Priceline Haul!

I got a surprise on Monday when my Priceline Sisterclub voucher arrived in the mail, and by surprise I mean I almost had a heart attack and died. At first I was like "Haa, so that's where all my money went"; but after checking my account online I soon realised that the voucher included every point I had earned since I first signed up to the Clubcard back in 2005. So after eight years of picking up toothpaste, tampons and an occasional foundation, I managed to rack up 1500 club points, and having not redeemed any of those points received a $60 voucher.

Here's what I got:

Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil - $14.95
Great for acne, scars and stretchmarks.

Covergirl Clump Crusher by Lashblast - $14.95

I've heard this is a great dupe for Max Factors 'False Lash Effect' mascara, and its half the price too!

Aveeno Daily Moisturising  Body Wash - $9.99

I never liked using body washes because they irritated my skin, but when I saw that this wash contains oatmeal and other essential oils I decided to give it a go. It also smells really nice! I also bought a body sponge to go with it for $4.99.

Avene Eau Thermale - $9.99

So, essentially it's just water in a can, but this is one of those hyped products I've been really intrigued about. I almost died when I saw the prices of Avene in priceline, they're super expensive, so I ended up getting the small can in the end. :(

Rimmel 60 seconds  nail polish in 'Clear' - $3.95

I had a couple of dollars left on my voucher so I decided to go for a nail polish, unfortunately they were sold out of the colour I wanted, but when is a clear polish never useful?

What did you guys buy?

| 20 Days of Liz Earle | Collective Skincare Review

A few months ago my Liz Earle skincare package finally arrived, and I immediately began to use the products and document my experience with them each day for 20 days. I had heard and read so many great reviews about their products so I did have high expectations, but for now, here’s a breakdown of my thoughts on each product:

Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

A very gentle and moisturising cream cleanser with rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and essential eucalyptus oil, that you’re supposed to wipe away with some warm water and a muslin cloth that's provided. It’s a gentle cleanser up to the point until you use the cloths, which are great, but for someone with oily, acne prone skin sometimes too much rubbing or exfoliating will just irritate spots even more.

Instant Boost Skin Tonic

This toner claims to revitalise, soothe and tone the skin for instant radiance. It definitely removes any excess makeup or dirt that is left behind, but as far as the rest goes, I couldn't tell. But in a way I don’t really care because it smells amazing (and also looks good on the bathroom counter). It’s definitely a nice toner, it’s soothing, and it doesn't strip or dry out the skin. The packaging is really nifty as well, you twist the top and it elevates a little pump hole so it’s easy to dispense onto a cotton pad or your hands.

Skin Repair Light Moisturiser

Ah, yes the moisturiser, which is supposed to be 'light, gentle and balancing' enough for combination to oily skin. For me it wasn't light or balancing at all. My face quickly became very oily and I soon started to break out; but as soon as I omitted this product and replaced it with my old moisturiser my skin went back to its former state, which was a lot better than what it had become unfortunately. Luckily I bought a sample size!

Gentle Face Exfoliator

This is probably my favourite out of the four. I don’t like exfoliators with beads that are too harsh on the skin, but I also don’t like cream or gel exfoliators because it feels like they’re not doing enough. This one is the perfect balance between the two for me. It’s a creamy mixture of eucalyptus and cocoa butter but it also contains some very fine jojoba beads that aren't too harsh and buff away dead skin cells leaving behind smooth and bright skin.

Ordering From Liz Earle.com

Although buying off ebay was very tempting, I ended up ordering from LizEarle.com in the end. It was probably the most expensive shipping I had ever paid.Seriously, $25 for standard shipping to Australia? I know its Australia but for $25 you expect express next day delivery. Not only was it more expensive it was also slower, and took four weeks to arrive.

The Verdict

I’m not going to lie; it was a very frustrating 20 days for me. By day 5 my skin felt and looked absolutely crap. I told myself it was just my skin getting used to the new products, but two weeks later my skin was still dull, tired and congested. Soooo much congestion. There were headless lumps all over my cheeks and forehead, something I wanted to get rid of not produce more of! Gah!

By the end of it all I ended up dropping the moisturiser completely, and only started using the cleanser once a day in the evening. I still use the muslin cloths, but only for removing face masks. I probably won’t ever go back for the moisturiser or cleanser, but the toner and the exfoliator on the other hand, I would repurchase until the end of time if I could. I just wish shipping wasn't so expensive...(hello, ebay!).

Anyone else tried Liz Earle products? What do you like about them?

| Beauty Wishlist | May '13

1. NARS blush in 'Sex Appeal'
I've never purchased a NARS blush before, and have been recommended on countless occasions to try out Orgasm, but with the shimmer, it never really took my fancy, but i do think this (very) light peach will go well with my pale complexion.

