April & May Empties

I don't know about you guys but I have had a crazy last few months, working two jobs, keeping a social life and being a cat mum doesn't give you much blogging time! Okay maybe the cat mum thing isn't a valid reason but I decided anyway to combine my April and May empties together. My beauty stash is bigger than ever mainly thanks to being lucky enough to attend the Brisbane Bloggers United Event a few weeks ago, and I'm determined to get some through of the older products Ive got stashed away so expect some beefed up empties posts coming! Here are the products I got through in April and May;

1. Natural Instinct Body Wash: As you can see this was a huge bottle of body wash to get through. I loved that it contained no nasties and had a refreshing, almost tea tree scent to it. It lathered nicely and it's also super affordable so I would definitely purchase again!

2. Nu- Pure Eye Patches: These eye masks were actually super fun and to my surprise worked really well! They were a couple of dollars from iherb and actually reduced the appearance of my under eye circles and made my skin super soft.

3. Clearasil Vitamins and Extracts Daily Wash: I'm not a huge fan of cream cleansers although this had a nice refreshing scent to it and did make my skin feel clean after using.

4. Clinique Even Better Eyes: This eye cream packaging had a metal dispenser making it feel cool when you apply the eye cream although after a second or two the cooling sensation goes away and really its just a regular eye cream, don't think its worth the price tag.

5. Herbal Essences Honey Im Strong Shampoo: A good inexpensive shampoo, didn't notice any difference in the strength of my hair but it was a good shampoo none the less.

6. Palmolive Active Nourishment Shampoo and Conditioner: I enjoyed the smell of this range but didn't use it long enough to get a decent review of it.

7. Mitchum Roll On: Only deodorant I will buy and re purchase.

8. Sex And The City Romantic Perfume: This was actually quite a nice sweet scent although the packaging is just so ugly that it hardly ever caught my eye so I decided to put it in the bathroom to use as a room spray instead.

8. Glam Eyes Jessica Lashes: I used up a two pack of these and they were tasteful dramatic lashes. I love super dramatic lashes so these ones were a nice alternative for quiet or daytime events.

9. Elf Liquid Liner: Another iherb purchase, considering the price this was quite a good liquid liner although after a couple of weeks use it started to go streaky and didn't apply nicely.

10. Elf Pressed Power: This was actually a really nice pressed powder for everyday, the only fault I could find was the flimsy packaging and I hit pan after about a weeks use. For $2 though I can't really complain!

11. Nyx HD Finishing Powder: I really liked this powder! It was translucent so was great whether I was fake tanned or not. It has the same effect as my Mac prep and prime powder- it smooths out the appearance of pores and sets really nicely.

12. Models Fat Lash Mascara: A very average mascara that I was glad to finally finish.

13. Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation: So many have raved about this foundation but I just couldn't seem to get it to work, let me know your thoughts if you have tried it!

Thats all my empties for April and May, let me know your thoughts if you have tried any of the products and thanks so much for stopping by!

Monique xx

FOTD: Glam Day Look

I realised yesterday that I hadn't shared a FOTD since New Years Eve! Yesterday I enjoyed some shopping with a Bestie and took some snaps of my makeup which I plan to do more often. I wore a pretty versatile look that can really be worn for any occasion (except swimming).

1. Nars all day luminous weightless foundation in 'Mont Blanc'

2. Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara

3. Ysl Black Waterproof Eyeliner

4. Hoola Benefit Bronzer

5. Too Faced Love Flush Blush in 'Justify My Love'

6. Colourpop 'Smoke N Whistles' Highlight

7. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade in 'Taupe'

8. Colourpop Ultra Matte lipstick in 'Midi'

9. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette 

I forgot to include my Nyx setting powder and favourite $1 liquid liner but I'm thinking I'll do a post featuring it soon as I can't go without it! Let me know your thoughts and your current holy grails as I want to purchase some new products. Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Monique xx

March Empties

Well today I woke up and realised its the 10th of April and thought 'Shit! I better get my March empties up' so here I am avoiding inspection cleaning and sharing my beauty rubbish with you instead.

