I already miss this toner.<br />
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<b>Oasis Beauty Beauty Sleep Night Cream (sample)</b><br />
I've had this sample that came with an order last year. Oasis Beauty were selling cheap versions of the full size last month because they added too much chamomile, and so I jumped on the deal. I used the sample up first, and this cream is flipping awesome! This tiny pot lasted nearly two weeks, and I love this cream. It has wonderful ingredients in it, smells herbally (in a good way), and feels great to apply as a final layer of my skincare routine at night. I'm using a full size at the moment, but I can recommend this for a great night cream!<b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQect_dxBuqTfpzdEzYyGtkosFsQjtScdlOfqew03eqkquDd-CZK8jx-NNM0-69ZzvgX9OdyDp5Qnjj4OLnqttr0smpQxX6yenrPkzZzewUHQnduyfSLN31lsoHFdnsO4PqDCMqP-RGY/s1600/IMG_4032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQect_dxBuqTfpzdEzYyGtkosFsQjtScdlOfqew03eqkquDd-CZK8jx-NNM0-69ZzvgX9OdyDp5Qnjj4OLnqttr0smpQxX6yenrPkzZzewUHQnduyfSLN31lsoHFdnsO4PqDCMqP-RGY/s640/IMG_4032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Bossy Cosmetics Cookie Dough Scrub - Raspberry Shortcake, and Vanilla</b><br />
I've mentioned my current love of body scrubs, and I got these in my recent Bossy haul. They were pretty awesome scrubs, gave a deep cleanse and left skin soft and hydrated. They both smelled pretty good, and were easy to use. These aren't the best smelling scrubs that Bossy do, so I won't buy these again, but they are a good decent scrub.<br />
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<b>Atom Coffee Body Scrub</b><br />
This was a sample from a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/flora-and-fauna-summer-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Flora and Fauna box</a>, and it's such a nice coffee scrub. This packet was enough for one full-body scrub, and it was perfect for one morning when I was finding it hard to wake up. I love using coffee scrubs during those difficult mornings when I can't quite get on top of the day. This one smelled like coffee and orange. My skin was soft, moisturised, and smelled lovely. I'd be keen to find more of it, and will keep an eye out in the future!<b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1elGKLNI8VtltQxnDMyqQX2CfvFMUofQwvYvJuODE7ptLoZVD5Uu8RCXX4HjXiSZjWJvcoDBGIUS9YFpnp0rlAdu7_-OgC080qjlbaj1uTcDTD8zdAassoaY2-yIb0rxdqU6FsTNCOQk/s1600/IMG_4033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1elGKLNI8VtltQxnDMyqQX2CfvFMUofQwvYvJuODE7ptLoZVD5Uu8RCXX4HjXiSZjWJvcoDBGIUS9YFpnp0rlAdu7_-OgC080qjlbaj1uTcDTD8zdAassoaY2-yIb0rxdqU6FsTNCOQk/s640/IMG_4033.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Appelles Apothecary Soap Bar</b><br />
This is from a subscription box from a couple of years ago. My fiance used this and the following are his thoughts: It was ok, I enjoyed that one. It seemed to have cumin seeds in it. The only problem was it disappeared too quickly, and I wish it had lasted longer as I quite enjoyed it. <br />
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<b>Fortune Cookie Soap What's This Lip Scrub </b><br />
This was from a 12 Days of Christmas box that was released specially last year. I love Fortune Cookie Soap products (it's my favourite subscription box) and this was a neat lip scrub. I could talk about the scrub itself, but to be honest, it smelt so great (and tasted awesome) I ended up eating it rather than using it properly. Ooops.<br />
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<b>Urban Decay Perversian Mascara</b><br />
I loved using this sample! It started to dry up and clump so I've chucked it out, but it's a great mascara. I don't often use makeup, so I can't give a proper review of this product other than to say this: it made my lashed look great, long and black, and wasn't too hard to get off. I quite like it, and would repurchase but I have several other mascaras to try out first.<br />
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That's it folks. Most of the things I used up in February were really good products, and you can see that my obsession with body scrubs is still going strong. I have already finished another one, so keep an eye out for March empties if you want to see more empty body scrubs (or anything else I use up).<br />
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Until next time ...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-2882803579395753942016-03-02T16:34:00.000+13:002016-03-02T16:34:18.826+13:00Tea ReviewKia Ora!<br />
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Hi everyone. I have been taking a bit of a mental health break from blogging recently (nothing to do with you lovely readers, just some things happening behind the scenes that were a bit stressful). Now I'm back, with plenty of plans for posts to catch up on and awesome things to talk about.<br />
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Today I'm here with a review of a brand new tea company. <a href="https://statentea.nz/comingsoon.html">Staten Tea</a> have just opened their doors in New Zealand, and were generous enough to provide me with a packet of their Black tea to review. Any excuse to drink copious amounts of tea is wonderful for me, and I took full advantage of this offer.<br />
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<a href="https://statentea.nz/comingsoon.html">Staten Tea</a> is a strong, unblended black tea. It originates from the Nilgiri Mountains in Southern India. It has the grading 'Broken Orange Pekoe' and if you don't know what that means then this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_leaf_grading">Wikipedia page</a> will blow your mind (seriously it was really interesting). Basically this tea is a medium-grade black tea.<br />
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I have had this tea at work with me this week, and I've been drinking 4-5 cups a day. Which is a lot. I'm seriously enjoying this tea. It's a bit more fiddly than a tea bag, and you have to measure out the tea and use a tea ball, but it's worth it. This is a great basic blend of black tea. It's perfect for early mornings, and you can drink it throughout the day. I love a really strong cup of tea first thing in the morning, and this fits the bill. I have it a bit weaker throughout the day, and it still tastes great. The tea also tastes a lot fresher than generic tea bags (Bell, Dilmah, and the like). </div>
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The packaging - I quite like it. The foil packet should keep the tea fresher than a jar or plastic packet, and the resealable top is wonderful! It's also a great size and should last 3-4 weeks (I hope).<br />
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The information on the back gives an awesome insight into the people who work at Staten Tea. They clearly have a sense of humour, and a great friendship. The only slightly funny thing is the measurements given on the packet. It took me awhile to register that there is 100g of tea in the packet (it's phrased as '0.1kg'), and in the instructions on how to brew the tea it is listed as .25L of water rather than 250mls or a cup. This, to me, is an odd way of phrasing it, but honestly doesn't affect the quality of the tea or the brew that I can make with it.<br />
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Overall, I am quite liking this tea. It's not the best tea I've ever ever tried, but it's a decent, high-quality black tea that is very enjoyable. My only advice would be not to over brew it, as I did to start with and it was very strong. Although if that's the kind of brew you love then this tea is flexible enough to be able to handle that.<br />
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Thank you to<a href="https://statentea.nz/comingsoon.html" target="_blank"> Staten Tea</a> for letting me try out and review their tea before release date, and I can't wait to see what else they have up their sleeves.<br />
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Until next time ...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-66818296068796718412016-02-16T09:16:00.000+13:002016-02-16T09:16:33.873+13:00GemBox reviewKia Ora!<br />
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Over the weekend I was lucky enough to attend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/talkbeautynz/">Talk Beauty NZ</a>, and part of the goodie bag was a Gem Box! I've been aware of Gem Box for a couple of years now, and have really liked some of the jewellery pieces that they've brought out.<br />
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<a href="http://gembox.co.nz/">Gem Box</a> is a monthly jewellery subscription, that includes 2-4 pieces in each box and is $39 (including shipping). There are four types of boxes (and you can find out your style by taking the <a href="http://gembox.co.nz/style-quiz/">quiz</a>): Vintage Glam, Urban Edge, Classic Chic, and Boho Love. Each box is different, but promises to have approximately a $75 value. Gem Box also offer a return service for any piece that you aren't happy with (for store credit).<br />
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Each Gem Box comes in this neat slide-out box, and the pieces are nestled in the black fabric. The one I grabbed was the Urban Edge variation, and I'm keen to show you what I got inside of it!<br />
