Monday, December 2, 2013

November Favourites

November found me surprisingly enjoying quite a few products. I experienced something of a renaissance in my interest in eyeshadows (not that I ever lost it, just I could never be bothered), sparked by finally getting off my ass and washing my eye brushes en masse. Clean brushes suddenly opened up a new world of aiming to wear a different eyeshadow each day, rather than resorting to my automatic, lazy, go-to picks (Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, I'm looking at you). I also made a conscious effort to use up some of my existing products, particularly skin care. Adhering to a regular routine saw my skin reaping the benefits, and I've enjoyed a relatively blemish-free complexion this month (knock on wood).



Antipodes Organic Lime Leaf & Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
This free inclusion in the Daily Moisturise Kit I bought in January seemed like an afterthought, but when I misplaced my Maybelline Baby Lips in Relieving Menthol and couldn't be bothered to retrieve it, I decided then was the best time to crack open my untouched Antipodes lip balm. I didn't have any expectations of it, but found myself pleasantly surprised. While I rarely use up any lipsticks or lip glosses, I regularly finish lip balms, and this one is no exception. I've been consistently reaching for it this month, especially before bed, and sadly it's almost empty. I'm a fan of the fresh, lemony scent and how the somewhat dry, hard texture just melts when in contact with the lips, providing welcome hydration and nourishment.


MOR Tonka Bean Musk Body Butter
I've always considered body moisturisation to be a bit of a chore, but it's certainly made more tolerable depending on the product used. Enter this perfumed body butter from MOR. I pounced on the opportunity to pick this up from David Jones earlier in the year when it was on sale for $10 (down from $29.95) after loving my first experience with a MOR body butter (won from Sue's giveaway), Hibiscus Bloom. Tonka Bean Musk smells unlike anything I've tried and it's kind of addictive. It's powdery and floral but I also detect a little cocoa, vanilla and musk. It has a warmth, spiciness and creaminess. The official notes are bergamot, jasmine, lily of the valley, tonka bean and musk. The body butter is thick, rich and very moisturising, though it doesn't sink completely into the skin the way my Grown Mandarin and Rosemary Leaf Body Cream does.


Prestige My Blackest Lashes Intense Black Volume Mascara in Blackest Black (MLB-01)
This mascara has been the only one I've used this month after chucking out my CoverGirl LashBlast Volume and mini Benefit They're Real. At first, I found it to be too wet and a little smudgy, but I persevered and it dried up to become more manageable. It tends to smear on my lower lashes (which I prefer coating with Max Factor Masterpiece Max), but the fattish, many-bristled wand of the Prestige encourages what volume and length can be coaxed out of my measly upper lashes, while avoiding clumps.




Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Smokey Quartz (030)
Though this month involved two very luxe eyeshadow purchases, I was most satisfied with this affordable neutral option from Rimmel which I picked up during Priceline's second 40% off all cosmetics sale this year. I've debated whether to purchase Smokey Quartz for a while now given how utterly superfluous it seems (because, you know, I'm severely lacking any eyeshadows like it). But once I tried it on my lids, my questionable decision to buy it was vindicated. This is nice. Freakin' nice. It's the exact kind of purply, taupeish, browny satin shade I go for, laced with a silvery shimmer that's relatively fine and not overly metallic. Not too warm, not too cool. Mid-tone, making it an ideal all-over lid colour for the daytime, though you could definitely smoke it up for a more evening flavour. I had no issues with pigmentation or fallout and found the texture to be smooth and soft, if a touch powdery and crumbly, but nothing major.


Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely perfume
A perfume rediscovery this month which I thoroughly enjoyed spritzing on myself in the mornings before work. Celebrity fragrances can get a bad rap but this first effort from Sarah Jessica Parker has been reviewed well by critics. It's not hard to see why. Lovely is frequently described as a lighter, more polite version of Narciso Rodriguez For Her and the comparison is apt. I have both and I definitely prefer Lovely for the daytime as it's not as pungent and strong as For Her, which is more potent and sharp. I particularly like Lovely for more chilly, overcast weather as I find that's when the fragrance really shines on the skin. This is an elegant, quiet, clean and enveloping scent that's more refined and grown up than your usual candied, tropical juice "fruity-floral". Lasting power is better than average as well.

