Lust Have It - May 2013

The May Lust Have It box arrived yesterday or Wednesday, I can't actually remember... It has been that type of week. I had fully intended to cancel my subscription to Lust Have It after last months box but I didn't get around to it before the payment was taken. So here is May's Lust Have It box.

The Lust Have It box for May contains:

Mik@vonk Auto Eyebrow Pencil - $10.00

This is the item I was happiest to receive in my box. I love a full sized make up product especially when it isn't the standard lipgloss. This is a full size eyebrow pencil in the shade Grey Brown which looks like it will suit my brows well. It is quite a hard formula but so is the Shu Uemura brow pencil I am currently using. I like that this is a wind up pencil and includes a spoolie on the other end. 

The Natural Source Camoflage Colour Lipgloss - $12.95 15ml

Love that it is a full size make up item but seriously, a clear lipgloss is soooo boring. Nothing ground breaking or exciting here. I also hate sticky lipglosses and just looking at it, I think it will be sticky.

Seacret Body Mud - $30.00 100g

Hmm this is an interesting product, it is a sachet of mud. Yup a sachet of mud! It is mud from the Dead Sea though, so is that extra special? I question that this little sachet is worth 30 bucks and I can just think of the mess it would make in the bath. Also how much of your body would this cover?

Paula's Choice Clear Exfoliating Solution - $38.00 118ml

When I read exfoliating I expect something grainy or the like. This is actually just a liquid - looks a lot like water. From what I can tell it is actually a toner. It is designed for acne prone skin, which mine is thankfully not. 

Tigi Bedhead Glaze Haze Smoothing Serum - $24.95 60ml

I am someone who loves sweet smelling products but this has that horrible fake sweet smell. It actually makes me feel a little sick. Props for the full size product though.

This months Lust Have It box wasn't bad. For me it was just boring. Nothing exciting or ground breaking was included. There is not one product I looked at and could not wait to try out. Yes there is great value and two make up items but I just feel like this relationship is no longer working for me.

I therefore have cancelled my subscription as of tonight. I actually felt quite liberated by it. I plan on putting away the $15 or $20 a month the subscription would have cost and buying something I really want after a while. 

What did you think of this months Lust Have It box? Are you still subscribed?

OPI Bond Girls Liquid Sand Collection - Jinx

I have been interested in trying the new formula by OPI since it released a couple of months ago. I hadn't been overly interested in the shades released in the Liquid Sand formula until I saw the newest collection called Bond Girls.

This collection was released in celebration of 50 years of James Bond. The shades are named after the iconic Bond Girls like Solitaire, Pussy Galore, Honey Ryder and Jinx - my pick from the collection.

Jinx is a beautiful coral shade that is just sooo sparkly. It was love at first sight. I am really loving the effect the Liquid Sand formula has. It is like a matte glitter and looks stunning on the nails. 

I applied two thin coats for a full and even coverage. You could have gotten away with just one coat though. I applied no base or top coat. I was impressed that this polish lasted through the day at work - no chips at all which is a little unusual for me. Work is though on my hands and polish does not normally hold up well.

The only thing I don't really like with this polish is rough texture of it on the nails. It feels a little like sandpaper. I am sure this would be different if you used a top coat but I did not want to change the look. 

The Bond Girls Collection is now available at OPI stockists (I picked mine up at Myer). The retail price is the normal $19.95 for a 15ml bottle or $24.95 for the four mini bottle sets (that includes Jinx).

I think I am going to pick up another shade or two in the future. I want Pussy Galore (just for the name!) and Honey Ryder looks lovely. 

Have you tried the Liquid Sand formula? What do you think of it? Who is your favourite Bond Girl?

BellaBox - May 2013

The May Bella Box has the theme of "Beauty SOS" and includes so many different products that the box doesn't actually close... Anyway I won't ramble on. Onto the contents we go!

The May Bella Box contains:

Lonvitalite C4 Coconut Milk Facial Mask - 5 masks $29.00

This brand has been popping up quite regularly in subscription boxes lately and to be honest, I haven't used one of their products yet. This one appeals to me though as I love the smell of coconut milk and this is a hydrating and nourishing mask. 

