Current Favourites

L'oreal Paris Skin Perfection Cleansing Oil and Micellar Cleansing Water
I talked about these before so I won't say too much except that I'm loving them sick. I use the micellar water on my eyes and the cleansing oil on my face, then follow up with a cream cleanser as a double cleanse (I have several on the go). Noodles uses the micellar water on her eyes and face and loves it.

L'Oreal Revitalift Laser x 3 Anti-Ageing Power Moisturiser
I'm not generally a fan of moisturisers in jars but I really like this one. If I use it at night my skin feels smooth and soft the next morning, and it also makes a nice base under makeup. I was sent this for review from Beauty Heaven and I'm definitely going to buy another jar when it's finished.

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer Neutraliser
This is the yellowish one, and I don't know if you can get it here - I've never seen it. I use it under my eyes and around my nose to reduce redness and dark circles before I put foundation or tinted moisturiser on and it works really well.

Maybelline Age Rewind Foundation in Nude
I didn't think much of this when I first bought it - it's an oddly dry formula and I didn't find it gave great coverage or lasted that well. However, I've found that with a decent primer underneath it does the job and I've been using it a lot lately because it's pretty much weightless and I hate the feeling of heavy foundations on my face.

Maybelline Super Stay 10 Hour Stain Gloss in Mauve Dream, Ruby Indulgence and Pink Plush
I stopped using bright coloured lip products a year or two ago because my teeth have been shifting (apparently I bite down on them and push them out when I sleep, and whatever it will cost to fix that is too expensive at the moment) and creating gaps so I was really conscious of not drawing attention to my mouth. But you know... fuck it. It is what it is. I like coloured lips and I've started wearing them again. These are awesome - they go on like a lip gloss but dry like a stain. I don't find them verydrying (a tinchy bit but not much) and they last for a few hours - though definitely not 10, that's a blatant fib. Again, I've never seen them here - what is up with that?

Prescriptives Lipstick in Azalea
An old lipstick I hauled out - another bright one. I was complimented by some random chick at work who I don't know when I wore this the other day. Noice! It's a really easy to wear reddish coral, and I'm glad it's back in my rotation.

Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream
Another one sent to me by Beauty Heaven. To be honest, I would never have bought this - Benefit is not a brand I particularly like with the exception of one or two products, and I would not think to go there for skin care products. However, I like this a lot - it doesn't really do anything other than have an aesthetic effect in smoothing the skin under the eye while it's on, but it's light and absorbs easily and make the area where it's applied feel soft and smooth. I think I'd actually repurchase this.

Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Illuminator in Angel Mist
Jacquie gave me some of hers, which is why it's in a jar - these things come in massive size packages that would take years to get through, which is actually a bit weird. Anyway, I use a dab right on the top of my cheekbone with a cotton bud and then blend it in with a Real Techniques stippling brush. I apply it before I put any foundation or tinted moisturiser on and it just leaves a really nice, subtle glow without that crazy I'M WEARING HIGHLIGHTER look. I have one of the darker ones of this range that I bought ages ago but I hardly ever wear it.

Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Lavender Meadow
I'm not a big fan of these eyeshadows generally - I don't think they have a lot of pigment and they're not easy to blend. However, I'm a sucker for a purple shadow so when I saw this for $5 at a chemist I had to grab it. There's a really pretty green, a dark purple and two lighter purple/lavender colours. Surprisingly they are quite pigmented and not at all chalky, though still a bit of a palaver to blend. I'm all about purple eyes at the moment so I'm making good use of this.

Silk Naturals Blush in Petal
I have a feeling this is a dupe for something MAC, but I can't remember exactly. I'm trying to use up face samples at the moment - blush, bronzer/contour, highlighter, etc. I've used this a few times lately and I really like it. It's a super pretty light pink matte that just leaves a nice flush without making it look like I have COLOUR on my face. And I've just looked it up. It's a clone of Benefit Dandelion. I really, really want a full size of this, but I have so many blushes I don't know if I can justify it. But I really, really want it...

