Shiseido Ultimate Cleansing Oil Review

For Face & Body

150mL

Here is the bottle...

Here is the back....

Made in Japan


Packaging
Quite like the pump dispenser, however i find you cannot control how much you pump out - and you may get too little or too much

Effectiveness
I find it DOES get rid of my makeup and clean my skin... however I am not a fan of the oily feeling.... and have to wash my face with cleanser again!

Do I think it is necessary to include an oil cleanser in my skincare routine?
I rarely wear much makeup so... I have had this bottle for ages.... and I don't like to use it because of the oily-ness! So, for me personally, no, but if you wear a full face of makeup I think it would be great.

Does it remove eye-makeup?
Yes, it does an alright job, But I still recommend using a seperate eye makeup remover before or after using the cleansing oil.

Will I re-purchase?
No.


Do you use cleansing oils?


Lara xo

NOTD: China Glaze Re-fresh Mint & Pearl Over The Top :D

Hi everyone!

Hope all is well! :)

This is what I currently have on my nails....


China Glaze 867 Re-Fresh mint nail polish

And this over the top:

Pearl
This is a Vietnamese brand so not sure where else you can get it besides Vietnam!
This was gifted to me by one of my sister-in-laws (love her! :D)

Swatched....

China Glaze - 2 coats
Pearl - 1 coat

Holding the China Glaze bottle...

Holding the Pearl bottle...

China Glaze's Re-Fresh Mint reminded me of
Essie's 702 Mint Candy Apple

Here is a comparision:

As you can see the Essie is slightly more blue!

Essie takes 3 coats to be opaque whereas the China Glaze only takes 2.

I used a base coat and also a top coat for all the pictures above!


What is on your nails atm? :D


Lara xo

Victoria's Secret Beauty Haul - No. 2

Part 2 of my VS haul! Part 1 is here!

I used the discount code here!

I got more hand & body creams!
I will review them as I use them! :D
I have tried & tested & smelled most of them ahahaha can't resist! They smell nice!
I bought a back up of 'Love Spell' that I have hauled before, because I like the scent! :D


Endless Love & Amber Romance
200mL each

Secret Charm & Lost In Fantasy
200ml each

Ravishing Love & Love Spell
200mL each

What products do you recommend from VS?


Lara xo

Haul & Swatches & Comparisions: China Glaze Something Sweet & Essie Neo Whimsical

China Glaze 862 Something Sweet & Essie 706 Neo Whimsical

are compared below... they are my first impressions!

China Glaze - 2 coats
Essie - 3 coats

Essie's pink is warmer than China Glaze's
China Glazes's pink is sweeter :D

I dunno which one I prefer yet, but I would say that if you have one you don't really need the other ahah... quite similar it's just Something Sweet is more of a cool-toned, sweet colour and Neo Whimsical is more of a warmer colour!

What's your latest nail polish purchase?


Lara xo

NOTD: Zoya Melodie over Rimmel 365 Beige Style + Nail Temp. 'Tattoos'!

Rimmel Rimmel 365 Beige Style Nail Polish
Drugstore purchase (Priceline!)

One Coat

 Two Coats

One coat of Zoya Melodie (swatched below... over Rimmel's Beige Style)

The brush applicator of the Zoya nail polish

Zoya Melodie swatched

The two nail polish colors swatched side by side...

Rimmel - 2 coats
Zoya - 3 coats

Review of the Rimmel Nail Polish in Beige Style

- like the colour - nice office color
- neutral goes-with-anything shade
- the application is okay - quite smooth
- the drying time was alright, the surface dried relatively quickly, but only with the first coat, it took longer for the 2nd coat to dry

Would I repurchase?
Not in this shade (how long will it take me to finish a bottle?), but I would be willing to try other Rimmel nail polishes in the future

Price?
AU$5 from Priceline (on sale!! :D)



Review of Zoya Nail Polish in Melodie
- The brush applicator is too small for my liking
- Not very opaque (kind of like Essie Nail polishes, however, the drying time is worse!)
- The formula is not my cup of tea...
- Nice shade
- Too much hassle applying because drying time sucks & it is quite translucent (in re: to Essie - not opaque but at least drying time isn't too bad! & I like the formula & application more than Zoya)

Would I repurchase?
No. I am not interested in any other Zoya nail polishes at this time either! I hate waiting for nail polish to dry! Guess I am too impatient? Maybe I got a dud bottle?


TEMPORARY TATTOO NAIL ART TUTORIAL

This was gifted to me by one of my sister-in-laws in Vietnam...

So, what you do is...


1. Take the plastic sleeve off
2. Sumerge in water for about 1-2 minutes

3. Remove it from the water and take it off and...
4. Place on finger nail!

5. Put a top coat over it! I used Seche Vite.



What do you think of nail art & nail tattoo thingies!? I think the nail tattoos look better than nail stickers because the surface is smoother! The application isn't too tricky either! :D

What have you got on your nails?


 
 
Lara xo

Victoria's Secret Beauty Haul - No. 1

Part 1 of my haul! I have a part 2 coming up! :D

I purchased these from the Victoria's Secret website

I used the discount code I posted here!


PINK hand & body creams
- warm & cosy
- sweet & flirty
- lovely & true

200mL each

Body Creams
- Room 504
- Wild at Heart

200mL each



Secret Garden Body Lotions
- Love Spell (Special Limited Edition Packaging)
- Pear Glace
- Endless Love
- Lost in Fantasy

250mL each



What was the last beauty product you purchased?

What's your fave product from VS?

