Empties - September 2014

Kia Ora! 

It's time to investigate the trash I've accumulated over the month. What fun! 

In all seriousness I love these types of posts/videos. I watch a bunch on YouTube, and it gives you a more realistic impression of products if people have finished them. Hopefully, you enjoy reading through mine.

Onwards-ho!

Dr Lewinn's Gentle Facial Cleanser

This is a good solid cleanser. I like it, and it does a decent job of cleaning the crap off of my face. That being said, I don't wear makeup very often, and the few times I have this cleanser wasn't particularly helpful in removing it.

I really like the cream formula, and the subtle apricot and aloe scent. I won't be repurchasing this product because of the price, but if I receive some more I won't be unhappy. This bottle did last a little over 2 months (I got it in a Goodiebox), so it might be worth the price for some people.

7/10
Repurchase: No

Za Dewy Effect Creamy Gel

I love this moisturiser. I think it was in a Chicks at the Flicks goodiebag (sometime last year if I remember correctly - cringe), and it is awesome! It is a gel consistency, and sinks in to the skin really well. It does leave your face shiny for a little until it sinks in properly, but given time it makes your skin so soft and plump. I was sad that this ran out, and will be on the lookout for some more!

9/10
Repurchase: Heck yes!

Holika Holika Skin & Good Cera Super Cream

This was a tiny sample, but still managed to last me a few weeks. It was a very thick white cream, that had a fresh garden scent, and was fantastic! I was using this as a night cream, and it made my face feel so wonderful. In the morning my skin was soft and still felt really clean. I am on the lookout for this cream, and will probably order it from Korea at some point in the near future. I can't  recommend it enough!

9/10
Repurchase: YES!

L'Oreal Elvive Argenine Resist

This duo was great. I received them from Beauty Review for trial and loved them. In combination they left my hair stronger, shinier, and in much better overall condition. The product smelt lovely, the shampoo frothed up as it should, and the conditioner left my hair full of moisture. I loved using them, and found it difficult to go back to cheaper shampoos after they were finished. My hair looked great after using them.

7/10
Repurchase: On the list.

MOR Handcream Argan Oil

Another Goodiebox winner. I am in love with this formula of handcream. Nothing else I've ever used has left my hands quite so hydrated and soft. I was applying this once a day, and my hands were noticeably less dry, and much softer. I don't have many hand issues, so this was purely for the joy of applying more beauty products to my skin, but I would recommend this cream to anyone. The scent is rather boring, but it grows on you, and I was willing to accept that because the formula was so good.

9/10
Repurchase: Yes.

Swisspers Makeup Pads

I love these. I'm nearly finished yet another packet of these, and they are great. Very solid. They also appeared in last months Empties post. I don't know what else to say about such a basic product.

8/10
Repurchase: Already done.

Dr Hauschka Hydrating Foot Cream

I think this was from the Goodiebox Birthday Box. It smells so great, very herby but not in a gross way. It was a thick yellow cream and it sunk into my feet, leaving them soft and smooth by morning. My SO rubbed this in, and nearly got kicked in the face. I have extremely ticklish feet, and this product is just not a good idea for me. So although I think it is probably a good product, I'm just not a fan.

5/10
Repurchase: No.

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum

I think I actually cried when this was empty. I got it in a Violet Box, and am so thankful I did. This serum was delicious, smelt wonderful, and made my skin look great. It sunk in very quickly, brightened my skin and even did something to my disgusting blackheads. I managed to make 5mls last for about a month, so a little goes a long way. If you get the chance, try this out, you won't regret it!

9/10
Repurchase: In a heartbeat (if the price was a little more affordable).

John Plunkett Super Wrinkle Cream

This one is from Violet Box, and I really enjoyed it. It was my first night cream, and is a solid product. It had a thick yellow/white cream that left my face feeling moisturised and hydrated. It wasn't as good as the Holika Holika cream, but is probably slightly more accessible here in New Zealand.

7/10
Repurchase: Yes.

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There we go, another bag of rubbish I can stop hoarding and throw in the bin. Most of the products were from subscription boxes, and I know I was counting down on finishing some of them. This wasn't because they were bad products, in fact most of this month's products were outstanding, but simply because I was bored and wanted to play with something else. 

Any thoughts from rogue strangers out there? Let me know what they are!

Until next time ...