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The first thing in my one is a set of three hair-ties. I've seen these kinds of hair ties around before (and they can be used as bracelets too I think), and they look comfortable as well as styly. I've been using the black one for the last few days, and it is really great at holding up a ponytail, doesn't slip out, and doesn't rip out my hair when I try to remove it. Yay!<br />
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These <a href="http://gembox.co.nz/product/antique-statement-earrings/">earrings</a> are cute, but not my style. To be fair I picked a random box off the pile at the Talk Beauty NZ event, so it wasn't exactly tailored to my personal style. They are cute, and would be perfect for someone that loves vintage-esque pieces, but I don't tend to wear earrings very often. They are worth $29 according to the Gem Box shop, and feel like a decent quality piece though so a great addition to someone's Gem Box.<br />
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I am seriously in love with this bag! I've been looking for a cute leather bag, just big enough for my phone and a lippy, for ages. I used this one when going out for Valentine's day, and it was perfect. I love the chain, I love the closure, I wasn't too keen on the studs to start but they have grown on me. The only thing I wish was that it was silver or brass coloured metal, but the gold colour is nice too. I am so lucky to have gotten this bag, and I can't wait to use it more! It's worth $34 in the <a href="http://gembox.co.nz/product/stud-cross-body-bag/">Gem Box shop</a>, and they have a silver version available.<br />
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Overall, I'm ecstatic that I had the chance to try out this Gem Box, and I gained at least 2 items that I'm really happy with. I am seriously thinking about subscribing to this box now, and kicking myself for not doing that at this time last year! This box was great quality (and good value too), and I'm sure the service itself is just as good quality.<br />
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Until next time ...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-32267684737777355952016-02-12T18:18:00.003+13:002016-02-12T18:18:47.799+13:00Fortune Cookie Soap Spring Soap Box 2016Kia Ora!<br />
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My favourite subscription box arrived! I love the scents and products that are included in the Fortune Cookie Soap subscription boxes. They are a little expensive with the exchange rate right now, but I think it's worth it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.fortunecookiesoap.com/pages/the-soap-box" target="_blank">Fortune Cookie Soap Box</a> is
a box that comes out seasonally, so every three months. For
international it costs $34USD for each box. However you get a $10USD
code with each box to use on their website, which is an awesome bonus.<br />
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I've received the <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/fortune-cookie-soap-box-fall-soap-box.html" target="_blank">Fall </a>, <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/fortune-cookie-soap-summer-soap-box-2015.html" target="_blank">Summer </a>, and <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/fortune-cookie-soap-winter-box-2015.html">Winter</a> boxes, and won't be stopping anytime soon.<br /><br />
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It looks so bright! And smells amazing. I can't wait to dive in! </div>
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The card with all the specific scent information.<br />
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<b>Guardian of the Forest Fortune Cookie Soap</b><br />
I love these soaps. Confession: I haven't actually used any yet, but I love smelling them all. This one smells a little bit like lemon, but it's not my favourite scent. <br />
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<b>Disco Tree Whipped Cream</b><br />
This product is in every box, and it's one of the best moisturisers I've ever used. It is always light, and sinks into the skin almost instantly. This one smells like berries and flowers, and is a great scent combination. I've also found that the scents in this product stick around for hours after you use it (which is awesome if you love the scent). <b> </b> <br />
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<b>Paradise Found Petal Perfume</b><br />
Yumm, I can't get enough of this perfume. It's a tiny roll-on perfume, which is a wonderful way to dispense the product. It's a florally sweet perfume, and smells fantastic. I love being able to pop this on my pulse points and breathe in the scent. The petals inside the bottle are a neat touch too!<b> </b> <br />
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<b>One C Cuticle Oil</b><br />
I'm not really into cuticles, or nail things. I probably should do more nail care, but I just can't find the motivation. I did try this out, and didn't like having the oil sit on my fingers for ages. It did make my cuticles softer, and my nails looked a bit healthier (as much as they can from one use). The scent is patchouli and vanilla, which is nice but not my favourite. I'm going to pass this on, but if you're into nails you might like to check it out. <br />
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<b>This Thing? OCD Hand Sanitizer</b><br />
I'm obsessed with the hand sanitizer's from FCS. I have one in my bag, one on my desk at work, one on my desk at home ... You get the point. I love that these clean my hands and leave them smelling great! This one smells like vanilla and fresh flowers, and I love it!<b> </b> <br />
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<b>Oh Hair Shampoo Bar</b><br />
I don't tend to use solid shampoo, and I have a huge backlog to use, but I want to use this one now! It's the best scent in the box (to me) and I seriously can't get enough of it. Peach, grapefruit, and thyme is the scent description on the card; for me it's very nearly the perfect scent!<b> </b> <br />
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<b>In-Organic Shower Steamer</b><br />
I had one of these in the first FCS box I got, but I thought it was a bath bomb and gave it away. I'm really happy to see another one so I can actually try it out this time. Keep an eye on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/intrepidforays/">Instagram</a>, as I'm loving posting things there. <br />
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<b>Unless ... Pedi-Bomb</b><br />
Hmmm, something new and different for me. I haven't really gotten into foot spas, but I have a bucket that I can use and will give this a go. It won't be fancy, but I'll have fun trying it (although maybe not while this heat is going on in Auckland). This was a bit munched in the packet, but that won't matter if I'm going to dissolve it anyway.<br />
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And that's the box. I love 5-6 out of the 8 products, and don't hate anything. That's always a win with a subscription box. I can't wait to use some of the products, and the perfume is already a daily staple.<br />
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What do you think of the <a href="http://www.fortunecookiesoap.com/pages/the-soap-box">box</a>? Which product do you want to try out?<br />
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Until next time ...<b> </b> <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-54590870715395600002016-02-10T19:22:00.000+13:002016-02-10T19:22:02.979+13:00January EmptiesKia Ora!<br />
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Last week was a little quiet because I was busy organising my engagement party! Unfortunately it meant that the blog suffered a little, for which I'm really sorry. I have been trying to keep up with social media and am posting on my <a href="http://instagram.com/intrepidforays">Instagram </a>daily, so follow me there for updates.<br />
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I love reading empties blog posts, and I managed to finish so many things in January! It must have been a bit of a fluke, but most things were awesome so how can I not talk about them all?<br />
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<b>Nivea In-Shower Smooth Lotion</b><br />
I got this over a year ago in a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2014/12/beauty-review-beauty-box-first.html">Beauty Review box</a>, and it has been sitting in the bottom of my shower for the last 6 months. It was a reasonable lotion, I quite liked the novelty of putting it on while I was in the shower. Where this product turned bad was the packaging. By the time I was 2/3 of the way through, it was very difficult to squeeze out. The plastic is almost too hard to squeeze at the bottom, and so I had to have my fiance help me get it out of the bottle. Not ideal!<br />
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<b>BeeKind Body Lotion</b><br />
This was a sample in a Bonjour Jolie box, and I love it. The packaging is cute, and you just rip the top off to open it. It smells divine, and is a thin lotion that sinks in really quickly. Love it!<br />
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<b>Beekman Fresh Air Lotion</b><br />
I used the shower gel companion of this lotion during December, and wasn't too fussed with it. However the lotion is awesome, sinks in and moisturises really well. It smells nicer in lotion form too, with a light fresh scent. Yum!<br />
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<b>The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Butter</b><br />