Suigo Vital Nutrition Intensive Hair Repair Treatment - 500ml $40.00

I am really excited to try this as I have heard lots of beauty bloggers rave about this brand recently. I have recently fallen in love with using hair masks and this will be used next time I wash my hair. This is a generous 100ml sample pot.

Bloom Shadow Liner in Charcoal Grey - $25.00

This has a really nice angled applicator so it can be used as either an all over shadow or a liner. Charcoal Grey is a pretty soft grey with sparkles. Personally I wouldn't use it as a liner but I think it would be great for a quick and easy wash of colour over the lid. Gotta love a full sized beauty item.

Manicare Duo Mascara Brushes - 10 per pack $4.99

This includes mascara brushes for volume and for curl. These are a good idea if you are a professional but also good for trying to get more use out a mascara that may not work for you. 

Ahava Time to Treat Comforting Cream - 50ml $50.00

This is designed for sensitive skin and it smells really good. I am not sure if it is for face, body or both though. This is a nice sized 15ml tube.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo - 40ml $25.95

I have heard fantastic things about this brand so I am excited to have some products to try. From what I can gather this product is for use on areas of congested skin to correct and unclog. This is a 3ml sample.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel - 200ml $19.95

Ditto above but this is a cleanser for sensitive oily skin. Sadly my skin is dry so I am not sure this will suit my skin. I may still try it though. This is a 15ml sample.

BONUS Nanoblur - 30ml $29.99

This is a 2ml sample sachet. I have almost purchased this product in Priceline quite a few times. Really happy to have a sample to try out first. It promises to take 10 years off your age - I am not sure I want to look 12 years old though.

Overall I am really happy with this months box there is great variety and great value. I will try everything in this box and hopefully find some new favourites. With a quick calculation this box has a value of over $60 which is very generous of Bella Box. Also take not of the number of different products - 8! That is awesome. 

What did you receive in you Bella Box? Same or different? Happy?

Chadstone Haul

I can't believe it has been a week since my trip to Chadstone Shopping Centre and I am only just getting around to blogging about it. Work has been pretty full on this week and will for the next week too (good thing, I need the money to cover all the shopping I did). I have only included the beauty products I purchased, I also made a trip to Peter Alexander and Dusk but I forgot to take photos...

Burberry:

Okay, I can already sense that I am going to rant here but I think I have good reason. When I got to Chadstone the first beauty counter I went to was Burberry. There was no attendant at the counter (which didn't surprise me), however there was two at the Shiseido counter next to it. They were not serving anyone and proceeded to ignored me for a good 15 minutes, until I stood there tapping my foot and looking daggers at them. Eventually the older lady said "Oh, would you like some help?" My answer "Ah, yeah that would be great" in sarcastic voice and all. 

She ended up giving me a free lipstick but I was not impressed with the service at all. Bad mark to David Jones for the shocking service and another bad mark for ignoring my tweets about it. If I hadn't desperately wanted those Burberry items I would have left, as it is next time my money will be going elsewhere. 

The items I purchased are:

• Complete Eye Palette in No. 2 Mocha
• Sheer Eye Shadow in No. 21 Midnight Brown (Pale Barley was sold out)
• Lip Mist in No. 203 Brown Sugar (I received this free after the lady realised how shitty I was with the service)
• Lip Cover in No. 22 Delicate Rose

Shu Uemura:

Compared to the horrible service at the Burberry counter I recieved fantastic service at the Shu Uemura counter. I was served by the lovely Li Fang who was so knowledgeable and willing to help. As I haven't tried much from Shu Uemura before, I relied on her advice. I purchased:

• Ulitme8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
• Tsuya Skin UV Under Base Youthful Radiance Mousse
• Fundamentals Pentagon Sponge
• Glow On Blush Refill in P Medium Peach 550 & Reusable Case
• Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick in M PK 335
• Hard Formula 9 Eyebrow Pencil in 02 Seal Brown 

I had the brow pencil sharpened the traditional 'sword' like shape which they do for free and will do so when it gets worn down. Li Fang also included a couple of samples too. 