Violet Box New Zealand - September 2014

Kia Ora!

Woohoo Violet Box is here. I'm really intrigued to see what's inside, especially as there were no spoilers in August's box. 

Also, sorry that this is a day late. I've been really sick for the last 10 days, and didn't quite make it to blog posting yesterday. 

Onwards, to the box!

There are little tiny bits of glass or plastic everywhere, and the tray was difficult to slide out. I hope nothing is broken!

The lighting for this photo was shocking, and I'm really sorry it is so bad. The sun wasn't really co-operating with what I wanted to do.

Girlactik Eyshadow

I received this in VIP, which is a black eyeshadow. I tend to wear nude coloured eyeshadow if I do wear makeup (on those rare occasions), so I know I won't wear this. I haven't swatched it because I know I'm going to give it away, and nobody wants a dirty great fingerprint in the middle of their nice new eyeshadow. There looked to be some other colours (blue, pink, purple) but this was a fail for me.

RRP: $23
Full size.

ModelCo Lip Luxe Duo

I haven't been very impressed with ModelCo when I've received their products in the past, but I'm always willing to give second chances. I'm so glad I did because the lipstick in this duo is fantastic! It is creamy and non-drying, and the perfect colour for me! I love nudes on my lips too, and this lipstick is perfect for me. The lipgloss is ok, it smells sweet and wears fine, but is quite sticky. I probably won't get much use out of it, but the lippy makes me a happy camper!

RRP: $14.95
Full size.

Swatches of the lipstick and the gloss. The gloss is barely visible on the left of the lipstick, it is very sheer.

Polished London Dry Shampoo

I've been dying to try a dry shampoo. Nearly a year into subscription boxes and this is my first one. It is in the flavour Bristol Bloom, and smells a little sweet. I am excited to have this to try out.

RRP: 5.99
Full size.

Starlooks Ultra Olive Gem Pencil

I really like that this isn't black. I think that there is an overabundance of black eye liners in subscription boxes and it is lovely to see a pencil in a different colour. That being said, I'm not going to use this colour. I'm not that adventurous with my makeup (see the above comments about nude colours being my favourite), but I know of a couple of people who might enjoy this. A good product to include, but not right for me personally.

RRP: $21.50
Full size.

Foltene Nail Treatment

Once again, not an ideal product for me (I couldn't give two hoots about my nails) but a good looking product. I really like how there is a doe foot applicator on this as it makes it really easy to swipe in the vague direction of your fingernails and it still applies correctly. I have a nail crazy friend who will love this.

RRP: $29.95
Full size.

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Total value of the box: $95.39

This box has a decent mix of items, and a good value, however I felt really disappointed with it. There were only a couple of items in there that interested me, and even then I'm not overly excited about them. I suppose this is just a box that isn't well-suited to me, but I can see the value for other people. I also couldn't find anything that was broken, so I'm not sure where the little glass/plastic shards came from.

I'm in the process of eliminating a monthly subscription box at the moment, and this isn't a great start for Violet Box. I have really like all their boxes in the past, but with Memebox being so spectacular, I can't see it comparing. It is only the first of  three September boxes, so we'll see what happens.

What do you think of this box?

Until next time ...

Shopping Haul - Farmers, T2, The Body Shop, Dotti

Kia Ora!

After grappling with my self-control in August and attempting a no-spend, I went a little crazy with shopping this month. Some of this haul is justified, but most of it isn't or has very tenuous justifications. I'm gonna roll with it, and embrace the new things. I love new things, who doesn't!

First off: FARMERS

Freeman face masks

I love masks, and I've been eyeing these ones up for a while. I can't wait to try them out, and since there seems to be enough product for two uses I've convinced my SO to try them out with me! Perfect bonding time (just don't tell him I told the internet or I'll get in trouble).

RRP: $3.50

Formula 10.0.6 (?)

I think that's the right brand name. This was on a 'buy two get one free' sale, so I thought I would grab a few different ones. These do have two seperate sachets in each pack so there are 6 masks here. One guess what my latest obsession is? 

RRP: $3.99 each (not on sale)

Can't remember what brand sweatshirt this is

This was on the sale rack for $10 and I couldn't resist. It is really comfy, and I love the colour! The sleeves are 3/4 and the sequins make it seem like I know something about fashion (total lie). I really like this sweatshirt, and it is the perfect one for spring, as it isn't super warm but will be great for slightly cooler weather. I've worn it a few times already, and other than my hair getting caught in the sequins, it is great!