I'm so excited to have used this up. I've never finished a full-size body butter before, because those suckers are huge! This is one of my favourite scents (and I<a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/haul-innisfree-bossy-cosmetics-body-shop.html"> bought the body spray</a> when it was stocked last year). The formula of the body butters is awesome, really thick and perfect for dry skin. I also used this to give my fiance a massage one time, and it worked alright - not as good as oils or massage bars from Lush, but enough to help his sore leg muscles. I have about 50 million more body butters from The Body Shop to work through, but I love them so it's rather exciting. Keep an eye out for other flavours in future empties.<br />
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<b>Butterfly Party Soap Bath and Shower Whip - CandyLand</b><br />
I love the formula of these shower whips. They are easy to scoop, lather up well, leave you sparkling clean, and the scent lingers for a few hours. It's great! This scent was very sweet, and isn't my absolute favourite but it is nice. It reminded me a bit of Snow Fairy from Lush.<br />
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<b>The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel</b><br />
Another great product. These are a bit more expensive than supermarket shower gels, but they are great. The scents are wonderful (and I did enjoy the Mango one), this bottle lasted a couple of months, it lathers up well and cleans you perfectly, and it even leaves your skin feeling moisturised. I also have a few more of these to work through, but I would repurchase in the future.<br />
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<b>Tosowoong Body Scrub Wash</b><br />
I got this in a Memebox in 2014 I think. It's a reasonable product. It has small scrubby particles, so it doesn't give a deep scrub, but it also lathers well. It smells nice, but the scent doesn't linger. Basically, it's decent but nothing special.<br />
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<b>Bossy Cosmetics Tutti Fruiti Emulsified Scrub</b><br />
I got this recently in my<a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/brand-review-bossy-cosmetics.html"> Bossy Cosmetics haul,</a> and absolutely adore it (clearly since I used it up so fast). The combination of oils and larger sugar scrub particles is wonderful, leaving you with very soft and smooth skin. I loved the scent too, it was sweet and fruity. The chia seeds on top didn't do a lot but are a novel touch. I can't wait to buy some more of this (once I've used up all my other <a href="http://www.bossycosmetics.com/?ref=weesa13">Bossy </a>scrubs). I highly recommend this one, and if you want to buy some yourself head over to the <a href="http://www.bossycosmetics.com/?ref=weesa13">website</a>!<br />
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<b>Etude House My Beauty Tool</b><br />
I've mentioned before how much I love these cotton pads. To recap, soft, sturdy, wonderful. I'm in the process of getting some more as this was my last packet.<br />
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<b>Swisspers Cucumber Facial Cleansing Wipes</b><br />
I love these face wipes. I use them when I'm too lazy to use a proper cleanser (which is more often than I'd like to admit). These ones smell fresh and cucumber-y. They are soft and wonderful. I didn't use them to take off makeup so I can't comment on that but I loved using them for cleansing. I have another packet in stock, but I can highly recommend them and will repurchase later in the year.<br />
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<b>Fortune Cookie Soap OCD Hand Sanitzer - Glitz and Glamour</b><br />
This is from one of my <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/fortune-cookie-soap-box-fall-soap-box.html">Fortune Cookie Soap</a> boxes (which are expensive but amazing). I love the OCD hand sanitzers from FCS, as they smell amazing, clean your hands, and moisturise them. This one smelt delicious, all warm notes with a hint of spice and musk - I know I'm terrible at scent descriptions but this was truly delicious. <br />
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<b>Milky Dress Pink Lovely Fast Shampoo</b><br />
What a name. This is a Korean shampoo that I got from one Memebox or another. It was a pink liquid inside, and you didn't need much to get a good lather going. This was a pretty decent shampoo, although I did find I needed to use a lot of conditioner afterwards. It left my hair shiny and smooth, and lasted for ages too! I don't think I'll repurchase as I have about 6 shampoo/conditioner sets stocked up, but I did enjoy it and would recommend.<br />
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<b>Appelles Tamanu Conditioner</b><br />
Oh look, some conditioner without the matching shampoo (which is still in my shower). These were awesome. I got them from Violet Box, and have been trying to use up some of my samples. These smelled herbal, and were great for conditioning. I did like them, but only got 1.5 uses from each bottle. It was enough to realise I like this brand though so that was good.<br />
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<b>Nimue Purifier</b><br />
This was a spot treatment, and I found it worked a treat. It lasted for over a year as you only needed a tiny bit each time you used it. I liked that it seemed to immediately help with any trouble spots on my face. I haven't found anything to replace this yet, and would welcome recommendations!<br />
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<b>Jeju Hallabong Peeling Toner</b><br />
This was a neat toner, although it didn't seem to have any particularly special effects. It did fade red spots a little faster, and smelt like citrus. Otherwise, a bit meh.<br />
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<b>Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence</b><br />
I've been through several bottles of this in the last 18 months. I love it to bits. It helps smooth out my skintone, fading spots, and being a generally great product to use. Some people have had problems with Benton products, particularly as they don't use chemicals to prolong their life, but I've never had any problems. I keep this in the fridge to help with that, and it makes it awesome to put on on hot days too. I've talked about it before <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/empties-june-2015.html">here </a>and <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/empties-february-2015.html">here </a>if you want to know more.<br />
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<b>Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Mask</b><br />
This was just a sample size, but it was perfect for 1-2 masks. I think I left it too long though and it had gone off by the time I used it. It didn't give bad results, just didn't work properly. I won't say anything else because of that, and otherwise it would be an unfair review because of user error.<br />
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<b>Bossy Cosmetics Clay Cleanser</b><br />
Another Bossy product, and this one just as good. This was a solid clay cleanser, and it was awesome! It lasted for months and months (I honestly thought it would never end), and was wonderful. It was easy to use, left my face soft, clean, and feeling moisturised. It was easy to put on (just rub the bar all over your face), and to wash off. It doubles as a mask if you leave it on a bit longer. I honestly had great results with this product, and can't wait to buy some more.<br />
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<b>Nivea Men Clear Effect Volcanic Mud Foam Face Wash</b><br />
Review from my fiance: It smelled nice, went on easily and wasn't too gritty. Some products feel like they tear up your face, but this one was nice to use. It didn't dry out my skin too much, but worked well with a moisturiser afterwards. It cleans well. Would buy again!<br />
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Well, there you have it. A super long post for January. Lots of great products though, and I'm sad to see most of them go. Keep an eye out next week for a 'Products I want to use up in 2016' post (very late of course), and February empties isn't too far away either. </div>
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Did you use up anything interesting in January? </div>
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Until next time ...</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-38466678731301622102016-01-28T12:55:00.000+13:002016-01-28T12:55:46.118+13:00Brand review - WineFriendKia Ora!<br />
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Who loves wine? I know I do! I found this subscription by <a href="https://www.winefriend.co.nz/">WineFriend </a>on Facebook (I think), and immediately jumped on it. I hate trying to buy wine in the supermarket, I end up buying the one either with the best discount, or with the most awards on the bottle. Not the best way to choose. I love the idea that someone else will pick my wine, and I just have to drink it. You may have seen me on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/intrepidforays/photos/pb.816872291739171.-2207520000.1452563027./954561674636898/?type=3&theater">Facebook </a>and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAWbLdXpdkn/?taken-by=intrepidforays">Instagram</a> enjoying the bottles that were chosen for me. (Disclaimer right from the outset: I spent my own money on this, and was not sent anything for free. I was treated as any other customer). My partner and I ordered this subscription to share, and as we have different taste preferences there may be some things we disagree on - which makes things a little more interesting.<br />
