March Empties

Yay It's Empties time. I have had a crazy busy month moving house and all so I'm glad I was still able to get through a good chunk of products! Here Is what I have used up this month.

1. Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Milk: I have previously reviewed this gradual tanning moisturiser as I absolutely love it. It's a beautiful natural colour and doesn't apply patchy unless your lazy upon application and don't rub it in properly. I have a backup already.

2. Urban Colour Nail Polish: I always used this nail polish on my toe nails as it applied opaque in one coat and was hassle free. I used about 90% of it up before it dried out.

3. Scholl Party Feet Gel Cushions: I bought these for a twenty first as I really wanted to wear heels but reduce some of the burning pain I get after a couple of hours wear. They made a little bit of a difference, nothing to jump up and down about (literally).

4. Australis Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder: A fantastic setting powder that I will definitely repurchase when I get through the other a billion powders thats I own.

5. Random Ass Hairbrush: I don't know where or when this hair brush entered my life but I've had it for ages and the green colour grosses me out so I'm chucking it out.

6. Makeup Remover Pads: I've raved about these in the past as they're so affordable but for some reason the most recent packet I bought falls apart much more easily. I'll probably look into trying some other brands.

7. Goldwell Shampoo and Conditioner: I really love Goldwell and these samples were no exception. I definitely want to get my hands on the full size bottles.

8. Seacret Mineral Peeling Gel: This was gross, I think the product had dried out as It felt I was rubbing non absorbent jelly on my skin.

9. Oral B Teeth Whitening Strip: I noticed a little bit of a difference after using this whitening strip although I don't think I can give my opinion on it until I used it regularly like the instructions suggest.

10. Nordic Silver Toner: Love love love this super purple toner, I wish I could buy It separately and not just with a certain box dye. 

11. Elucent Whitening Night Moisturiser: Handy size for travelling, other than that this didn't make an impression on me at all.

12. Hollywood Makeup Removing Wipes: My bestie gave this to me when I was staying over her place after a night out and I was super impressed. The individual sachet Is great to chuck in your handbag and It removed my makeup efortlessly.

Well that was everything I got through this month. Let me know if you are trying to get through products you own or making them last instead! After moving I realised just how much beauty stock I need to get through. Thanks so much for reading!

Monique xx

First Impressions: Too Faced Lip Creme In 'Fuschia Shock'

I'm currently in the middle of the stressful applying for new houses/packing stage, so I haven't been able to blog as much as I like, but when I received this gorgeous Too Faced Lip Creme In the mail I just had to share it with you! I purchased the colour 'Fuchsia shock' off Amazon and It was roughly $24 Australian including shipping, they are also available from Mecca for $29 although I don't think this particular shade is available. 

The Too Faced Lip Creme Colour Drenching Lip Cream claims to be 'infused with white lotus flower extract to hydrate, sooth and condition the lips and power peptides to condition and smooth the delicate lip area'. On first impression I can definitely agree that this lipstick is super smooth and creamy to apply, you don't have to worry about your lips drying out whilst wearing this lipstick although that being said the staying power isn't that fantastic. You will probably get a good 2-3 hours wear before you will need to touch up or re-apply. 

The colour pay off is rich and on first application this lipstick has a very pleasant smell that I can't quite put my finger on, It doesn't linger which is great for those who aren't a fan of scented products. The colour Fuchsia shock is a very universally flattering shade in my opinion and I have nothing bad in general to say about the formula and the packaging, In fact I'm having a very, very hard time throwing out the box, here's why;

There's a bunny on the box!! Yep I think its going to be quite some time before I bring myself to throw this adorable packaging in the bin, you have won me over Too Faced. Let me know if you have ever tried out the Too Faced Lip Creme's and whats your favourite shade, as I would love to pick up some more of these super creamy pretty lipsticks. Thanks for reading!

Monique xx

February Empties

Woohoo February is nearly done and dusted, I hated February, bring on bigger and better things in March. Here's everything I got through this month.

1. Veet Finishing Wipes: These came with the Veet electrical wax kit and I was not impressed, first of all I needed to use all four of the wipes after only waxing half a leg, they were too thin and tore while trying to remove the wax residue.

2. Simple Cleansing Wipes: Great at removing makeup and I'm sad that I have run out as I am on a spending ban. Will definitely repurchase when It's over.

3. Jericho Eye Gel: This sample lasted forever and yet I didn't see any difference whilst using it, the gel texture was refreshing and I like the 'mineral sea' ingredients. Although In general I don't think eye creams make much of a difference for me.

4. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen: Absolutely love this sunscreen, doesn't give you that greasy oily feeling and a little goes a long way.

5. Vagisil Wipes: I use these for cleaning my makeup desk, this was the last wipe I had to use and now that I have used them all I actually find myself wanting to buy more as they wiped grime off my makeup table quite well.