1. Puretopia Refresh and Rebalance Mist and Toner: I loved using this spray toner as it was just so convenient to apply and smelt like lime and other delicious stuff. Definitely give it a go if you're in need of a new toner.

2. Dermalogica Microfoliant: I had a love hate relationship with this powder product mainly because I found the packaging/ powder aspect so annoying. I do the majority of my skincare routine in the shower so I found that water easily got into this container resulting in the powder becoming lumpy and ruined. I have another bottle that I plan on testing out again and I'll try with all my will power not to use it in the shower.

3. Pantene 3 Minute Miracle: This did actually make my hair feel quite soft after using it, one tube was perfect for my long hair and there wasn't too many nasty ingredients in this product. If you are after a 'quick fix' this might be worth a shot but would I call it a miracle? Nope.

4. Mitchum Powder Fresh Roll On: I have been using this roll on deodorant for years and its definitely a holy grail product of mine. It's the only product I've found that I can use in summer and go the whole day without worrying about any odour. Now that its starting to cool down a little I will be looking for deodorants that don't contain any aluminium.

5. Party Candy Perfume: Such a random purchase of mine years ago when I was in Melbourne. I was drawn to this scent as it's an imitation of Prada Candy and true to it's name it smelt like lollies, well a sophisticated version of lollies. I used about half of the bottle before using it as a room spray and now the liquid has separated so it's time to go.

6. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25H Foundation: I quite enjoyed using this foundation for every day as it had a nice medium coverage and held up well in summer. There's no way I think this foundation would last 25 hours but its safe to say I didn't test out that claim.

7. Kmart Coconut Cleansing Wipes: Im always testing out different face wipes and these ones from Kmart did the job but the coconut scent was just way too overpowering for me, and that's coming from a lady who loves scented things.

8. Sukin Facial Moisturiser: A light and fast absorbing face moisturiser. I can't wait for the day I use up all my moisturisers so I can actually go purchase one, Sukin would definitely be on my to purchase list. 

Thats all my March Empties! Hope April is treating you well so far and thanks for stopping by!

Monique xx

First Impressions: L'oreal Paris Nude Magique Cushion Foundation

Cushion Foundations seem to be popping up everywhere at the moment! So you can imagine my excitement when BeautyHeaven sent me the Loreal Nude Magique Cushion foundation to try out. It claims to be a weightless foundation that provides build able coverage, with a antimicrobial applicator and convenient 'to go' compact'. 

On first impressions I have to say I absolutely love the adorable packaging, the muted pink metallic container would look lovely in anyones beauty desk or handbag. I selected the shade 01 Porcelain as I'm naturally quite fair and usually the lightest shade available works for me, don't quote me but there only seems to be six shades currently available in Australia, although there appears to be twelve shade options over seas. The liquid is soaked into the sponge inside and the nifty packaging means that you can seal after every use making it handy for travel. The compact only holds 14.6 grams of product which is not much compared to the standard 30ml foundation and considering the $29.95 price tag. 

I used the sponge provided to apply the product in tapping options all over my face. I noticed that the shape of the sponge made it difficult to get into areas such as the nose crease but overall it blended and applied the foundation nicely. Even though they claim the sponge helps prevents bacteria, I just couldn't bring myself to keep the sponge after use and threw it out. I feel a beauty blender would be the best option for applying this foundation, although the supplied sponge would definitely be handy for those who like to touch up their makeup while out. 

L-R: No foundation, One Layer, Two Layers

The coverage after two layers was medium and it provided a nice dewy glow, personally I would still apply concealer to dark circles and any spots but this is definitely a foundation for someone who loves a more natural look. I have fairly normal skin with the occasional oily T- zone and think this foundation works beautifully for me. If I were to head out for the day I would definitely powder, but this foundation does look it's best left dewy and un set in my opinion. If you have dry skin I feel like this foundation would look and feel amazing on you. 

Overall I have to say that this is a very nice natural foundation that lives up to the claims. Personally I couldn't justify the price for the amount of product but this Is super handy and convenient for on the go. If you're after a dewy natural look I would definitely check out the L'oreal Paris Nude Magique Cushion Foundation. Thank you for stopping by my blog and I hope you're having a lovely day!