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe/Ash
This is all I've been using on my eyebrows for months. I use the lighter colour, and I love it because it has no red in it. I never use the darker one or the wax, so I wish I could just buy that lighter colour on its own. Still, it's lasting forever so I'm getting my money's worth out of it. I apply it with the Real Techniques angled brush and it takes seconds. Lerve. <3

December Empties and Chuckers

This is my 100th post. I should have thought of a more interesting topic for it. Oh well, just look at these empty bottles and jars and pretend it's art or something.

EMPTIES

Radox Cocoa Butter Shower Cream.
Eh, it's okay. Nothing bad but nothing great either - I just bought it at the supermarket because it was on special. I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Al'chemy Unscented Very Gentle Shampoo
I really like this stuff - it's about my 3rd or 4th bottle. I'm currently experimenting with using this and no conditioner, just a spritz of detangler. So far so good, but I've only been doing it for a week or so, so it's too early to tell whether it's helping anything yet. I might do a post about it when I've been at it a bit longer.

Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo and Thickening Conditioner
I didn't want to say much about this last time I mentioned it in my empties because I was trialling it for a Beauty Heaven review and I hadn't submitted it yet. Well, now I have and I can tell you I hated it. It's supposed to be helpful for thinning hair, but I had a ton of hair fall out while I was using it and I am convinced that it was this that caused it, as I wasn't doing anything else differently. I actually used up two lots of this, thinking maybe I was just imagining it, but I am definitely not. My hair is considerably thinner than it was 3 months ago, and I will never touch this stuff again.

 

Nutri Synergy Natural NS-8 Heel Balm Complex
I have had this around for ages because I kept forgetting it was there. It works pretty well on rough feet when you remember to use it. I'd probably buy it again and then put it somewhere prominent to remind me about it.

Beauty Without Cruelty Balancing Facial Toner
Just a toner, nothing amazing but it feels nice and has a pleasant scent. It's also cheap as chips and doesn't have any nasties in it. I have already got another bottle on the go and both Noodles and I use it so we're ploughing through it.

Bioderma Crealine H2O
Good lord, is this stuff over-rated! I was given this by Jac as she got it in a Bellabox and wasn't interested in it. I was really excited to try it after all the raves I've heard. It stung my eyes (which are not particularly sensitive) and it didn't clean my mascara or foundation off properly. Frankly, I thought it was crap. So glad I didn't give in to the temptation to spring for a bottle of this on eBay.

Ayelet Naturals Under Eye Cream with Zinc and Green Coffee Extract (sample)
This was a good size sample - I got about 2.5 weeks out of it, using it every morning. It's one of my Etsy skin care sample purchases, as I've been picking up small things here and there from Etsy stores to try them out. It's a nice eye cream but nothing amazing. I probably wouldn't buy a full size.

Pure Luxe Luxurious Facial Mask (sample)
It's spelled 'Luxurios' on the little container, which annoys me no end. This is a clay based mask that is quite nice, but I probably wouldn't buy a full size because I have a couple of huge Queen Helene masks that are going to last for ages.

Sigma Travel Size Blending Brush (#224 dupe)
Another Sigma brush bites the dust. I haven't bought any of their brushes for a couple of years now, and given my history with them, I'm not likely to any time soon.

CHUCKERS

Silk Naturals French Lavender Lotion
Yesterday I was looking through my bathroom cupboards to see if I happened to have an unscented body lotion (I don't) I could use to moisturise so my perfume would last longer. I did, however, find a few others that were a bit past it, like this one. It smells weird so it's going. I never liked it all that much anyway, which is why I have had this little tube for well over a year and only used half of it.

Arbonne Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream
Another one with a funky smell, and there's only a tiny bit left so out it goes. I never liked the smell of this - it was strong and herby and hung around forever - so I wouldn't repurchase it.

Haus of Gloi Depravity and Olde Cider Haus
These still smell like they're okay but I hate the scents of both (as does Noodles), so they never get used. I had them hanging around thinking I would find something to do with them, but - eh. They're only minis, they were probably about $4 each, they can go.