6. Tresseme Moisture Rich conditioner: HOLYYY I actually finished up this bottle of conditioner, its a miracle. I liked it but I got over it, Im still only half way through the shampoo bottle, sigh.

7. John Frieda Full Repair conditioner: I took this away with me to Bali as It was a great travel size. I enjoyed using it and I'm glad I have a few more small bottles of it to use up.

The next few items aren't technically 'empties' but I had a little bit of a clean out and these had to go.

8. ModelCo Lipgloss: I actually didn't mind this gloss, just the stupid packaging that made it leak everywhere and leave things sticky made it impossible to love.

9. Hopeless Tweezers: Hopeless, simply hopeless.

10. Orly Nailpolish: This is the first nail polish I ever remember owning and I'm pretty sure it used to be my mums, It's super separated and time to hit the bin.

11. Cinderella lip gloss: I'm a huge disney fan and I often receive some interesting birthday and christmas gifts, this is one of them that I just wont use.

12. Hoola Brush: This brush came with the Benefit Hoola bronzer, I don't find that there's anything wrong with it, I just never use it so it just sits there taking up space.

13. Amuse Foundation Stick: This was like $1 and it's just way too orange and gross, the formula isn't actually too bad for an extremely affordable foundation I'll just never use it.

Thats everything I got through this month, are you overdue for a little bit of a clean out like I was? Let me know!

Monique xx

FOTD: Warm Eyes and Nude lips

It may be a boring Sunday In for me but I said what the heck and decided to create a random FOTD and post it, as it's been far too long since I've shared my face (that could be a good or a bad thing). I decided on warm eyes, and came up with a nude lip combo that actually suits my fair skin, hooray!

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Maybelline Colour tattoo in 'Fierce and Tangy' all over the lid
• Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette
• Jelly Pong Pong liner/shadow stick in water line
• Revlon Colour Stay liner in tight line (Thanks Kats!)
• Elf Liquid Liner
• Rimmel Wonderful Mascara - I couldn't for the life of me find this when I was photographing the products haha who knows where it is
• Unbranded Lashes

Face

• Mac Fix Plus
• Jane Iredale Pressed Mineral Foundation
• LA Girl Pro conceal
• Anastasia Brow Pomade in Taupe
• Face Of Australia Contour Kit
• Mac MSF in Soft and Gentle
• Ulta Three lipstick in Sandal Wood on the outside of the lips
• Mac Myth lipstick on the centre of the lips

I feel a bit silly with lashes and all on now when I'm just hanging out at home, but hey there's no harm in looking fabulous while I read my book. Hope you all had a great weekend and thanks for reading!

Monique xx

Mo's Lowdown: 1000 Hour Eyelash Dye Kit

Time for a good old Lowdown and today its about the 1000 Hour eyelash and brow dye kit. I was a few days prior leaving for my Bali trip and decided to pick up one of these kits to see if it would make my invisible eyelashes more prominent, as I knew makeup would sweat off over there and I would be doing a lot of swimming whilst on holiday. I chose the colour natural black, as I thought it would be the best colour for my lashes compared to the other options at my local Priceline, charcoal and blue black.

The pack came with the dye, a developer liquid and a little mixing tray and tool. I mixed the two products together before using one of my own disposable mascara wands from my makeup kit to apply the product to my lashes.

The first thing I noticed was that this product does definitely sting, It states on the box that this is a normal reaction so I wasn't worried and persisted with the application, although I would be weary of trying out this product if you have sensitive eyes. I waited 20 minutes and noticed some of the dye staining around my eyes- should have payed attention to the instructions about applying vaseline prior but whoopsie. I then rinsed my eyes under the sink and observed the results;

It may look like the brightness has changed in the after photo although I was in the process of developing a fake tan, so the results are very true to colour. Being a fan of dramatic lashes myself I wasn't super excited about the results although I could definitely see a difference. I can say that it was nice having slightly darker lashes while I was in the pool or snorkelling whilst on holiday, although I'm not totally sure if for me personally its worth the money or hassle. 

Pros

• Easy Application Process
• 12 six - week applications for $18.99
• Can apply in the comfort of your own home
• Great for those who want to enhance their lashes  

Cons

• Very subtle difference
• Irritates the eyes

I can definitely see why this product would be such a hit for those who want to tint their brows or lashes at a fraction of the cost, although for myself I think the result is a little too natural. I want to try out the blue black dye in the range next as I feel that would really make my lashes pop, and give me that look I'm after. Overall testing out the 1000 hour eyelash and brow dye kit was an enjoyable experience, and the simple application process plus the amount of product you get for the price definitely makes the kit worth it.

Thanks so much for reading and do let me know if you have tried this product!