Pixi Glow Tonic Beauty Elixir
It's a little incredible to me I managed to pack this in my luggage from London after trekking around Europe for 3 weeks (there was some leakage on the surrounding tissue paper it was wrapped in, but nothing disastrous). The effort was well worth it. I have to say I wasn't brimming with enthusiasm the first few sporadic occasions I used it, but I discovered this is an exfoliating toner that shows results with regular, continued use over a prolonged period of time. Don't expect an overnight transformation as you might with something much stronger, like Alpha-H Liquid Gold. Using 3 pumps of Glow Tonic on a cotton puff all over my face after cleansing in the shower removes all last traces of makeup, and balances and softly polishes my skin without stripping or drying it. It preps the skin perfectly for moisturisers and serums that follow.

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist
I had lukewarm feelings about this when I first purchased it, but after using it consistently at night after my Pixi Glow Tonic, I've officially come around. Yes, this is pricey stuff, but I can't help but love having and using it. The packaging is to die for and the orange blossom, spa-like scent is mild and refreshing. I spritz 3 pumps into my hand and press my palms onto my face after toning with Glow Tonic. The two together make my skin appear plump and hydrated, scrubbed and radiant, even before creams. My skin's texture looks to have improved — it's clearer, smoother and the spots have been kept at bay despite appalling, pimple-triggering lifestyle habits. Foundation seems to sit better on my skin as well, with less dry patches and cakiness.

31 comments:

  1. Bottle of this perfume is looking so cute :)

    www.magdalennes.blogspot.com

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  2. You are so like me! I don't like "wet" mascaras either...it's so messy >>
    That eyeshadow is so pretty, and sadly I believe that I can't get here. I'll be checking and hopefully I can find it :3

    That pixi toner looks really amazing as well, sadly, I can only get it online here.
    Take care :3 Have a nice day!*

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  3. I love the sound of your Favourites this month. If I see SJP Lovely I'll give it a whiff. Your skincare toner combo sounds delightful. Pity they're both so out of reach. I don't know how you use up lip products, I always lose them before I can use them!

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  4. I was just sniffing lovely the other day, LOVED IT! I can see why it's in your favorites :)

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  5. Love the sound of the Pixi tonic its sounds nice and heard so much positive reviews on it :D will need to get myself some to try x

    www.krystelcouture.com
    GLAMGLOW + Macadamia Oil Giveaway

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  6. i gotta try that prestige mascara! (there is an inner mascara whore in me..)
    i also find most celebrity scents "meh", but i am with you on this one. i have Lovely and enjoy it a lot although i can only wear this on rainy days otherwise it rather smells masculine on me. i still love the NR for her more cause it is rounder and creamy on me.

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    1. Do you have the EDP or EDT of For Her? I have the EDP but I'm not sure if I actually prefer the EDT. It's the oddest case of a perfume where I actually find the EDT has longer lasting power than the EDP. Maybe the perfume concentration is pretty much the same and it's more just the combination of notes? The two smell totally different as well, which I didn't even realise until much later LOL. This was years ago regardless - I was given the EDP as a birthday gift from friends and I don't think they realised the EDT and the EDP were different fragrances either.

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  7. that rimmel shade looks lovely! :)

    make-up-your-mindx.blogspot.com

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  8. So many lovely favourites and so many products I want to try out! I need to hunt down a bottle of Glow Tonic asap x

    Evelyn @ We Were Raised By Wolves

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  9. So true about washing brushes, lol. I put it off for two months and it was starting to become ridiculous the way I'd avoid wearing any eye makeup as a consequence.