LA Color Craze Nail Polish
The formula of this is streaky and horrible and no matter how many coats I apply it looks like crap, so it's going.

NYX Powder Blush in Natural
I dropped this on the bathroom floor the other day and I was a bit devo as it's one of my favourite blushes - certainly one of my most-used. I know I could press it back together, but I can't be bothered. I'll just pick up another one when Cherry Culture or Nonpareil has one of their 20% off sales.

November Empties and Chuckers

Le Empties

Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo, Thickening Conditioner, and Scalp Revitalizer
I'm in the middle of trialling these at the moment (I have a second lot I'm working through) so I won't say anything about them as yet.

Puretopia Whisk Away Creamy Face Cleanser
This was one of the products I picked up for gratis in Beauty Heaven's first Beautorium, and I really like it. I have already blagged another one that Jacquie gave me from one of her blogging get-together freebie scores. I don't even know how much it is, but I would repurchase it for sure - I loves me some cream cleanser. I use it after removing make up at night, and I like that it doesn't leave my face feeling tight.

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract
Sabine from Echolife sent me these a while ago, and I do like them quite a lot, although it says on the packet 'removes dirt, oil and make-up without rinsing'. Dirt and oil, sure, but makeup... noooo. It didn't do much to remove any of my makeup at all. That's not really a deal breaker for me since I rarely use face wipes to clean makeup off anyway (that's naughty!) - I usually use them at night when I've had a makeup free day and can't be bothered going through a full cleansing routine, which is at least a few days a week in the hotter weather. For that purpose, they're great, and I would repurchase them. I liked them a lot better than the Wot Not ones I got a while ago from the Beautorium - those leave a weird film that I hated.

Palmolive Naturals Ultra Moisture Milk & Shea Butter Shower Milk
I think this turns up in about every second empties. It's cheap, I like the smell, and it feels nice. I will continue to buy it.

Garnier Ultra Lift SPF15 something or other
It doesn't say what it is on the jar. Some kind of moisturiser. I picked it up at the supermarket when I needed a moisturiser with SPF in a hurry, and I actually really liked it. It doesn't do anything fancy, but it's nice under makeup, and it was pretty cheap from memory. I would buy it again. It does have a weird smell though - bordering on citronella.

Olay Total Effects Anti-Ageing 7 in 1 Eye Cream
I bought this because I was totally out of eye cream and just needed something in a hurry (I have gone from having way too many different products to forgetting to replace or stock up until I'm down to the last drop of things - ugh, must meet somewhere in the middle). How can an eye cream fight 'the seven signs of ageing' when it doesn't even have  a sunscreen in it? The cream itself felt nice - it reminded me of Clinique All About Eyes - but it really didn't do anything much, and it's not worth the $35 or whatever it was that it cost. I wouldn't repurchase it.

Luxe Organics samples: AHA Cream Exfoliant, AHA Toner, AHA Cream Cleanser, Antioxidant Toner
I really loved these products, and I would have bought full sizes of at least some of them, except that somewhere between the time I first bought the samples and the time I decided to get more, they stopped shipping overseas. I sent an enquiry about it, they didn't respond. I sent another enquiry four days later and they did respond to that one, with an apology for not replying the first time (and there was me ready to give the benefit of the doubt and assume they didn't get it), but not exactly falling all over themselves to sell me anything. Yes, they would ship to me if I spent at least $35 (not a problem - what I wanted would have been over that amount) and shipping would be $30 (for stuff weighing less than a kilo, that's a problem). From memory it was a few weeks from my order before they shipped it too, so given that their customer service just came across as... well, less than stellar, I decided to give it a miss. Shame, because some of their stuff is REALLY good. Noodles had a little trial pack of stuff suited for her skin too, and she also really liked it. Oh well. Onward and upward!

Pure Luxe Cleansing Oil
I bought this a while back with some eyeshadow samples, and I really like it. It doesn't have mineral oil in it, as most of the commercial cleansing oils do. I'd probably consider getting a full bottle when I'm closer to using up a bunch of other makeup removers I have around the place.