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<u>How does the subscription work:</u><br />
<a href="https://www.winefriend.co.nz/how-it-works">Firstly</a>, fill in a survey about your tastebuds. Then sign up for a subscription. You can choose 5 red and 1 white, or 3 red and 3 white, or 5 white and 1 red. I chose 5 white because I'm a big fan of white wine, and do not really enjoy red wine.<br />
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Next choose your <a href="https://www.winefriend.co.nz/pricing">price range </a>- $99 per month (or per two months) for Easy Everyday, $149 for the Treat Yourself option, and $249 for the Icons and Innovators. We picked the $99 option, as we aren't connoisseurs, and also not filthy rich. This option works out to be about $16.50 a bottle, which is about what we would spend at the supermarket anyway. You can have your wine delivered monthly, or bi-monthly. I chose bi-monthly to start with as I wasn't sure how fast we would drink it. (I've since changed to monthly, because we drank all the wine quite quickly).<br />
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Last of all pick a delivery location. I've chosen to get mine delivered to my work, as it must be signed for (by someone over the age of 18). This worked out very easily, as it was delivered just about to my desk! I ordered just before Christmas, and <a href="https://www.winefriend.co.nz/">WineFriend </a>was able to change the date of delivery by a few days so I could get it when I needed (and didn't miss out because of the holidays). Even before delivery I was impressed with the customer service.<br />
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The wine came packaged in a sturdy cardboard box. It was easy to carry, although heavy, and I had no trouble getting it home. There are tags around the neck of each bottle, with notes about the wine and it's winemaker. It's a great way to know more about the wine and where it came from!<br />
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There was a card included that shows you how to rate the wine, how to taste and a few other tips about wine and the WineFriend service. It also had a handwritten note, which is a neat touch!<br />
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This is an example of the neck label that each bottle had. These neck labels have some tasting notes for each wine, as well as a little bit about the winemaker, and the winery. It was interesting to know a little more, and things that won't normally be printed on the bottle. It made the service seem a bit more personal.<br />
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One bottle is included as a "wild card" - something outside of your comfort zone and is designed to expand your palate. This Vin Gris was our wild card, and continue on to see what I thought about it (I'm not going to do tasting notes as I'm rubbish at identifying flavours in wine, but will give other thoughts on the bottles).<br />
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<b>Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2012</b><br />
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I'm not a red wine fan, but this bottle surprised me. I loved it! I put it on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAteEGiJdsD/?taken-by=intrepidforays">Instagram </a>as soon as we opened it, and ended up drinking the whole bottle that night (shared with my partner) because it was so good! I was surprised to see a cork, and we had a bit of a mad scramble to find a corkscrew, but it was worth it! When smelling the wine I could smell the tannin's, but I couldn't taste them as strongly as in other red wine I've tried.<br />
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<b>Blackenbrook Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2015</b><br />
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I'm a huge fan of Savvy Blanc's, so I was excited to see two bottles in my case. It's usually the type of wine I order at restaurants (that or bubbly). This bottle was ... ok. It wasn't bad, but I felt like saying "I've had better". It was still a nice wine, but not entirely to my tastes, although I can't explain exactly why. I didn't decide to do a wrap up review like this until after we were three bottles into the case, so I don't have detailed notes about it unfortunately.<br />
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<b>Caythorpe Family Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015</b><br />
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Honestly, I don't remember drinking this one. It was around Christmas time, when there was a LOT of wine flowing. It didn't stand out to me, in good or bad ways, so I can't really say much. Sorry guys, I was on holiday and clearly not concentrating on anything but actually drinking the wine ...<br />
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<b>Leveret IQ Premium Brut NV</b><br />
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Bubbles are my favourite kind of wine, so I was pretty sure I would like this bottle, and I did. My partner wasn't a fan of this one, so I had the whole bottle to myself (score!). It wasn't sweet at all, which I quite liked, and tasted great. My usual go-to with bubbles is to order whatever my aunt orders (when we are out, and she knows what tastes good), or to just buy a bottle of Lindauer. Not the most sophisticated of wine drinkers, but this was great!<br />
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<b>Wairau River Malborough Rose 2015</b><br />
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I like rose, sometimes. Often it tastes too much like red wine, but this was a great bottle. I liked the blend and we drank it pretty quickly. I think we had it before Christmas, and it was the first one we opened. After trying some, my partner and I looked at each other, and promptly decided that this was a great service, and we would be getting lots more wine from <a href="https://winefriend.co.nz/">Winefriend</a>!<br />
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<b>Quest Farm Alpino Central Otago Vin Gris 2014</b><br />
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I wasn't sure at all about this bottle when I saw it. White wine made with red wine grapes. Hmmm. But once we opened it (at my partner's birthday BBQ and promptly posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAWbLdXpdkn/?taken-by=intrepidforays">Instagram</a>) I couldn't help but love it. It had a bit of a different flavour - which for the life of me I can't describe - but it went down a treat. We did share this one with family members, and everyone seemed to love it so it was clearly a great pick.<br />
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One of the best things about this service, is the feedback form. It's located in your account on their website, and is simple to use. You type the brand, type or any key word into the search bar, and click on the right wine when it pops up. Then you can rate it with a happy smiley face, a medium face, or a sad face. There is also an ability to write comments (which you can see I've used a couple of times above). I love that this is an option, and that it will help tailor future wine deliveries more towards my tastes. Be aware though that if you share a subscription (like my partner and I), then there will be long discussions about which kind of face each bottle warrants. My partner would have preferred a 5- or 10-step rating system for more accuracy (he's an engineer and all about accuracy).<br />
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And that's the subscription. I truly enjoyed getting some delicious wine, without the stress of wondering if the wine was any good. Despite not liking (or remembering) every bottle that came in the case, I can say that each bottle was of a better quality than what I usually buy. I experienced types of wine that I would never try on my own, and loved some of them a lot more than expected.<br />
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Some of the best things about this subscription:<br />
<ul>
<li>Price is reasonable (price per bottle is about what I'd pay at the supermarket).</li>
<li>Delivery to you at work - no fear of the case being stolen or left in the sun.</li>
<li>Wine is great quality!</li>
<li>They tailor your wine to your taste profile.</li>
<li>There is room for your feedback! </li>
<li>You will step outside your comfort zone. </li>
<li>Neck tags that tell you a bit more about the wine/winery/winemaker.</li>
</ul>
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There are some other awesome things that <a href="https://winefriend.co.nz/">WineFriend </a>offer (which I haven't had to try out yet). One of these is a refund/replacement of wine if you really hate it, as they want to send you wines that suit <u>you</u> specifically. To this end the feedback will hopefully increase the ability to match wine to individuals, and will get better over time. They will replace broken in delivery wine bottles, although with the packaging I doubt that will happen often. They also offer to sell you more of the bottles you particularly enjoy. You just have to email or call them to sort it out (and get a quote). </div>