RRP: $10 - down from $70

Moving on to T2.

I had tried a sample of the Chai Black Tea is my Allsorts box, and I loved it. I absolutely had to have the full size, and now it is a part of my collection. It is a delicious tea, with the perfect blend of spices. It tastes exactly like a good chai latte from a cafe, and I can make it at home! Win!

I also bought Irish Breakfast tea. This was a bit of an impulse buy because there was a promotion going on, where if you bought a breakfast tea you got a free tin and magnet. So now I have a wonderfully dark and stout breakfast tea, perfect for waking up to in the morning, and a tin to keep it fresh. 

I was also given a sample of the Spi Chai as a decaffeinated alternative. I have been enjoying black tea throughout the day, but an entire pot late at night isn't a great idea if I plan on sleeping. I ended up staying up until 4am one night before I learnt this lesson. The next investments will be some herbal teas for nighttime. 

The next shop on the list was The Body Shop.

Vanilla Body Spray

I love smelling good (who doesn't), and the Body Shop caters for exactly this. I wasn't aware of their body spray range, and vanilla seemed like an innocuous way to begin a [potential] collection. I really like this spray, as it wafts the subtle scent of vanilla. It isn't strong smelling for very long, and needs reapplication, but I really love the scent!

Pomegranate and Raspberry Room, Linen, and Body Spray

Berries are some of my favourite fruits, and if I can't eat them then I want to smell like them. This is such a great spray, and perfect for every situation. It has a strong raspberry scent that permeates a room, or smells great on the skin. I have been wearing this every day and ignoring any other scent. I just can't get enough. I know that liking a scent is an individualised process, but everyone should go and check this one out!

Since I went in on a sale/promotion day I got a free gift. You had to spend $85 to get it. I know that the two sprays aren't $85 worth but the other items I got are for Christmas presents so I'm not going to put them on the blog (just in case Mum reads this). The gift I  got was this beautiful tin, which has the Honey Body Butter and Wild Rose Hand Cream  in it. I haven't opened either yet as I don't need to use them right now, and I haven't decided if they will be presents or for me. But what a great gift!

The last shop I hit was Dotti. Both shirts were $10 because I like cheap if I can  get it.

I can't really say much about these, they are fairly basic t-shirts. As we are headed into summer they seem like a good investement, particularly as my go-to outfit is a variation of t-shirt and jeans. They are lightweight, and very comfy. There were a whole lot of patterns but these two appealed to me. They are very light, and I'm going to have to invest in a nude bra for the dotted one, but I love the shirt otherwise.

Right, so there's my most recent haul. I hope you enjoyed it! I love seeing other people's hauls, as I have ideas of what new products or exciting things are out there. What do you guys think of haul posts?

Until next time ...

Masked Madness #1

Kia Ora!

Here it is, the first installment of a brand new blog series. It's all about different masks I've been using, how they work, and if they do any good at all. 

I've recently become quite enamoured with masks in the last month or so. Sheet, mud, or anything else I can smear on my face. I'll post up these mask posts every so often, pretty much every time I accumulate enough. I'm not going to commit to monthly, but these will pop up every so often. 

On to the masks!

iHerb Haul

Kia Ora!

I received this haul ages ago, but haven't had a chance to blog about it yet. The sad thing is I haven't even had a chance to use most of these products yet either. I'm not sure if I should be sad since I haven't tried these yet, or happy that I'm not creating rubbish or needing to re-buy these things. I'm so conflicted!!! :P

Clarifying Tea Tree Pore Cleansing Strips

I'm really getting into Pore Cleansing strips and these were cheap so I picked them up. I got a pack in my Cacao box as well, and I love the chocolate scent to those and haven't used any other ones as yet. So these are still to be used and reviewed.

RRP: $4.61
Link for product.

Memebox Special #31 Earth & Sea Cosmetics

Kia Ora!!

Another Memebox arrived. Earth and Sea cosmetics. I've been dying for this one to arrive, especially after the spoiler (a volcanic ash mask) was released. I'm so excited to see what's inside!!!

It looks so full of stuff! And there is a sheet mask. There's a sheet mask guys!! If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know I'm obsessed with anything mask related. Excitement levels just went off the charts!