Le Chuckers

Bio Sculpture Gel Cuticle Conditioner
Another Beautorium freebie. I have very dry cuticles and this just did nothing at all for them. I used it most nights, just because it was there, until it got down to where it was hard to get anymore on the brush, so it's going in the bin. Needless to say, I would not repurchase.

Silk Naturals Organic Lipstick in Fashionista
This was more brown than I had expected, and therefore I never wore it. It also had a soft, slightly greasy texture that I didn't love. I wouldn't repurchase it.

Silk Naturals Lip Stains in Vamp and Doll
Now these I did like, but I kept forgetting about them because they are so small and they got lost in among a box full of other lip products. They are super stainy and last for ages, and the formula is similar to the BeneTint one. They are a little bit drying on the lips though. I'm throwing them out because one of them smells a bit weird now, and since I bought them both at the same time, I figure the other one is probably not far behind. I doubt I'd repurchase, not because I don't like them, but just because I already have eleventy million lip products I don't use.

Rocktober Empties and Chuckers

Apologies for the blurry picture - I really must get 'my' camera back from Ben one of these days.

I haven't done an empties post for a while, and not because I haven't had any - I've actually been ploughing through stuff. I just couldn't be arsed, to be honest. 

EMPTIES

Silk Naturals Oatmeal Serum, Super Serum, Apricot Cleansing Oil x 2, AHA Toner

These have been floating around for a while and all were almost used up but still a bit leftover, so I made the effort to finish them all and get them out of the cupboard. I really like Silk Naturals skin care products, and I used them faithfully for quite a few months, but no matter how much I like something I just get bored with it after a while and I want to go off and try something else. I'd definitely repurchase any or all of these in the future though, when I'm done sowing my skin care oats. 

Palmer's Gentle Daily Cleanser

I bought several Palmer's face care products a while ago when they were 30% off in a supermarket, and I HATED them. They're really thick, but not at all moisturising, which is very strange. The others were moisturisers, and I detested them so much I just threw them out. This one I threw in the shower to use in the mornings. It was really thick and hard to get out of the packaging, but the product itself wasn't too bad - a nice, creamy, semi-lathering cleanser that didn't dry out my face. I wouldn't buy it again though. 

Nivea Soft Hand Cream

Meh. As usual I bought a cheap hand cream on the fly and it didn't do much of anything. I'll probably buy it again some time just because that's what I seem to do. 

Maybelline Express Care Eye Makeup Remover

This is a staple - it's cheap and it does the job. I haven't replaced it as yet because I wanted to try a Garnier one that was on special (it's crap), but I'll definitely go back to this when the Garnier is done. 

Elixia Night Renew Complex

Worst. Packaging. Ever. This has a pump thing on top of a jar, so you have to press it down and the product comes out of a hole in the top and just sort of sits there - you have to swipe it off with your finger or a brush or a spatula. It's unbelievably stupid and all sorts of unhygienic. The product itself is nothing special, and certainly not worth the hefty price tag. I would not repurchase it. 

Lancome Genifique Youth Activivating Concentrate

This was a trial size that came in a set of serums from Adore Beauty. I've used this serum before and I find it pretty meh. According to Paula Begoun, it's almost identical to one of the L'Oreal ones - Youth Code, maybe? Same company, so that makes sense. Anyway, not worth the price tag and I would not buy a full size.

CHUCKERS

L'Oreal VolumeMillion Lashes Mascara

L'Oreal mascaras always smudge on me, which is annoying enough, but this one also had a rubber brush, and I was continually poking myself in the eye with it. The formula was wet and made my lashes clumpy, so I had to always comb through with a lash comb after. In short, I hated it. I lasted about a month and couldn't stand it any longer. 