2. Molecules 01 Perfume
This is a product I'm more intrigued by than anything. Apparently the Iso E Super in it reacts differently to our body's chemistry, so not only would it smell different on everyone, but it also creates a pheromone-like effect. Interesting.

3. Kiehl's Cranberry Lip Balm
When my friend offered me a little of her Kiehls lip balm, i swear, I didn't need to reapply anything to my lips for several hours later until I went to bed. $12 may sound a little excessive for a lip balm, but I will admit, I've paid more for worse.

4. Urban Decay Moonflower Palette
I usually don't like the look of Urban Decay's palettes, but this one caught my eye with its simple and elegant design. Plus, for the same price as a single UD eye shadow, you receive this palette with the Moonflower shadow included. Although I think the design is absolutely stunning, it's not something that I necessarily need right now, and probably won't purchase until I have at least two eye shadows to go with it.

5. Antipodes Divine Face Oil
Ever since my Trilogy Rose-Hip oil ran out I've been itching to try this. Antipodes is a New Zealand brand that only make certified organic and vegetarian approved products. Not that I'm overly fussy when it comes to organic skincare but a short, organic list of ingredients can be a relief to sensitive, acne prone skin, and the oil itself only contains avocado oil, rose-hip oil, jasmine and orange.

6 & 7. Urban Decay Eyeshadows in 'Haight' and 'Gravity'
I've been doing a bit of research lately on eye shadow colours that would suit me, I've already purchased the Naked Basics palette which is perfect for day to day use, but what if If I wanted something a little more 'fun' and 'edgy' for a night out or special occasion? I thought these two would be a perfect start to a more colourful collection.

| Products of The Month | April '13

Here are my favourite and most used products of April! Surprisingly, a couple of old products have snuck back into my life this month, thanks to the cooling weather, but as always, because all I do is spend these days (cries), there are some newbies as well.

Laneige Hydra Solution Eye Cream
Since the weather is (finally) cooling down here I thought I would bring out the big guns. My under-eye area suffers in winter so I've decided to start early on the moisturizing front. This eye cream from Laneige is their most hydrating, and also helps to brighten under the eye as well.

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator
I dislike exfoliators that are too harsh for your skin but also hate it when they're not harsh enough. This one is the perfect balance between the two for me. I also love how much brighter my skin looks after using this and am really dreading running out because of how expensive it is to ship from the UK :( Why do I always have to love the most expensive and unattainable products. Why?!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick #19
No.19 isn't a particularly exciting colour, but it does enhance the natural colour of my lips and it's great for a casual, everyday look for me.

YSL Shocking Mascara
I've had this mascara for quite a while now but only recently fallen in love with it again. It makes all my other mascaras look pretty rubbish to be honest.  It gives everything I want in a mascara, volume, length, definition and I know this might sound a bit weird but it smells really nice. 

and speaking of nice smelling things,

Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche Perfume
This perfume is probably better suited for the warmer seasons, because of its strong citrus like scent, but I love it so much I've been using it everyday since I bought it.

Bourjois Beauty'full Volume Mascara

Boujois Beauty'Full Volume Mascara

Lucky for me, Priceline were giving away some freebies when you spent over $20 on any Bourjois Product. So as well as a foundation I received some sunglasses (Really?) and a full sized Beauty-Full Volume Mascara (Yay! That's more like it). I've never tried a Bourois mascara before so I was pretty excited. Here are some before and after shots I took:

It gives volume, leaves hardly any clumps and does what it claims in delivering well held, silky, smooth lashes. The product has also been ophthalmologically tested on sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. I have quite sensitive eyes myself and haven’t experienced any irritation, so this is a huge plus for me. Overall, not a bad mascara at all. Anyone else tried this mascara or any others from Bourjois?

Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick Review & Swatches

I may not be the biggest lipstick girl out there, but man, Rimmel's new Kate Moss collection of lipsticks are making me reconsider. They have a very nice creamy texture that’s easy to apply, with a rich colour that leaves a satin finish to your lips. Moisture wise, I can get this lipstick to last up to two hours on my lips, which are dry and flaky most of the time (this is why I don’t wear lipstick), so for me that's not so bad, but I've read it lasts up to four or five hours for accommodating lips. Here are the swatches for the two I bought below:

My personal favourite is no.19 at the moment. It's the perfect nude colour for me, and just simply enhances the natural colour of my lips. No. 22 on the other hand is a bit too bright for my liking, I would have preferred the deeper shade of red if it wasn't sold out at the time! Damn you Priceline sales!

Anyone else tried these lipsticks? What are your thoughts?