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One thing that I think could be improved is what the customer is able to do in the 'My Account' portal. Currently you have to email or call <a href="https://winefriend.co.nz/">WineFriend </a>to update details like delivery address, type of subscription, frequency of subscription, or pausing (if you're on holiday). The customer service is excellent, so contacting the company isn't a big drama, but it would be nice/easier to be able to control some of this myself. However, this is about the only thing I could say wasn't amazing about this whole experience. <br />
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I can highly recommend <a href="https://winefriend.co.nz/">WineFriend</a>. I've loved every aspect of the experience so far, and I received my second box of wine just minutes before posting this blog post, and I can't wait to get home and try one of them out! It's hot and humid here in Auckland today, so a chilled glass of wine will be wonderful later on.<br />
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Until next time ...</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-38565083019498282382016-01-21T11:23:00.001+13:002016-01-21T11:57:30.064+13:00Brand Review - Bossy Cosmetics<div dir="ltr">
Kia Ora!<br />
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I've been drooling over the <a href="http://www.bossycosmetics.com/?ref=weesa13">Bossy Cosmetics</a> website for months now, and the new Vegan Emulsified Scrubs were just too tempting to resist. I treated myself to some of their lovely products, and wanted to share with all of you. I'm going to give a review of <a href="http://www.bossycosmetics.com/?ref=weesa13">Bossy</a>, especially the products I bought.<br />
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I opened my box (left sitting at the back door) to find four scrubs (Neopolitan, Ginger Kisses, Vanilla Whip and Salted Caramel, and Tutti Fruity), a Peppermint Bubble Bar, a lip scrub, and a Butter Balm Deoderant.<br />
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First of all, the packaging. Everything came well packaged. It was wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap, and there was no way anything would get broken. The scrubs were popped into cardboard boxes, wrapped in more bubble wrap and tissue, and sealed with a cute sticker! Each scrub had bubble wrap around it, which was helpful when one of them leaked. It kept the leakage contained, and meant it wasn't too hard to clean up.<br />
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The containers that the scrubs are in are well sized, and fit the product well. There are two different tubs that the scrubs are in. The Neopolitan and Tutti Fruitti ones have an easy snap off piece to help remove the lid. The deodorant, Ginger Kisses, and Salted Caramel scrub have a snap piece that doesn't come off and I had to use scissors so there wasn't a hunk of plastic hanging off the side. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRBZ2YVBIAppZHRxqkaTew4YqB8CjwECMe6gRUOQ7_0NUtZS-9SUoZF13UJTkTyA9xA0OG-rg_ivImXu8l-TC9x8NDIK52MWl25NrW4cHK7lqk_VF25X9eeMvO53mm2vwrMzzDLET-Z0/s1600/IMG_3136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRBZ2YVBIAppZHRxqkaTew4YqB8CjwECMe6gRUOQ7_0NUtZS-9SUoZF13UJTkTyA9xA0OG-rg_ivImXu8l-TC9x8NDIK52MWl25NrW4cHK7lqk_VF25X9eeMvO53mm2vwrMzzDLET-Z0/s640/IMG_3136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Xmas Kisses Vegan Lip Scrub*</b><br />
This is a pretty decent scrub. It has large sugar crystals (normal white sugar size) and smells great! It has quite a bit of oil in it - and unfortunately this has leaked outside of the container - but this leaves your lips moisturised as well as scrubbed. I like it, and am happy to be able to use it.<br />
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<b>Peppermint Xmas Bubble Bar*</b><br />
This smells wonderful! The peppermint scent is strong, but not overpowering. I haven't had a chance to try this out yet, as I don't have a bath. I have got plans to invade my aunt's house and take over her bathroom one weekend soon though, so I'll post a picture on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/intrepidforays/">Instagram </a>when that happens.<br />
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<b>Tutti Fruitti Vegan Emulsified Scrub*</b><br />
This scrub smells fantastic! The sugar crystals are a large size and give a wonderful deep scrub. I got 5 uses out of this tub, but I was being generous with the product. If you were stingy, or only scrubbed your legs, you could get a lot more uses out of it. It smells fruity and sweet, and the scent lasts after the shower for a couple of hours. The oils and butters in the scrub leave your skin moisturised and soft, to the point where I didn't need to use any other moisturiser for at least 12 hours afterwards. Mmmmmm, I know I'll be getting some more of this one!<br />
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<b> </b><br />
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<b>Neopolitan Vegan Emulsified Scrub*</b><br />
This is the same great product as the Tutti Frutti scrub, with a different scent. It's a hit of creamy goodness as soon as you open the tub. Yum!<b> </b><br />
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<b>Salted Caramel Scrub and Vanilla Whip Topping</b><br />
I opened this one, and was carried away by the deliciously sticky, deep scent of caramel. Salted caramel is one of my favourite things to eat/smell in the world, so I knew I would like this. The vanilla adds a sweet note, but the caramel is the overwhelming scent. It does appear to be sloppier than the Tutti Fruitti and Neopolitan, but I'm ok with that. There is sugar through both the brown and white parts, where I expected the white part to be less of a scrub. It's not a bad thing, just not what I expected.<br />
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<b> </b><br />
I think because of the great product combined with such a wonderful scent, this is my favourite shower product right now!</div>
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<b>Ginger Kisses Emulsified Scrub</b><br />
The scents get better and better in regards to these scrubs! This one smells exactly like the Ginger Kisses you can buy at the supermarket! Wafting a light ginger scent, with tons of sweet creaminess, it's so awesome to use in the shower. Drool.<br />
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<b>Butter Balm Deodorant</b><br />
This smells like lemon meringue pie. It's delicious! It's a whipped formula, and you need a pea size amount per underarm. I made the mistake of using too much to start with, and it ends up all oily and gross. But the correct amount rubs in nicely, and keeps armpits dry for hours. The scent is light, but does hang around all day. I've never used anything other than roll-on deodorant, so it's a bit of a novel experience trying this out, but I enjoy it. I don't like that my hands are a bit gross after applying it; however, applying near a sink and immediately washing my hands remedies that issue nicely. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Cookie Dough Scrub - Raspberry Shortcake and Vanilla</b><br />
These were new products released in January, and I had to make a second order to include them in this post! They are a more solid version of the emulsified scrubs above. The Vanilla one is great, you simply pinch off a bit and use it, and you need a lot less than with the emulsified scrubs. The Raspberry Shortcake one appears to have too much oil in it, and was more liquid than solid. The scent also was a bit weird, almost unfinished. It wasn't as delicious as any of the other scents, and I don't particularly like it.<br />
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<b>Vegan Chocolate Soap Bar*</b><br />
This smells AMAZING! Strawberries and cream is a great combination, and I love the way this is presented. It's tempting to want to eat these little squares, but I'm more impressed with the versatility of it. You can choose to break off one square, or several, and can use the soap as you want. It cuts down on soap sitting in the shower getting wet and dissolving!<br />
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Well, that's some impressive products. I've been saying for awhile that I'm addicted to scrubs, and when my partner told me off for having 6-8 in the shower at the same time, I realised I might have a problem. Most of those were <a href="http://www.bossycosmetics.com/?ref=weesa13">Bossy </a>scrubs, and I've been having a great time testing them all out for this post. I really love the first four scrubs in particular, they all smell amazing and I know I'll be ordering more.<br />
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Have you tried <a href="http://www.bossycosmetics.com/?ref=weesa13">Bossy </a>before?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*PR sample and affiliate links included in post. </span><br />
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Until next time ... </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-54592300657179727492016-01-19T09:25:00.001+13:002016-01-19T09:25:25.215+13:007th Heaven Chocolate Mask ReviewKia Ora!<br />
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Today I've got something a little different for you - a blog post mainly created with pictures! I wanted to show all of you readers what it looks like when I put on a face mask. I've chosen the Chocolate Mud Masque by 7th Heaven (formerly Montagne Jeunesse). I love these single use sachets, not only because they are easy to store, but also because it's the perfect size to try out a mask. I can get two uses out of each packet, so I can get a great idea of what the mask is like.<br />