David Jones GWP:

Because I spent over $250 in one transaction I qualified for the Ulitmate Beauty Gift valued $370. The bag was filled to the brim with samples. It included items like a The Aromatherapy Co. candle, a mini Marc Jacobs Dot perfume, a deluxe sample of SK-II Facial Essence, a full size OPI nail polish just to name a few. 

Chanel:

I was super excited to see the Chanel Beauty Boutique at Chadstone had the Summer collection available. Sadly both the nail polishes I wanted and the Pink Lagoon Stylo Eyeshadow were sold out. However I still managed a decent haul. The woman that served me - Sarah was very lovely and helpful. She even managed to convince me to buy the bright blue mascara - after trying it on me (and oh wow, it is amazing). 

I purchased:

• Les Beiges Retractable Kabuki Brush
• Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra Light Skin Perfecting Make Up in 12 Beige Rose (repurchase of my Holy Grail foundation)
• Rouge Coco Shine in 79 Saga
• Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in 57 Blue Note
• Stylo Eyeshadow in
• 07 Moon River
• 17 Cool Gold
• 57 Black Stream

Giorgio Armani:

I was happy to see that there is a Giorgio Armani counter at Myer now as I didn't want to give David Jones any more of my money. Again lovely service at the Giorgio Armani counter and a few samples as I left too. I purchased:

• Luminous Silk Foundation in 03
• Flash Lacquer Crystal Shine Gloss in 523 Pink

Dior:

I was extremely annoyed and disappointed when I looked at my Dior purchases once I got home. The woman had sold me the wrong nail polish duo. I had told her which one I wanted and then she went and got it from the cupboard. I didn't think to check she had gotten the right one (I never have before). Luckily the colours are still nice, just not the ones I really wanted. At Dior I purchased:

• Birds of Paradise Nail Lacquer Duo in 002 Bahia
• Jelly Lip Pen in 656 Gaia

Benefit:

I considered getting my eyebrows waxed at the Benefit Brow Bar but decided not too as my skin is really sensitive to waxing and didn't want to walk around with bright red skin around my brows. I ended up just purchasing:

• Fake Up Crease Controlling Hydrating Concealer in 01 Light

Face of Australia:

I desperately wanted the Glitterati polishes from Face of Australia. Luckily the Priceline I went to had just put out their display so I could get them all from the one store. It saved a lot of running around. 

Australis:

When I was in Priceline picking up the FOA nail polishes I noticed these new lipsticks on display. Priceline also had a 3 for 2 on, on Australis items. So I picked up:

• Go Long Longwear Lipstick in
• Trendy
• Preppy
• Ghetto

So there is my latest haul post. Yes, I know I have a shopping problem, always have and always will I believe. I enjoy shopping, work hard and don't have many other things my money is needed for.

What have you hauled lately?

MAC Extra Dimension - Blushes & Eyeshadows

I was excited to see that MAC was releasing a collection with Extra Dimension products. I got super excited when I found out both blushes and eyeshadows were part of the latest collection and that they were both in the Extra Dimension formula. 

I have previously reviewed and raved about the two eyeshadows I purchased from the last collection so I had to pick up some and try the new blushes.. Of course! Luckily I was able to pick up two of the blushes and the eyeshadows in an order from MAC USA thanks to Rebecca.

I didn't purchase any of the Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighters this time. Honestly, I don't use them enough to justify another one. But I can justify another four blushes... Yeah I don't know how my minds works either...

The Extra Dimension Blushes have a silky smooth texture that easily blends into the skin. The blushes all have a dewy sheen finish. There is no glitter but they do look luminous on the skin. The colour lasts around 6-7 hours on the cheeks. 