Monique xx

February Empties

A few staples and a few new items are in this months empties. I also had a mini clean out and got rid of some old makeup which Is a big step for me as I love using products up until they're empty, but sometimes Its just time for them to go. Here's what I used up this month;

1. Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Conditioning treatment: This came in the most recent Priceline hair goody bag and I have to say I loved it! It left my hair feeling the same as when I use my favourite treatment from the hairdresser. Also I got about 3 uses from the one sachet which Is impressive considering how long my hair is. It's also super Inexpensive so I give this one 2 thumbs up.

2. Schwarzkopf Blonde Toner: I feel like this product should be excluded from future empties posts as I feel like it's in every single one haha, and I just stocked up on another 4 bottles during the Priceline hair goody bag promo. It's a great inexpensive toner so I will continue to keep on repurchasing.

3. Feel Like Honey & Moon Skin base: I tested out this primer a couple of times and it was definitely interesting, had a weird jelly/honey texture and had little gold specks in it that made my skin look dewy. I'm not sure if I like it or not.

4. Jordan Eye Primer: Back in its early days this was a fantastic eye shadow primer especially for eyelids that tend to get oily like mine. Sadly its seen it's day and it's time to hit the bin.

5. Loreal 6 Hour Glam Shine Lipgloss: Me and this lipgloss go way back, in fact it was the first EVER red lip product I purchased, which soon sent me into a red lip wearing frenzy. Back before I knew how much I disliked red lipgloss. It's kind of sad to throw it out but I cringe thinking of what possible bacteria could be in there.

6. Daiso Makeup Brush Cleanser: I went into Daiso one day to pick up the famous gel brush cleanser everyone raves about but turns out it was sold out so I picked up the new alternative version to test out instead. It's a very runny cleanser that almost looks like water, and surprisingly I found it cleaned my brushes very well. Although it did have a strange strong scent that some may find unpleasing. I find baby shampoo more cost effective though so I think I'll be sticking to that to clean my makeup brushes.

7. Swispers Makeup Pads: These were a nice change up from the usual $2 kmart pads I purchase, and I have to say they were such good quality. I still can't justify spending more on little pads I use to apply toner and remove nail polish so I think Ill be sticking to the Kmart ones.

8. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder: I have gone through a few of these powders in the past as they are a great everyday setting powder. I sometimes get an oily T- zone and this powder helps prolong that happening.

9. Nip & Fab Dragons Blood Serum/ Skin Moisturiser/ Avon Anew Moisturiser: I got through some more moisturiser samples this month and I would have to say the Sukin was my favourite, purely because I know I'm not putting any nasties on my skin!

Hopefully I will have some more empties next month, especially hair care products as I just have so many! I hope you're having a lovely day and thank you for stopping by my blog.

Monique xx

January Empties

I have been slack updating my blog recently, going through some stressful times combined with a bad head cold meant that blogging wasn't a priority but I am keen to get back into it! I didn't get through as many products I would've liked last month but here they are none the less;

1. Lapurete mild creme face cleanser: This is a natural and very gentle face cleanser that was creamy and soft on the skin. It was a little too gentle for me so I used it as a 'pre wash' to help remove any makeup still on my face.

2. PureTan pure bronze rapid tan: This tan is supposed to give you a deep tan after only one hour of developing. The first time I tried it out I applied the product only to my stomach, it looks instantly dark and intimidating when you apply it so I was definitely hesitant as I am very fair. I applied my regularly used tan to the rest of my body and let it develop over night rather than just one hour. I woke up and after rinsing the pure bronze was a nice natural tan on my stomach. So I decided to test the 1 hour claim and had enough product left in the sample to cover my whole body, after rinsing despite the initial product looking very dark and scary I was actual left with nice natural tanned skin. The product also fades nicely and doesn't smell unpleasant so I would definitely pick a full size of this up!