    That MOR sounds great! I love Tonka bean and musk.

    And I find that sometimes mascaras work better after they've been opened a while as the wet formula dries up a bit.

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  10. Great favs dear! I haven't try Lovely but it sounded lovely indeed.

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  11. The SJP perfume is so nice. I always forget about this. I need to buy another bottle.
    I have heard alot of good things about Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist - it sounds so nice
    http://letstalkbeauty.co.uk/

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  12. The Tonka Bean body butter just sounds amazing, definitely going on my wish list! xx

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  13. I've still yet to try Pixi..but every review makes it more clear to me that I should try and purchase it!

    Cocoamourr, Beauty/Skincare

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  14. Haha, I also have Maybelline's Bad to the Bronze to blame for not wearing eye shadow! Whenever I'm going out, I just dab some on my eyelids and voilà! So simple, but I really need to experiment more with my shadows.
    I'm the same way when it comes to body butters/moisturizers, I have to force myself to use them! I don't like the one I'm using right now that much (the Vaseline cocoa butter lotion) so I can't wait to pick up a better product, I'm sure it will help my laziness.
    I had to laugh at the name of that Prestige mascara, they certainly insist on the fact that it's black! Haha. And I have to try that Pixi product, I have never used a toner before but why not!

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    1. Lol I never thought about it but now that you mention it, the name of that mascara is quite a laugh!

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  15. Lovely favorites!! The MOR tonka bean body butter sounds right up my alley. I like almost everything that has tonka bean in it :-) MOR products are available at asos but I am not sure if this particular with tonka bean is available, but I'll take a look!
    the pixi toner and the omorovieza ( what a name! ) mist sound great!! I have heard the foundation from the Omorovieza is a good one! :-D

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  16. Wow, these items all look intriguing! I'm the opposite and can never see the end of my lip balms, but the scent of that Antipodes one sounds amazing. Not that I should be buying anymore...

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  17. The pixi glow tonic sounds great. Once you use it up you should try the clarins gentle exfoliating toner, it's what I have been using and it's done wonders to even out my skin :)

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  18. I really want to try the Pixi Glow Tonic. xx

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  19. I can't tell you how many times I've put the queen of Hungary mist in my basket on feelunique only to take it out again! You may have finally convinced me this time though by using two of my favorite skin care words: plump and radiant! I think I'll have to bite the bullet and make it mine.

    luluisloving.wordpress.com

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  20. UGHHHHH how dare you rub that pixi glow tonic in my face… they finally released it online here in the states but it has been sold out since, oh I don't know, five minutes after the release so I have yet to nab it for myself ;__; Hopefully someday soon though!! Also, that lip balm sounds fantastic as well as that eye shadow; they sound like absolute staples. Like always though, this was a great roundup of favorites! You make me feel all of the makeup/beauty feelings.

    ♥Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com

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  21. That Rimmel shadow looks super beautiful! I also really want to try the Pixi Glow Tonic, it sounds like a lovely product!

    Jennie xo | sailorjennie.com

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  22. The eye shadow color is gorgeous! I need to get my hands on that ASAP.
    The Grass Skirt

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  23. Sarah Jessica Parker's perfume Lovely is one of my favourites too!

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  24. Sarah Jessica Parker's perfume Lovely is one of my favourites too!

    http://sprinklesbeautylife.blogspot.com.au

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  25. my blackest lashes pairs really well with clinique high impact mascara for some reason. I think it's because high impact is more wet and can comb through the clumpiness of my blackest lashes for truly dramatic and full lashes!

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  26. The Antipodes Organic Lime Leaf & Cocoa Butter Lip Balm sounds so nice. Lovely is also a favourite of mine. :)
    Love the nails too, which polishes did you use? Great combo. X

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    Replies
    1. I just did a post on the exact polishes worn! :)

      http://sleepandwater.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/jangle-all-way.html

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  27. Gorgeous favourites and I simply adore your nails!

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