Essence Clear Brow Gel

This is looking really gungy so it's going. It was cheap - maybe $3 - and I bought it along with a handful of other Essence things when they first made an appearance in Target just to see what the brand was like. I wasn't really impressed with any of it, and this was the only thing I've really used regularly. It doesn't do much - you could do a better job with a bit of hair spray on a spoolie, which I'll be going back to doing now. I just used it for the sake of using it, really. Definitely not a repurchase. 

ELF Eyelash Curler

A lot of people rave about this, and for the price it's a bargain ($1.25US from Nonpareil), but I didn't find it anything special. The little black thing died and I can't remember if it came with any spares, and if it did I don't know where they are, so I'm chucking it. I wouldn't bother repurchasing this.

Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush

The handle broke off and the brush started to shed dramatically, so I think the glue has died. I'm a bit sad about this, as I love my EDM face brushes. I considered buying another one immediately as I use this several times a week with my MAC MSF Natural, but I have one of those Crown Flat Bronzer brushes that does the same thing, so I resisted. I might buy another one one of these days.

March Empties and Chuckers

It hasn't been a good month for me. I've not been well for quite a bit of it, work is still awkward and annoying after the pre-Christmas drama, work and health stress seems to have made my hair start falling out again and it's thinning quite alarmingly, various people are pissing me off for various reasons, and blogging is getting on my last nerves for reasons I don't really want to go into because I can't say it without sounding like a bitch. But Natalie can. Anyway, the short version of that is that I haven't been wearing much makeup or using many products, so I don't have much in the way of empties this month.

Al'chemy Unscented Very Gentle Shampoo: I really like this, it's light and doesn't build up in my hair like a lot of shampoos do. I already have another one on the go, as I stocked up a few weeks ago from my favourite hippie go-to store, Echolife.

Avène Thermal Spring Water: I've had this floating around in my bag for about 6 months, and though it's nice to spray on oneself in a hot, crappily air-conditioned office, let's be real. It's a can of water. WATER. I think I paid about $8 for it. That works out to be $160 a litre. FOR WATER.

Gaia Bodycare Lavender & Frankincense Body Wash: I don't love the smell, but this has a really nice skin-softening effect, which is perfect for me because I'm too lazy to use body lotion more than about 8 days of the year. I have already repurchased one in the other fragrance they have - Jasmine and something. Again, don't love the fragrance - there's a vague hint of tobacco in it that's kind of weird.

Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser: This would be one of those 'luxe' samples that came in one of those stupid monthly boxes (I don't think that word means what they think it means). I used it on my feet at night, and I have nothing more to say about it lest I get into yet another rant about stupid monthly boxes. I would not repurchase.

Silk Naturals Firming Moisturiser: I didn't like this much at first, but eventually came around to it. I found I liked it more when I mixed it with a few drops of Echolife's Rosehip Oil. I'm not sure whether I would repurchase; I think I'd probably go for their Intensive Moisturiser instead.

Perfumatory Body Cream in Vixen: The last of my Perfumatory products, I eked this one out because it was my favourite of their scents. I wish I'd bought an enormous jar or seven of this - loved it. I've bitched before about their lacklustre customer service, but I'd definitely go back for this - the quality of the body products is excellent. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have this fragrance anymore.

Only two chuckers this month, and one not even mine. This NP Set lip gloss palette came free with one of Noodles' teenybopper chick mags and it looks pretty, but the colours have pretty much no pigmentation. It also stinks - a hideous plasticky cheap smell, like candles from The Reject Shop.

And sadly, my Benefit Creaseless Cream in Get Figgy is for the bin. This was one of the ones I bought from Strawberrynet and it was way marked down - maybe $10, I think. Caveat emptor - obviously it was really old. I've bought others from there without problems, but they were more expensive so they obviously weren't such old stock. I decided to finally turf it after getting the ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Eggplant, which is a pretty good dupe for this one.

Inventory 2012: Lip Gloss and Lip Pencils

I have actually done pretty well in reducing my lip gloss stash down from what it was two years ago. I know even back then that wasn't a quarter of what a lot of makeup junkies I know own, but bear in mind I'm someone who doesn't actually like lip gloss. I might wear it once or twice a month, and even then it will be a swipe in the morning and maybe another one after lunch if I can be bothered.