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Below is a series of pictures of me putting this mask on. I use a foundation brush (I think the one I'm using is from BH Cosmetics), as I like to have an even layer all over my face. This mask is a thick one, and smells like melted chocolate. Yum! It was easy to spread, thick but smooth. It dried after 30 minutes or so, and after I washed it off my skin was soft and smooth. I loved using this mask, and will be looking for it in the shops soon!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijE09Q-rcP1cI-CR1F3Xx7nsOtAl_p2PFTjUIAwQMR-h2Tx0D_14-pZuH9_U51ViDqYYxrdgeyOSSRVbik4diZgh35BhMXN7fgPo2mkSnxOPlhzwwhrgYBueDRwmfp3Hig6du5HHOouZY/s1600/IMG_2490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijE09Q-rcP1cI-CR1F3Xx7nsOtAl_p2PFTjUIAwQMR-h2Tx0D_14-pZuH9_U51ViDqYYxrdgeyOSSRVbik4diZgh35BhMXN7fgPo2mkSnxOPlhzwwhrgYBueDRwmfp3Hig6du5HHOouZY/s640/IMG_2490.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with 7th Heaven's Chocolate Mud Masque.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae-H_nuOAcj3Lq6M4xli4jeYEraDrwL0cx42MIdxQjDLnaw1w2wtV8IErS60MwDF6Gii-XMzPMoc4dH0kfCS53TGlwbQkaLaEGJ2MCSd7S1eGZwimlw59zUbCCIyJxnax6fQIM5hnVws/s1600/IMG_2484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae-H_nuOAcj3Lq6M4xli4jeYEraDrwL0cx42MIdxQjDLnaw1w2wtV8IErS60MwDF6Gii-XMzPMoc4dH0kfCS53TGlwbQkaLaEGJ2MCSd7S1eGZwimlw59zUbCCIyJxnax6fQIM5hnVws/s640/IMG_2484.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening the packet</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsP6-9SuF63J5sSeGYXXszKrwEMG40aIMd10SPI5MSxmNhtDtnLhd9wmXbhCDW4pjx0AEBxpPFatLrvlxokYIzGl8mbK6F5kMsIwbiuxTvmVXotFYUJidEqbgAhsZIRaCylbF8X2s_g5k/s1600/IMG_2485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsP6-9SuF63J5sSeGYXXszKrwEMG40aIMd10SPI5MSxmNhtDtnLhd9wmXbhCDW4pjx0AEBxpPFatLrvlxokYIzGl8mbK6F5kMsIwbiuxTvmVXotFYUJidEqbgAhsZIRaCylbF8X2s_g5k/s640/IMG_2485.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The product in the packet</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm6RbXP59j14r0SNlpxnPxJ5gKvELTNNTsU-2OTwApMjTKNdiMZL7yJSQpSQ4GQZH90afDouUMemz5KXKHGpMZRBgkgtuHG8VuAz-Sse_ZLdgFR3wpA1SRamO3zNbatBsGmy4vxqZ4PE/s1600/IMG_2486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm6RbXP59j14r0SNlpxnPxJ5gKvELTNNTsU-2OTwApMjTKNdiMZL7yJSQpSQ4GQZH90afDouUMemz5KXKHGpMZRBgkgtuHG8VuAz-Sse_ZLdgFR3wpA1SRamO3zNbatBsGmy4vxqZ4PE/s640/IMG_2486.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Applying the first part of the mask</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-Bw_MjjmcXGrgx42fFCrVHrTf-4PEU2TP2vZ3waSQFiGCrFLmwgt27i_GUDdks05YgZIjxrVd8RiLMaQAJc5ET6588NFN5bnCKEZrWiPNfMD9Ir4UfIaPVk62UpjC1K3RO_yyZFhmEY/s1600/IMG_2487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-Bw_MjjmcXGrgx42fFCrVHrTf-4PEU2TP2vZ3waSQFiGCrFLmwgt27i_GUDdks05YgZIjxrVd8RiLMaQAJc5ET6588NFN5bnCKEZrWiPNfMD9Ir4UfIaPVk62UpjC1K3RO_yyZFhmEY/s640/IMG_2487.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a beard!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKfFOZU3kIEIEbQLsonFgwLXIdEcSb4W-e3JZ14jV4h20kEWjQyQmfbqYb8MXii3oKa3YYqPB4KUMfVBBcLzns0ly-zrIHc4nLF-NTCMXnSR7F_HbhQPl8pML1dDdDDG8OdW12Zd2Y_g/s1600/IMG_2488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKfFOZU3kIEIEbQLsonFgwLXIdEcSb4W-e3JZ14jV4h20kEWjQyQmfbqYb8MXii3oKa3YYqPB4KUMfVBBcLzns0ly-zrIHc4nLF-NTCMXnSR7F_HbhQPl8pML1dDdDDG8OdW12Zd2Y_g/s640/IMG_2488.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making sure I target the problem areas to begin with</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwZiSW0CNcY31FeXO-zNx6gmFQ57p7tmb9zLvCRMs-37zOFPMJE3ZxZmLEONiVAkifT3yNtMJ0BxfDpGnGsyBhv5LelLNPzQQlwMsYbZbixVXXNwOCZZbvGLwS_WNtzd8b5I_EhZo2HM/s1600/IMG_2489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwZiSW0CNcY31FeXO-zNx6gmFQ57p7tmb9zLvCRMs-37zOFPMJE3ZxZmLEONiVAkifT3yNtMJ0BxfDpGnGsyBhv5LelLNPzQQlwMsYbZbixVXXNwOCZZbvGLwS_WNtzd8b5I_EhZo2HM/s640/IMG_2489.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spreading the mask, and making sure it's even. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I hope that was interesting to see how I put a mask on. I highly recommend this one, I loved using it!<br />
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Until next time ...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-6057113761983019032016-01-12T14:23:00.000+13:002016-01-12T14:23:28.756+13:00Monthly Book Wrangle - DecemberKia Ora!<br />
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It's 2016, and below are the last books I read in 2015. It was a busy Christmas period for me, with a lot of travel, but I had a great time being able to find the time to read some of these.<br />
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I've recently created a<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7037556-louisa"> Goodreads account</a>, and have a goal of 45 books to read in 2016. Feel free to follow me there (if that's how it works, I'm not 100% sure as yet). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPA-rMeHML6QTW7ttbtbe065P1ZnTVJbptRJvkNHiK0YXvZmYDFAvmvcvW3H0C2GpZceP2TykFYB-IFz6Ig5HyC2MH5yCfHNpSToSars52SP-fEIVUx-DOxGTFSq2TWnpuYBJ7Nbanzo/s1600/Book+Wrangle+Intrepid+Forays+December.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPA-rMeHML6QTW7ttbtbe065P1ZnTVJbptRJvkNHiK0YXvZmYDFAvmvcvW3H0C2GpZceP2TykFYB-IFz6Ig5HyC2MH5yCfHNpSToSars52SP-fEIVUx-DOxGTFSq2TWnpuYBJ7Nbanzo/s640/Book+Wrangle+Intrepid+Forays+December.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Shadows-of-Self/9781473208223/?a_aid=intrepidforays">Shadows of Self </a></b></i><b>Brandon Sanderson*</b><br />
This is the fifth book in the Mistborn series. I read the first three a couple of years ago, and absolutely loved them! They had the same characters, and dealt with a dramatic, traumatic, and fantastical situation. I particularly loved how Sanderson made me love the villain by the end of it. The fourth one (which I haven't read) and the fifth one are set several centuries after the first three, and while they are in a similar world, a lot has changed. <i>Shadows of Self </i>was a great read, but I did feel quite lost for awhile about who the characters were, the differences between allomancy and feruchemy, and some of the nuances of the book were lost on me. I did fall in love with the characters, enjoyed the steampunky feel to it (combination of old-timey things with newer cars and technology), and the story was great once I was able to get into it. Basically, read as part of the series, don't skip the other books.<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/An-Abundance-of-Katherines/9780141346090/?a_aid=intrepidforays">An Abundance of Katherines</a> </i>John Green</b><br />
This book felt more like a piece of academic writing than young adult fiction. It was littered with footnotes (which I loved), and there are pieces of scientific formulae as well as intense mathematical equations scattered throughout the text. The main character, Colin, analyses his relationships with girls named Katherine after the latest one breaks up with him. He runs away, a la Jack Kerouac, and settles down in a tiny town to analyse his relationships and recover from heartbreak. This was a good book, a bit of hard work but well worth it. I felt like I was inside the head of someone on the spectrum, and it was an illuminating experience.<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Paper-Towns/9780142414934/?a_aid=intrepidforays">Paper Towns</a> </i>John Green</b><br />
Quentin follows hidden clues left by Margo Roth Spiegelman and ends up in some strange places. Abandoned malls, theme parks at night, a conference room at the top of the tallest building, and a fictional town that exists only on a map. This is a great coming of age story, with the nerdy kid, the computer hacker, and the popular girls all participating in this drama. I enjoyed this book, it was a fun read with plenty of pace, and quick to get through. It teaches a lesson about being yourself and following your own path.<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Dust/9780099586739/?a_aid=intrepidforays">Dust </a></i>Hugh Howey</b><br />
I read <i>Wool </i>and <i>Shift </i>earlier last year, and enjoyed reading the last book in the Trilogy. I don't want to give too many spoilers for either this book or the previous two, so I'm going to be very brief about this book. Basically, it was a great ending to the trilogy, wrapped it up nicely and followed on with the characters that had been the stars of the other books. It swapped perspective between various characters, which helped show what was happening in different places. I know this sounds really vague, but it was a good book, and a great series to read if you like dystopic fiction!<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/If-You-Find-Me/9781780621531/?a_aid=intrepidforays">If You Find Me</a> </i>Emily Murdoch </b><br />
This book blew my mind. It was completely absorbing, emotionally heartbreaking, and it has left a lasting impression. It's similar to <i>Room </i>by Emma Donoghue, with a perspective of a secluded/deprived/abused child coming back into the world and needing to learn to cope with society, being a public interest story, and their reintegration into a normal family/society. Carey, and her younger sister Jenessa, have lived deep in the forest for the last 10 years, depending on each other for survival. Their return to their father is traumatising, school is a foreign country, and both girls have trouble adjusting to a normal life. This book tugs on your heart-strings, and then rips them to shreds as the truth about the girls past comes out, and their attempts to adjust to their new lives and experiences is difficult. This novel is a wonderful example of the resilience of the human spirit, and how the power of love and family can keep you alive. Highly highly recommended, one of the best books I read in 2015!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*PR sample and affiliate links. </span></div>