Monique xx

January Empties

I was fortunate to receive a lot of christmas and birthday beauty goodies as you can see in my most recent posts, so I was glad to get through some items in the month of January to make some space for all the new items! Here's what I got through;

1. Nordic Blonde L101 Lightener: The same box dye was in my December empties and I loved it so much that I of course repurchased. I love how white it made my hair as well as how cheap it is so I would definitely buy it again.

2. Elucent Night Moisturiser sample: I didn't notice any difference in my skin using this moisturiser, although it was very hydrating and didn't leave any residue so thats a plus. I feel it would be more suited to mature skin types.

3. Mitchum Roll On Deodorant in Powder Fresh: Lost count of how many times I have repurchased this deodorant, never fails me and I won't ever be without it.

4. Mitchum Advanced Control Deodorant: No I dont stink lots and go through two lots of deodorant a month, after I used up my roll on I thought I would try out the Mitchum spray version and after a week it somehow leaked everywhere until it was empty. Regret, so much regret.

5. Unbranded False Eyelashes: This is kind of cheating being an 'empty' as I usually include my used lashes in other empties post's but I thought It would be good to show the packaging they come in. I buy all my false lashes off ebay in these packs of 10, there is lots of styles to choose from and they range in price from $3-$5. If you love fake eyelashes like me then you need to get on ebay asap!

6. Elf Mineral Infused Primer: An inexpensive decent primer, Ideal for everyday.

7. Chap Stick Night Repair: This lip balm just didn't do it for me. So glad to have finished it up, although I still have the day version to get through too, sigh.

8. Sex in The City Perfume sample: Ugh this just leaked through my suitcase when I went to Bali. I have a full size of this perfume that I have been trying to use up for years now. I don't know why I just don't save my self the torture and throw it in the bin but you know I'm a crazy beauty product user-upper-er.

9. Maybelline Master Precise Liner: I really enjoyed this liner at first as it made a super crisp jet back line, but I found it just couldn't keep up with my thick cat eyes and ran out extremely fast.

10. Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation: I actually quite like this mineral foundation, it was quick to apply and gave my skin a light to medium coverage which I enjoy for work. I would consider repurchasing if I can ever get through all the other foundations I own.

This month I was really glad to use up a few of the products that I own way too much of; perfume, foundation and lip balm! Let me know if you have any products you're desperately trying to get through!

Monique xx

Birthday Beauty Haul

So I've been super slack on the blogging front as of late, and I leave the country tomorrow so I figured I better get my but into gear and put up the post I've been meaning to blog about for a while now. My 21st was earlier this month and I was very fortunate to receive some amazing gifts from family and friends, quite a few of them beauty related so I thought I would share with you all what I got!

I was super excited to receive some Lush goodies this year and in particular the Snow Fairy shower gel and Godmother soap. Both these scents are so sweet and delicious that I don't ever want to use them up! Another EOS lip balm was an awesome surprise as I'm loving the one I received for Christmas, and I also received a Tony Moly Caviar Face mask which I can't wait to use! I honestly wear red nail polish 95% of the time so when I was gifted the OPI nail polish in 'Got the blues for red' you can imagine my excitement, I'll be rocking this colour all year round.

Perfume obsessed me was so overjoyed to receive this Versace Bright Crystal perfume set. It came with the perfume, a body lotion and shower gel that all smell amazing. The box itself also came in super handy for makeup storage (which I definitely need more of after this Christmas and birthday).

If you love sweet perfumes with vanilla notes you have to go try the Beyonce Heat Wild Orchid. I smelt it once in a chemist and fell in love straight away, so I was so excited that my partner picked it up for me for my birthday! I also got some Mac goodies including the famous Ruby Woo lipstick (being a red fan I don't know how this wasn't in my life already) and the blush in 'Full Of Joy', which is a light pinky purple colour- I'm obsessed with it.

I also received this Stefan daily hair kit which includes a sulphate, salt, and allergen free shampoo, conditioner and treatment. I'm usually quite cheap when it comes to shampoo and conditioner so I'm super excited to treat my hair with these goodies!

Speaking of hair, when talking to my twin sister about our birthday gifts for each other I mentioned I didn't really need anything other than bleach and developer. I usually just use box dyes but recently decided to make the switch and save some money in the process. So I was glad to receive these as It will last me a few applications and have me looking blonder than ever!

And last but certainly not least I received the glorious Naked 3 palette. The same friend actually gifted me the Naked 1 a couple of years ago so now theres a joke running that she has to get me the Naked 2 as well (I wouldn't complain Rachel). I'm still in disbelief that I own this palette, it's so beautiful and I can't wait to create so many looks with it.

I was absolutely blown away by the generosity of family and friends this birthday, and tomorrow I finally get to enjoy the present from my family which is a trip to Bali! Thank you all so much for reading and I promise I'll be back into full swing soon!

Monique xx