Lara xo

Lancome Miracle EDP Review

This is the 100mL bottle

- it is very florally, fresh and feminine
- if the liquid in your bottle is not light pink, it is off! You have either gotten an old product that is no longer fresh or you have had yours for too long and this means that if you continue to use it the product would not last as long on your skin as it used too.

- I have since given this bottle ( and two other ones... my bad for buying back ups! No more I say!) to my mother... why?

- At first I found this worked well with my skin chemistry - it was lovely, fresh and suited my mood for the spring

- Now, when I spray it on I have a slight headache, the smell doesn't smell like it used to (and this is within 6 months of usage, the expiry date of perfumes is generally 2 - 3 years from opening date). Have this happened to anyone else?


Who would I recommend this fragrance for?
People who like florals

Would I repurchase?
No.

Overall Rating
3.5 (Average with great lasting power - the next day you can still smell the scent on your clothes!)


What's your fave summer/spring fragrance? Or do you wear the same fragrance all year round?


Lara xo

Victoria's Secret Discount Code 2011!

The discount code is for the Victoria's Secret US website:

http://www.victoriassecret.com/

The code that is currently valid is:



SPRING11



You get...

$15 off $100
$30 off $150
$75 off $250


Look out for a future VS haul! :D


Lara xo

How much is too much... when it comes to beauty products?

Source: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://myredhouse.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/makeup-collection.jpg%3Fw%3D300%26h%3D400&imgrefurl=http://myredhouse.wordpress.com/&usg=__YtjERArh7E4WOmBbMgqmAe4YNKc=&h=400&w=300&sz=218&hl=en&start=49&zoom=1&tbnid=GGYwLqNn9g18IM:&tbnh=152&tbnw=114&ei=GqVkTYG4M4O2sAO_6LTWBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmakeup%2Bcollection%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26rlz%3D1T4TSHN_enAU339AU339%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D498%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=933&vpy=132&dur=146&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=119&ty=96&oei=paRkTb-SJdCPcc7W_ZMF&page=4&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:49

I seem to have collected quite a few beauty items - this means... makeup, skincare products, hair products, nail products ra ra ra...  and it has come to my attention that I may not be able to use them all because they "expire" (When Does Makeup Expire?) Have you ever come to that realisation?

I seem to just buy and buy... is it because I am afriad I will run out of product? Is it because they look so pretty to collect? Is it because of both? I have been getting a lot better ahha... I mean I do use the products... I just get allergic to some... and then I give it to my mother... who seems to be allergic to NOTHING (except Shiseido's White Lucent Line)!

I've been trying to convince myself that all the products I have I will never be able to use up soon... so I need to stop buying and to try more using... could that be made into a catchy slogan?

Buy less... use more??

I blame this on consumerism..... haha... you know... product marketing making it look like I need to buy things when I realy don't!

Anyways... as I have said I am getting better... lol... the last few years I've been cutting back on spending and what not... at one stage my husband had more perfumes than me! So yeay! But then again guys don't have that many beauty products do they?

First of all... when was the last time I used up a tube of lipstick? Yes, used up as in used the whole darn thing up? A couple years ago about a year or so after being married to my husband that I first discoverd makeup... it was AVON lipstick in sheer buff! Loved the lipstick! :D So that was a few years ago now... never used up another lipstick since!

So... I need to stop buying:
- lipsticks (have way too many...)
- eyeshadows (never seem to use them... how many uni students front a full face of makeup to uni everyday? hmmm? not aye!!)
- perfumes (I recently purchased some so no need to buy for a while!)

Umm.. I no longer use foundation so I don't purchase that anymore... that saves a lot of hassle! ^^ So hard to find a foundation that is awesome (product & packaging) that doesn't break me out!

Hmm...

Nail polish! I have way too many... I need to blog about them hahah... NOTD! I give so many to my mother because some colours just don't suit me! My mother swears she never needs to buy anymore nail polish... or lipsticks (last night I gave her my MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick, a few weeks earlier I gave her my Rimmel Airy Fairy lipstick), perfume (yesterday... I gave her 2 100mL bottles of Lancome's Miracle EDP not to mention countless others before that!) ... and other beauty products for the rest of her life because of me! lol! Bet she's glad she had a girl! LOL!

This shows how wasteful I am! :( I am glad I have a mother who appriciates beauty products though! OTherwise it would be a REAL waste!

What do you do with products you no longer use? I give them to my mother, and if she doesn't want them I post them on MUA. My past swap can be seen here and here on this blog.

What products do you no longer purchase? Or don't purchase and why? Maybe it can help cut down my spending too! ^^


Lara xo

HAUL - Dolly Wink, Maybelline, & Stuff! ^^

Coles Nail Polish Remover
125mL

Coles Shower Cap

Havanias in Navy
These were a backup pair for my husband cuz he threw his thongs everywhere!
But my mother wanted a pair of thongs so they are hers for now... lol
Is it just me or does your mother complain about the price of these thongs too?
I tell her they are worth it but she says it still hurts her feet! ahah!

I swapped 2 nail polishes on MUA... The post is here.
This was what I swapped it for! :)
The... Majorlica Majorca by Shiseido Mascara in Black
Wing Neo BK999

Some Dolly Wink Fake Lashes in No. 5

Maybelline Clear Smoothe BB Silk Foundation in 02 Nude Beige
I plan to do a review on this soon!
It is new in Asian countries!

 My mother purchased this...
Dove Damage Therapy Heat Defence Conditioner
300mL

I swear I will buy less this year given my circumstances... neccesities ONLY!

What have you purchased recently? :)


Lara xo