Silk Naturals Lip Stain Vamp and Doll. These remind me of the Benefit Lip & Cheek Stains. They're not actually a gloss, but I forgot to include them in lipsticks, so here they are! I haven't used them much, but I do quite like them despite being a little drying.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Naked. This comes with Naked 2. I haven't tried it yet so I have nothing to say about it.

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart, Gold Pink, Smokey Look. As lip glosses go, these are my favourites. HUGE range of colours, and cheap - especially if you grab them from Cherry Culture or Nonpareil when they have their sales on. They're not sticky and they don't have that weird plastic smell that the NYX Round Lip Glosses have.

Australis Lip Gloss Happy. I picked this up for $3 in Target from a clearance bin and it's still sealed. It's the old Australis branding so who knows how old it is. I'm not sure I want to open it...

Maybelline Super Stay 10 Hr Stain Gloss. Again, not technically a gloss, but this is freakin' awesome. They're not available in Oz yet - and who knows when or if they ever will be. *sigh*

Sleek Pout Paint Milkshake. The povo's OCC Lip Tar. I just bought this in the recent Crush Cosmetics sale out of curiosity. It's okay, but I don't love it. It's too much work - you can't be slapdash with these things. 

From top to bottom:

• Prescriptives Sheer Lip Pencil Sheer Candy
• Jordana Easyliner For Lips Retractable Pencil Rock'n Rose
• LA Colors Auto Lipliner Nude
• Benefit D'finer D'liner
• Maybelline Super Stay Lip Liner Icy Beige
• NYX Lipliner Pencil Tangerine
• NYX Lipliner Pencil Nude Pink
• NYX Lipliner Pencil Natural
• NYX Lipliner Pencil Citrine (plus 2 back ups)

I think I've that's all the relatively 'normal' sized collections done. Next stop, Crazy Town!

Inventory 2012: Eyeliners and Brows

I rarely use eyliners, because I'm lazy and because I just don't seem to have a knack for it. I used to - when I was in my late teens and obsessed with Doris Day and Grace Kelly I was a dab hand with the black liquid liner. These days I just can't seem to get it right. I could probably improve again with practice, but you know... there's TV and Twitter and Cracked.com. It's a busy time, man.

Top to bottom:

• essence kajal pencil #19 All I Want (this is pants, not soft enough)
• Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil #05 Brown
• Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil #040 Purple Passion
• Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil #061 Jet Black
• Mirenesse Tight Liner Saphire (sic!) Blue
• Bourjois Liner Feutre #11 Noir
• Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner #07 Fearless Teal
• Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner #06 Powerful Purple
• NYX Slide On Eyeliner #08 Platinum
• Mirenesse Magic Point Eye Highlighter Duo
• (not pictured) Wet'n'Wild Color Icon Brow and Eye Liner Black (I have 4 of these as they came with the eyeshadows that J from Just Peachy sent me with the Naked 2 Palette)
• (not pictured) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil mini Zero (also from J with the Naked 2 palette)

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Charcoal and Aubergine. Jade gave me these, and I've actually been a bit keen to get into them, but I'm holding off until I know I'm going to use them, rather than just open them, poke around a bit and then throw them into a drawer where they will be neglected and dry up and die.

Elf Cream Eyeliner Black. I do use this one occasionally and it's one of Elf's better products. A good cheapie. 

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils in Yoghurt, Pots & Pans, Slate, French Fries, Milk. I have a bit of a like/hate relationship with these. I think they're totally over-rated (even Milk), but they can be good as a base if they're used properly. They crease like a mofo, which is annoying. They're cheap, which is good. I often use Slate in lieu of eyeliner (hence its size compared to the others).

Clockwise from top left:

• NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder Taupe/Ash
• Silk Naturals Brow Powder Medium Ash
• Silk Naturals Brow Cream Medium Ash
• Silk Naturals Brow Powder Light Brunette
• Milani Easybrow Automatic Pencil Natural Taupe
• NARS Eyebrow Pencil Ipanema
• essence lash and brow gel mascara

Okay, I probably have too many black eyeliners for someone who doesn't wear a lot of eyeliner, but I don't think that's too outlandish a stash, is it? Is it....?