I would have purchased all five shades but the other shade - Firey Impact just looked too red for me. I like my pinks and corals. The four shades I purchased are:

• Blazing Haute - a soft peachy shade
• At Dusk - a soft baby pink
• Bareness - a soft nude 
• Flaming Chic - a soft but bright pink

They are swatched below in the same order as above. You can see the subtle sheen they add to the skin to give that luminous finish. 

The Extra Dimension Blushes retail for $52.00 each in Australia for 6.5g. They are $25.00 each in the US. The prices we are forced to pay is ridiculous.

I love my Extra Dimension Eyeshadows from the previous release but these are out of a whole other world. The colour of these is amazing! They are so metallic and look almost iridescent. 

They are silky smooth to the touch and apply like a dream. They are super easy to blend and the shadows last all day on the lids. Seriously, they look as good 8 hours later as they did when first applied. 

If there had have been more shades that I liked the look of, I would have purchased more than 3 shadows. Personally I don't like frosty blues and greens on my eyes. The shades I purchased are:

• Opalesse - a metallic white with yellow undertones
• Triple Impact - a metallic pink that leans slightly purple against my skintone
• Smoky Mauve - a metallic plum brown

Again they are swatched below in the same order. They look amazing on the eyes! I especially love Smoky Mauve - it is so pretty!

The Extra Dimension Eyeshadows retail for $50.00 each in Australia for 2g (larger than a normal MAC shadow). They retail in the US for $21.00 each. 

Seriously that price hike is ridiculous! I understand a slight increase in price but that is more than double the price, $50 for an individual shadow is extortion. I love these products. The Extra Dimension formula is outstanding but the Australian retail price is just ridiculous. 

If you feel like splurging or can get them from the US, I highly recommend these items. They are fantastic and the colours are stunning.  

All items are still in stock on the MAC website - Maybe the high price is the reason behind that?!

Are you a fan of the Extra Dimension formula? What do you think of the Australia v. US prices?

Wanting, Desiring, Needing... Birthday Edition

Here is a condensed version of my current wishlist. I have left out a lot of the things because on my list (and I have a written list) are just the brand names. When I go somewhere that has all the different brands, I like to have a look, to see if something 'calls' to me. I cannot wait to get to Chadstone on Sunday. I am going to have a lot of fun... and my bank account is going to be crying by the end of the weekend. 

 Benefit Cosmetics

I feel like I am on a never ending search for the best under-eye concealer. I have heard great things about the latest release from Benefit - the Fake Up concealer. I have wanted it since it was released in the US. 

Burberry Beauty

Burberry is fast becoming one of my favourite brands. Since it was sold out last time I was at a Burberry counter, I really want to pick up the Complete Eye Palette in Mocha. I also want two single shadows that I have heard a lot about - Pale Barley and Midnight Brown. 

Dior

Dior recently released their Summer collection. I am not sure it is even out in Australia yet. I really like the look of the Jelly Lip Pen - hopefully they are hydrating but with a decent pigmentation. I also like the look of the nail polish duo pictured. 

Chanel

Chanel, like Dior also recently released their Summer collection. There is some gorgeous pieces, I cannot wait to get my hands on the Stylo Eyeshadows and some of the shades of Rouge Coco Shines. The new nail polishes in Azure and Taboo look stunning. 

Giorgio Armani

Another brand that is fast becoming a favourite. I love my Maestro foundation and now really want to try the Luminous Silk foundation. As well as anything else that takes my eye.

Shu Uemura

Honestly, the only thing I have ever tried from Shu Uemura is my eyelash curlers. This Blossom Dream collection is right up my alley - pretty pinks and corals. I look forward to checking it out.

Tom Ford

Oh Mr. Ford! Why do you have to release such stunning collections? I want it all. That is all there is to say. I mean look at it! Complete and utter gorgeousness. 

So there is my current wishlist. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you have a lovely weekend. There won't be any posts from me this weekend... I will be too busy. You can always see what I am up to by following me on Twitter here.

What is on your current wishlist? Are we lusting after the same items? Anything I need to check out at Chadstone?