3. Frangipani & Vanilla Hand soap: I was out of hand soap at home so I picked up the first one I could find, this one was from kmart and was on clearance for 25 cents, probably should have picked up a few more as it smelt really nice! The packaging isn't really my style but for 25 cents I definitely didn't mind using it as a refill for my ceramic dispensers.

4. Benefit They're Real mascara: A cult favourite, this mascara is lovey the first few weeks its open but for me It dried out very fast. If you want to splurge its nice but I personally don't think its worth the price tag.

5. Nip & Fab exfoliator face pads: I really enjoyed using these pre soaked pads before bed. They made my skin feel refreshed and were super convenient. I really recommend these.

6. Aveda thickening conditioner: Another product that didn't live up to the price tag for me. I absolutely loved that its made from natural ingredients but If I'm going to spend $50 on a thickening conditioner I'm going to expect it to thicken my hair. It smelt lovely and made my hair soft but yeah, I'm on the fence about this one.

7. Kevin Murphy anti gravity: This sample came with an Adore beauty order and I was excited to try it as I'm always trying to add volume to my hair. I was able to use the sample once before the product went all weird in the sachet. Kinda bummed as I really didn't get a good judgement out of once use. Smelt nice though!

8. Kmart makeup remover pads: These have been in so many of my empties posts, they are super inexpensive and I use them a lot to apply toner and remove nail polish, I will continue to purchase them.

9. Random loofah and rectangle beauty sponges: Sponges are just handy to have in your makeup collection and I finally used up this 20 pack that I have had for a few years. I also decided it was time to retire a loofah and replace it as you do every so often. 

That's all my January empties, hope February is being kind to you all!

Monique xx

December Empties

My last empties for 2015! It's so satisfying going through all my empties posts from the year to see how many products I got through, and I plan to try and use up a lot more in 2016! Here are my empties for December;

1. Carry On Facial Cleansing Wipes: These face wipes were very thin and too wet, I wouldn't recommend them for travelling or anything at all for that matter. 

2. Target Facial Wipes: I really like these wipes as they remove my makeup effectively and don't irritate my skin. This month I decided to try out the Kmart brand for comparison and don't think Ill be picking up these ones again for a while.

3. Colgate Max White One Toothpaste: I don't generally include toothpaste in my empties posts although I do like to review ones that claim to be whitening. I didn't notice much In a difference whilst using this toothpaste, although I think it did prevent staining from coffee.

4. Hi Lift Blue Powder Bleach: After getting into using powder bleach and developer I will never go back to buying box dyes. I save so much money and can get so many applications out of one container. If anyone wants a more in depth post on how I bleach my hair please let me know and I can do one for you.

5. LA Girl Pro Conceal: I'm sorry but I don't really understand the hype based around this concealer. It's nice for everyday and blends well but for me personally it is no where as good as Mac Pro Long wear as most people claim. This concealer creases under my eyes and the brush tip applicator grossed me out.

6. LA Colours Pressed Powder: This was a very inexpensive powder that set my foundation nicely. I didn't have any issues with it besides the lid breaking off after a few uses.

7. Revlon Nail Files: I did my own acrylics a few weeks back and absolutely destroyed these two Revlon nail files and a random one in the process. They were all brand new so I'm surprised they didn't last very long. I think I should invest in an electronic nail filer. 

8. Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara: This was a very average mascara and it didn't wow me at all. Was alright for work and day to day tasks. 

9. Schwarzkopf Miracle Oil and 3 Step Ultimate Repair System: I was actually impressed with all of these products, my hair felt lovely after the deep treatment and the hair oil smelt amazing. If I can ever get through the huge stash of hair stuff I have I will definitely take another look at the full sized products.

10.  Neutrogena Grapefruit Face wash: I really enjoyed using this face wash, It smells fresh and left my face feeling super clean.

The other samples I got through I didn't enjoy at all, the palmers skin therapy oil despite smelling lovely was just too oily for me (and I've tried a lot of oils) and the body wash and cleansing gel were both too boring for my liking. But anyway thats all the products I got through in December. I want to personally thank all my readers for the support since starting up my blog, I truly appreciate it and look forward to more content in 2016!

Monique xx