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And that was my December reading folks. All really good books, and all recommended. Stay tuned for January, as that will be a big month! I participated in a reading challenge (check out my <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/biannual-bibliothon-winter-2016-tbr.html">TBR list here</a>), and would love to hear any recommendations for the future.<br />
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Until next time ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-785832407441563072016-01-06T14:21:00.004+13:002016-01-06T14:21:31.105+13:00Empties October and November 2015Kia Ora!<br />
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Continuing with Empties week, this is a very late Empties post. I hope you'll all forgive me! I don't quite know what happened (it was probably an influx of subscription boxes that needed unboxing, and empties got pushed to the wayside). Enjoy the wrap up of what I used in October and November of 2015. <br />
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<b>Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner</b><br />
I really like these products, and will happily repurchase them. I had a few samples and used them up while doing a bit of travel in November. I got a couple of uses out of each conditioner bottle, and about 4 uses from the shampoo. This duo leaves my hair soft, shiny, and strong, and I have a full size on standby for when I next need shampoo. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion</b><br />
These sample bottles last me about a week each, and I like that they last for a reasonable amount of time. I get a good idea about the product with a week to use it in. The lotion smells faintly like oatmeal, and is of a medium consistency. It sinks into the skin quickly, and leaves my legs soft. It isn't my favourite lotion as I prefer fruity scents, but it is a nice one. <br />
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<b>MOR Marshmallow Hand Cream</b><br />
This is a great hand cream. It sinks in and doesn't leave a greasy residue at all. The scent is strong and sticks around for a long time. It's not my favourite kind of scent, although I can't pinpoint exactly what I don't like about it. Highly recommended for the product itself, if not this particular scent. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Etude House My Beauty Tool 3 Layer Cotton Puff</b><br />
I've exclaimed my love for Etude House's cotton puff's before, and these are great too! They hold together well, and are thick enough to really soak in toner to apply to your face. You can also use them as an impromptu sheet mask, but I tend to be too lazy to do that.<br />
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<b>Body Boudoir Sexy Body Shave</b><br />
This stuff was ridiculous. It was a reasonably nice shaving gel, pink in colour and smelt nice enough. It was marketed as having pheromones in it, which made you more attractive. I don't know that it did that, and it sat in my shower for over 2 years before I eventually used it up. Very meh.<br />
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<b>Skinfood Exfoliating Scrub</b><br />
This wasn't my favourite scrub, and sat in my shower for 18 months or so before I finally used it up. I was using it as a body wash by the end, and it was not bad for that purpose. I didn't like the type of granules used, as I prefer a deeper scrub. However it's probably a nice exfoliant for those who like smaller beads, or have sensitive skin. It's a thick paste that contains nut shell particles, so no nasty microbeads (YAY)!<b> </b><br />
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<b>DD'ell Extra Vitalizing Serum</b><br />
This was supremely average. It didn't really appear to do anything, good or bad. It was a thin serum which applied nicely, but didn't appear to have any noticeable effects. It has a dropper which makes it difficult to get product out when the bottle becomes emptier, and so I threw it out once it was too hard to get product out. There was probably at least 1/3 still left in it though.<br />
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<b>Benenet Diamond Illuminator Ampoule</b><br />
I really liked this ampoule by contrast to the DD'ell one. There was a multitude of tiny glitter particles in it, but they didn't appear to be overly obvious when on the face. This ampoule left my skin soft, smooth, and hydrated. I loved it.<br />
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<b>Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid</b><br />
I loved this serum. It visibly plumped my face, and I have a <a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/10/oz-naturals-hyaluronic-acid-serum-review.html" target="_blank">whole review</a> of it (with some awesome pictures of it in use). Highly recommended. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Butterfly Party Soap </b><br />
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<b>Foamy Scrub - Hot Chocolate </b><br />
I love these scrubs. You can use the sugar for a great scrub, and it foams up so you can use it as a body wash too! This scent was exactly like hot chocolate, and I used it up very fast because I couldn't get enough!<br />
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<b>Bath Whip - Viva La Juicy</b><br />
The bath whips are lovely, they foam up and you only need a tiny bit to get properly clean. I love that the consistency is of a whip, but it is malleable enough to use as soap or shampoo (in a pinch). This scent was fruity, but not my favourite. The product was wonderful though!<br />
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<b>Foamy Coffee Scrub - Mint Mocha</b><br />
The combination of coffee and mint was lovely, and this was an awesome way to wake up in the morning. I loved using the coffee granules, and would happily buy a heap more!<br />
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<b>Aloe Vera Lotion</b><br />
This smelt amazing, but was very greasy. I used it on my legs, and had to wait a few hours for it to sink in. It was marketed as non greasy, but no matter what I tried (too much, too little, applying to wet skin, applying to dry skin) I couldn't get away from the greasy feel.<b> </b><br />
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<b>The Body Shop Body Butter Virgin Mojito</b><br />
This is one of my favourite scents I've ever had from the Body Shop. It's full of zesty lime and minty fragrances. I can't get enough of it! The body butter is the same formula as all the other Body Shop Body Butters, which is to say it is intensely hydrating, and the scent lingers. It's a little greasy, but I apply before bed so it isn't really an issue. If this scent ever is released again, jump on it!<b> </b><br />
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And there you have it. The things I used up in October and November last year. Phew! I'm off to have a glass of wine (I'm writing this at night). Let me know if you've used any of these products!<br />
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Until next time ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-27331369226071008492016-01-04T20:50:00.001+13:002016-01-04T20:50:16.013+13:00Empties December 2015Kia Ora!<br />
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I feel like I haven't done an Empties post for a long time (about 3 months). I seemed to run out of time recently, so this week is going to be full of the things I used up in the last few months, as well as the December Book Wrangle. Let's crack on and talk about my rubbish!<br />
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Tea is a large part of my life, so I like to share it with you. <b>T2 Lamington </b>was one of the most delicious teas I've tried recently. It tastes exactly like a chocolate lamington, with the chocolate and coconut. It works really well with milk, and I truly enjoyed it.<br />
<b>Stash Ginger Breakfast Black Tea </b>was a sample I received in a Bonjour Jolie box. I had this for breakfast. Honestly, the one thing I wish about this tea is that I had more of it! It was tasty, with a hit of ginger and deliciously deep and dark. It was great!<br />
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<b>Beekman Shower Gel</b><br />
This was from a sample from a Bonjour Jolie box too, and it was average. The scent wasn't anything special, although it wasn't offensive either. The small looking bottle did last for about a week though, so that was handy.<br />
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<b>Divine Skin Hydrator In Shower Body Moisturiser</b><br />
I really didn't enjoy this one. I got 1 and a half uses out of the bottle, and it left a thick layer on my skin after I washed it off. Blergh.<br />
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<b>Health Basics Shampoo and Conditioner</b><br />
These were a great size for travelling, but otherwise I don't have anything great to say about these. They dried out my hair, stripping it completely. It was shiny for a day but then it looked greasy and like it needed another wash. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Secret Nature From Jeju Serum</b><br />