April Favourites

I had a lot of trouble picking favourites this month. I feel like I have worn different make up almost everyday but there was a few items that stood out when I opened my make up drawers. This month I also included a hair car product and a handbag essential.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

This made it into my favourites a previous month but I have recently fell in love with it more. That is because I purchased a pump for it! It was only $4.00 from Mecca Cosmetica. The pump has made this foundation so much easier to use and one I reach for more often. I love the dewy finish of this foundation and the shade is a good match for me. 

Arbonne Blush in Taffeta*

As I metioned in my review this a perfect blush for that natural looking flush to your cheeks. Just be light handed when applying as it is very pigmented and you don't want to end up looking like a clown.

Bourjois Rouge Edition in 12 Rose Neon

I purchased this when it was only $10 from Priceline recently. It made it into my favourites as the first time I wore it, I got three different compliments on it. One was a from a customer at work that I wasn't even serving. This is a really gorgeous pink and the formula is quite moisturising. 

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Amethyst & Rosegold

I wrote a rave review on these in April and I still freaking love them. They are amazing and I plan on picking up more shades on Sunday. YOU MUST TRY THESE! 

evo The Great Hydrator Moisture Mask 

I am not massive on hair care and treatments. I use shampoo, conditioner and Moroccanoil on my hair. That used to be all. Until someone recommended the brand evo to me. I fell in love, hard. This mask is amazing. It makes my hair feel so moisturised, shiny and healthy. Plus it smells awesome. 

Soap & Glory Hand Maid

Since having the flu and working with the public, I have become a massive fan of hand sanitisers. I also have my hands on money almost all day and money is covered in germs. Like more than a toilet seat! Yuck! This Soap & Glory one smells amazing and is antibacterial. The smell is so good that someone actually asked me what was that perfume. It has a sweet fruity scent - much better than Dettol.

What did you love in April?

Items marked with a * (asterisk) were kindly provided for consideration for review in accordance with my Disclosure Policy. This has not affected my opinion in anyway, honesty always.

April Empties

It is MAY! Which is freaking awesome since May is my birth month! I turn a year older on the 7th which isn't so exciting... What is though, is a trip to Melbourne for a night to visit baby Chase and shopping at Chadstone on Sunday. I think I will write a wishlist post before then, but for now onto the empties for April. 

Lush - Woosh

This was a body wash in the form of jelly. Love the smell - it is very invigorating and energising, perfect for a morning shower. I didn't really like that it was jelly though, it seemed to just go down the drain and not dissolve. 

You, Me & Everybody - Sumptuous Skin Mousse

This came in a Bella Box ages ago. I quite liked this product, as a moisturiser it absorbed into my skin quickly and left it feeling hydrated. The only bad thing was the scent, it just didn't smell that nice. 

Cedel - Dry Shampoo

I purchased this ages ago - it was the first dry shampoo I ever used. It only got used though when I ran out of my favourite Batiste. It's okay just not as good as the Batiste. 

Rexona - Clinical Protection Anti-Perspirant Deodorant 

My holy grail deodorant. Have repurchased and will continue to do so. 

Nivea - Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes

I purchased these because I needed a new packet and the word 'natural' always sucks me in. These were okay but they didn't seem to cleanse deeply. 

Artiste - Brush Cleaner

An essential for me. Have already repurchased and will continue to do so.

Chanel - Vitalumiere Aqua 

This is my holy grail foundation. I love it to bits. My skin just looks so naturally flawless when I wear it. I will definitely repurchase this foundation. 

Bosisto's & Euky Bear - Vaporiser Fluids

At the start of April I came down with a flu like infection. I had the whole stuffy head, nose and cough that goes with. I was finding I couldn't sleep at night because I was so stuffed up that I couldn't breathe. That is when my Mummy dearest bought me a vaporiser from the Chemist. I went through 2 and a half bottles over about 2 weeks of this stuff. It really helped with my sickness. Just a tip: the Euky Bear one is best as it has the strongest scent.

So there is my empties for April. I will be back with another post soon - my April Favourites and then a Wishlist post..

What did you finish up in April?