Inventory 2012: Concealers and Highlighters

With most of the other inventory photos I've done, there's been a dawning revelation that I own much more than I thought I did, and I've been deluding myself that I have a 'normal' amount of makeup (and I mean normal by makeup junkie/blogger standards, not normal by normal person with one makeup bag and maybe an extra eyeshadow palette for getting tizzy on nights out standards). When I pulled out my concealers yesterday I discovered the opposite - I have far fewer than I thought I did. That's good, right? Or does it mean I need to go shopping for concealers...

Benefit Erase Paste No. 2: I have yet to find something that completely covers the dark circles under my eyes (permanent due to continual lack of sleep - I have always been a terrible sleeper), but this one does better than most others.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer NW20: I don't use this very often because I don't find it creamy enough for under the eyes, and I break out when I use it on my face.

Silk Naturals Cream Concealer #1 and #2: I wasn't going to include these as they are samples, but they seem to be lasting a long time even though I've used them a few times. I quite like them but I don't think I'd buy a full size - there's nothing spectacular about them.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer Light and Medium: Again, doesn't quite cover the dark circles, but still a pretty good concealer. I reviewed it here.

Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer #02 Light: This is a shocker - it doesn't conceal lines at all. If I use it under my eyes it actually makes the lines more prominent. It's quite a thick consistency so it's useful for concealing redness in the cheeks, that's mostly what I use it for now.

Physicians Formula Concealer Twins Green/Light: I've been buying this for years for the green end - it's the best one I've found for covering redness on the cheeks and around the nose. I usually end up using all the green and then turfing it with the light barely touched. It's not that it's bad, I just never seem to remember to use that end. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to get hold of these - the Physicians Formula shelves of every Priceline I've been into for about the last year are looking sparse and craptastic. Not sure if they're discontinuing carrying the brand or if they're rebranding/repackaging or what. (Either way, it's pretty disgusting, Priceline - get your act together and clean up your dirty, empty displays once in a while. The Reject Shop is cleaner.)

I'm not a big fan of highlighters - they don't seem to do much of anything on me, and they seem like just an extra thing that someone out there has convinced us all we need.

Masquerade Professional Shimmer Powder: Not a company I'm familiar with - either Jade or Su sent me this ages ago. It looks like a weird olive colour in the photo (thanks to yet another overcast day in good old Radelaide), but it's actually a super shimmery off-white. Possibly too shimmery for me - I must have a bit of a play with this, I've never even used it.

inuovi Cosmetics Lumina: Another one I've never used - this is not as shimmery as the Masquerade, and more of a cream colour. Again, I really should have a crack at this and see what it's like.

Touche Éclat No. 2 Luminous Ivory: Meh. This is so over-rated I can't even. I use it all the time and it does absolutely nothing - I'm just using it because I'm determined to finish the damn thing.

Pixi Eye Bright Kit No. 2 and No. 1: More things I hardly use. The concealers in these are a bit greasy and too sheer to really do much of anything. I do occasionally use the pink highlight colours in the inner corner of my eye, though I recently found a light pink powder in an eyeshadow palette that I prefer for that purpose so these are not getting much of a look in at all nowadays.

I have to say I'm finding these posts are quite useful in convincing me I don't need to buy anything else. There was a fleeting thought in my head the other day about a nice blush I saw somewhere, immediately followed by 'ARE YOU CRAZY???'

February Empties

Al'chemy Conditioners Macadamia and Wheat and Unscented Wheat Free: I hate that I always run out of conditioner before I run out of shampoo - it ruins my love of symmetry! I really like these conditioners - I've already bought another bottle of the unscented one.

Palmolive Naturals Shower Milk Milk & Olive: An old staple, though I usually get the one with the brown lid. I'm trying to go more natural with this sort of thing, so not sure if I'll buy it again.