I've been using this serum for the last few months, and my skin has been loving it. It's a creamy serum, a light gel, and it made my skin glow. It soaked in pretty easily, and layered well with all the other skincare products I use. I loved it, and I'm sad it is gone!<br />
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<b>The Face Shop Pomegranate and Collagen Volume Lifting Essence</b><br />
This claimed to have a fast-absorbing formula, and it truly does! I loved everything about it. It's a pink gel that smells a bit like floral perfume, but the scent dissipates quickly once applied. It left my fast hydrated, and plumper. I enjoyed using it, and am quite sad it's gone. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a moisture boost in their skincare routine!<b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ6RQndw_qDsq99tbKr88iMdVoAVEASBGGyTujq79i355Y2SKWQ4vuJV11FmDWq8_ec7IZzNQx7t73lOyIgnrn-1rUvCukP0ri_fUgupfc50BjBwuYHEKn5zqsESRoaqoV2sC33F6PjI/s1600/IMG_2747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ6RQndw_qDsq99tbKr88iMdVoAVEASBGGyTujq79i355Y2SKWQ4vuJV11FmDWq8_ec7IZzNQx7t73lOyIgnrn-1rUvCukP0ri_fUgupfc50BjBwuYHEKn5zqsESRoaqoV2sC33F6PjI/s640/IMG_2747.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>SoyBio+ Fermented Lumpoule</b><br />
I had heard some amazing things about this, and was excited to finally be able to try them out. However when I used them, I broke out really badly. I always test products for at least 2 weeks before deciding whether to keep using them or not. After realising that it was this that was making me break out, I stopped using it. I did get it over a year ago from Memebox (my addiction comes back to bite me in the bum), so it could be expired. Either way, I'm not taking chances and stopped using it. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Bump eraiser antibacterial wash</b><br />
Guest review from boyfriend: "Didn't like it! It smelled of antibacterial, which could be me not liking the smell, but it basically smelt of hospitals. It foamed up ok at the start, but the gel rapily deteriorated to water and didn't foam at the end. This could be because the packaging let in water to dilute it, but it was water by the end of the bottle. To confirm, the viscocity is that of water."<b> </b><br />
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<b>Fortune Cookie Soap Salt Scrub - The Boy Who Never Grew Up</b><br />
I loved the scent of this, and loved being able to try it out. I got 4 uses out of this tiny pot. The salt crystals were large, and gave a light scrub (not as deep as I always like, but a nice alternative for days when my skin doesn't need a deep scrub). Word of warning, don't get salt scrub in open cuts or scratches though, that wasn't pleasant.<br />
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<b>Purederm Make-up Cleansing Tissues - Green Tea Extract</b><br />
These were lovely and worked well. The tissues did what they were supposed to - i.e. stayed together and cleaned the grime off my face. I don't wear make up so never used them as makeup removal wipes, but they worked well for cleaning my face in the morning before heading out for the day.<br />
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<b>Tosowoong 10 Hours </b><br />
I've talked about this stuff for about a year now, and it's still great. It leaves my hair soft, shiny, and looking great. It's a light leave-in conditioner, and perfect for help styling hair. I love it, and have about 6 more tubes in stock. <b> </b><br />
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That was the round up of my trash for December; mostly great, but with a couple of fails. Stay tuned for the October/November Empties later in the week!<br />
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Until next time ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707669835822027302.post-34670074560920918752016-01-03T11:54:00.000+13:002016-01-03T11:54:40.224+13:00Biannual Bibliothon Winter 2016 TBR Kia Ora!<br />
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I stumbled across the Biannual Bibliothon while watching Youtube, and decided to participate in the reading challenges. I'm excited to complete some of these challenges, and it's a great incentive to read more books!<br />
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I'm publishing my TBR list to make myself a little more accountable, and I'll pop up a special book round up after the challenge. It takes place from 3-9 January.<br />
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The challenges are:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">READING CHALLENGES: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">1. Read the group book: Soundless by Richelle Mead </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">2. Read a book that's been sitting on your shelf for over a year.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">3. Read a book over 300 pages.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">4. Read a book from your favorite genre.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">5. Reread your favorite book in a series.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">6. Read a book based on it's cover. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">7. Read a book that's been recommended to you more than once.</span><br />
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Follow the action over on their <a href="https://twitter.com/BBibliothon" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!<br />
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1. Luckily I've already received <i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Soundless-Richelle-Mead/9780141364865/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">Soundless</a> </i>in my<a href="http://intrepidforays.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/owlcrate-november-2015-myths-and-legends.html" target="_blank"> November Owlcrate</a> so I'll re-read it for the challenge.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/William-Shakespeares-Star-Wars-Ian-Doescher/9781594747137/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">William Shakespeare's Star Wars (Episode IV) by Ian Doescher</a> - a friend gave this to me a few years ago, and while I geeked out at the time I've never actually read it. Past time I think. <br />
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3. <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Winter-of-Fire-Sherryl-Jordan/9780590452885/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">Sheryl Jordan </a><i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Winter-of-Fire-Sherryl-Jordan/9780590452885/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">Winter of Fire </a>- </i>it's barely over 300 pages but I'm going to count it as I have a huge book futher on. <br />
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4. I'm choosing <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Slow-Regard-of-Silent-Things-Patrick-Rothfuss/9781473209534/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">Pat Rothfuss' <i>The Slow Regard of Silent Things</i></a> for
this challenge, as I've only read it once and I think I need to read it
again. It was amazing the first time round, and I'm keen to see what
else I can discover in a reread.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/In-the-Hand-of-the-Goddess-Tamor-Pierce/9780689878565/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">Tamora Pierce <i>In the hand of the goddess.</i></a> I loved these books as a kid, so it will be nice to see if they are just as good when I read them as an adult (and yes my copy is looking a little tattered in the photo above, it has seen a lot of love). <br />
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6. <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/All-Fall-Down-Geoffrey-Rice/9781927145104/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank"><i>All Fall Down, Christchurch's Lost Chimneys </i>by Geoff Rice. </a>The cover has fascinated me for years, particularly as I have a personal connection to the Christchurch earthquakes. A copy recently came my way, and I'm really excited to finally get to read it. <br />
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7. <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Aeronaut-s-Windlass/9780356504681/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">Jim Butcher </a><i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Aeronaut-s-Windlass/9780356504681/?a_aid=intrepidforays" target="_blank">The Auronaut's Windlass</a> </i>was recommended to me by a few people (mainly when they saw it on my book shelves and exclaimed over it). I'll attempt to read this during the week, along with everything else. I'm optimistic!<br />
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Those are the books I'm going to be reading over the 3-9 January. I don't think I'll be doing much else, but I'm really looking forward to doing this.<br />
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Keep an eye out on my <a href="https://twitter.com/IntrepidForays" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/intrepidforays/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for updates!<br />
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Until next time ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01773555155483444053noreply@blogger.com0