Silk Naturals Intensive Moisturiser: I was a bit iffy about this at first - it didn't seem overly moisturising - but once I got used to it not having all the silicones and slippy fillers that come in commercial moisturisers I liked it quite a bit. I would repurchase this, but not until I've used up other things I have. Trying not to be wasteful!

Balmain Ambre Gris EDP 5ml decant: Love this, even though it's a cheesy old lady fragrance. What am I saying, I adore cheesy old lady fragrances. I would definitely buy a full bottle - in fact it's on my FB list - but I'm on a total perfume ban for the forseeable future, so not sure when that will happen.

Silk Naturals Coconut Argan Cleansing Conditioner: Noodles used this and really liked it, so I'll probably get her a full size next time I do a Silk Naturals order.

Silk Naturals Vitamin C Peptide Serum: Really liked this and will definitely buy it again, but as above with the moisturiser, I'm using up other things first.

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer: This came in a GWP a couple of years ago and I never used it. It's been knocking around for a really long time now, so I'm chucking it.

January Empties and Chuckers Part 2

I already did a January Empties post in the middle of the month because things were starting to pile up. The second half of the month was slower, so there weren't that many more after all.

EMPTIES

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser
This belongs to Noodle Arms, though I used it a few times. I'm undecided about whether to repurchase - at the moment she's using Silk Naturals cleansers, and after reading the ingredients on the back of this I'm not overly impressed with its contents, so I'd say probably not.

Nature's Goodness Olive Leave Mouthwash
I talked about this in my Echolife haul post, so I won't say any more about it except that it's a definite repurchase once I finish the Listerine Zero bottle I'm working through.

Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
I found I had to do a bit of pulling and rubbing to get eye makeup off entirely with this, so I wouldn't repurchase it.

Silk Naturals Pore Refining Toner
This is the third bottle Noodles and I have gone through - it's a really lovely hydrating, moisturising toner. It's really annoying that it only comes in 60ml bottles, though. Definite repurchase.

Silk Naturals Awesomesauce 5ml sample
Another of Silk Naturals' many serums. I liked it, and I'd probably buy a full bottle at some point, but I've got the Vitamin C one still going at the moment.

CHUCKERS

Apologies for the hair there - gross! I'm afraid my bathroom always has stray hairs around no matter how diligently I clean it, because I shed like a mofo.

Maybelline Lash Stylist Mascara
I'm pretty sure this was discontinued a couple of years ago - I picked it up a while ago for $5 in a Chemist Warehouse clearance bin. In theory I love mascaras with a comb instead of a brush, because I hate clumpy lashes and they do a good job of separating them. Unfortunately, in practice I got sick of poking myself in the eye at least 4 times a week, so it's going.

Bioeffects EGF Serum 3ml sample
This was some high-falutin' serum sample that came in one of those monthly boxes and I was using it under my eyes because I didn't really know what else to do with it. However, after reading this article that Sarah posted on Twitter, I stopped immediately, and frankly I wish I'd never touched it now. :-/

Silk Naturals Brow Cream

When I did my last Silk Naturals haul before Christmas, I threw in samples of a bunch of things to try just because. I don't need any brow products - I have loads of them - but I don't have anything like the Brow Cream, so that was enough to get me to try it.

It's okay, we're all thinking it.

The sample came in a little clam shell container, and it's quite solid. I thought I might have trouble with it for that reason, but even with the flimsy #266 brush you just wipe it over the product a couple of times and you get a good amount to apply. I found it worked much better with my Illamasqua angled brush though, as that is stiffer.

I really like this product. It neatened up my scraggly brows nicely and it lasted well throughout the day. Medium Ash was the colour I got and it was pretty right for me, not too dark and no red in it. It's listed on the site under both 'new products' and 'holiday specials' so I'm hoping it's not limited edition as I definitely want to get a full size when I order from there again.

Full size is 2g for $6.50US and I imagine that would last for ages because the teeny sample I got barely has a dent in it and I've used it a few times. Samples are $0.99US.