Empties April - June 2015

So here are the items I have used up in these last few months and my thoughts on them


Nivea gentle eye makeup remover: will not buy again as it works reallt poorly, but the bottle is small and convenient to travel with, or put in your gym bag.

Crabtree & Evelyn jojoba bath and shower gel: pff this smells like a hotel shower gel, glad it is finished and the smell did not linger (I hope).

The body shop lemon scrub: this small jar came with a set of lemon stuff from The body shop and is this the first thing I use. Liked it very mutch, but will buy one in a squeze tube next as it is easier to use.

Olivelia body butter from Macrovita with olive oil and white tea scent: really nice, and the scent really lingers. Might buy again when in Greece.

Maybelline Falsies volum' express flared mascara: loved it, will buy again.

Garnier eye-makeup remover 2 in 1: it was ok, but the micelar water from Gaenier is so mutch better.

Empties April  - June 20155

Garnier Miracle skin cream vs. Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream

So now I have finished a full bottle of the Garnier Miracle skin cream, and loved it. Even though it only comes in one shade it matches my skintone perfectly. It feels light on the skin and has a light coverage.
The Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream on the other hand has a medium coverage, but is much more oily on the skin. I got two samplers in the colour 32 light beige and was a bit too dark for me, it does deffinetly not suit my combination to oily skin, not even during winter as I tested this out early this spring - and spring in Iceland almost feels like winter.
In both cases I put the cream over a light moisturizer - maybe the Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream would have worked better without a cream first. The Bourjois cream has a SPF of 15 which the Garnier has not.

Winner of the two that I will buy again: Garnier Miracle skin cream (when I have finished some of my other foundations)

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC cream and Garnier Miracle skin cream

Thank you for dropping by,

Ella

Empties October 2014 - March 2015

So these are my empties over the last few months:

October '14 - March ' 15 trash

Purity basics moisturizer from hampton - an average hotel body lotion- came in handy on travels.
Lady speed stick in shower fresh - love the scent, but will not repurchase as it contains aluminum.
Lumene sensitive touch gentle toner - love it will repurchase if I like this better than the other Lumene toner I am using currently.
Garnier micellar water - love this makeup remover will repurchase.
Garnier miracle skin cream - like it a lot, the colour matches me perfectly and it is easy to use when you are in a hurry (I am always in a hurry). Would like to try the Garnier BB cream next time (when I finish some foundations).
Nuxe paris micellar foam cleanser - would repurchase if it was available in Iceland. But it ran out faster than my Body shop nutriganics foaming clenser. Am now working on a one from Lumene.
The body shop Aloe protective serum for sensitive skin. Love this - a light and a creamy formula. Do I like it more than my Sothys serum? No, but I like the price better of the body shop one. Might repurchase.
Avon Moroccan argan oil shampoo - average shampoo. Will not repurchase.
Estée Lauder Emerald dream eau de parfum - my favorite summer scent, would repurchase if it was still on the market - do you know of a dupe?
The body shop Moringa body scrub - a decent one. Will probably not buy this scent again.
Physicians formula Organic wear in black. It became dry too fast - but maybe it was an old tube? But when it was good it was GREAT.
Lumene sensitive touch mascara. Ordered this one when I was having eye alergy problems. It was gentle on my eyes - a natural basic mascara.
Clinique chubby stick in 02 whole lotta honey- like the colour but hate how much product is left inside the bottom of the bullet - scooped it out - it will last for months.
YSL mascara in shocking, black - a deluxe sample. Love this mascara, too bad I had to throw it out before it went bad on me, as I got an eye-infection while using it. And didn't want to risk getting it again if the germs got into the tube. Would love to buy this, but not sure if I can justify buying such an expensive mascara. Maybe when I finish all the other mascaras I have, and have managed to finish some other products.
Clinique solour surge gloss in 21 azalea - too sticky - hated it. Will not buy EVER.

So some hits and misses,
will gladly throw all of this away

untill next time,
Ella

Florida haul February 2015 + 1

Less is more did not apply this time around, I got kind of crazy on Amazon, in Target, Walmart, Sephora, Ulta, Ross, Tj Max and Marshalls and here is the result:

USA haul winter 2015

Batiste dry shampoo - dark and deep brown
Jergens BB body - medium deep
Swoon - gloss scooper
Lumene refreshing cleansing foam
Yes to cucumbers - natural after-sun serum with shimmer
Pantene pro-v ultimate 10 BB cream
Proganix anti-fade argan oil and uv spray for hair
Lumene bright now vitamin c BB serum
Garnier eye makeup remover 2in1 (this is the +1 item - as it is bought in Iceland)
Bleanderclenser (for beauty blender)
Beauty blender
Organics organic wear BB mascara
Burt's bees lip gloss - 203 Autumn haze
Urban decay primer potion
Mederma advanced scar gel
Cover girl - redy sed gorgeous in 115 buff beige
NYC smooth skin bronzing face powder - sunny
YSL Volupté tint in oil no.4 I rose you
Milani baked blush - 05 Luminoso
Wet and wild - Fergie daily
Maybelline colour sensational - 235 warm me up
NYX butter gloss - creme brulee
Sonia Kashuk - sweet pea 04

Thank you for looking by

My take on Christian Dior Holiday collection 2014

My biggest weakness when it comes to cosmetics is eye shadow palettes, so when the big high-end companies bring out their new Holiday collections I am always tempted to purchase one of them.

On the other hand I really don't need any more eye shadows, so I decided to try to shop my stash and come up with a similar idea I can use over the season, instead of buying more stuff that is not used.

Dior Christmas 2014

Nail polish in Gold shock - Eye shadow palette in 756 Golden shock

So this is what I came up with:

With flash

The body shop eyeshadows in 13 and 39 - both matte, one off white and the other black (I trew in a black to deepen the purple coulour.

Mac blackberry

Nicole by OPI - Selena Gomez in kissed at midnight

EGO eye shimmer (no colour indicated)

Maybelline eye shadow in 610 silken taupe

Bourjois eye shadow loose pigment in 01 regard praline rosé

And swatched:

Swatches without flash

Compared with swatches from the Dior golden shock eye shadow palette (you can see swatches on the blog Mostly Sunny) the purple and sparkling gold are not as pigmented, but I am quite sure you can get a similar result with these products.

The nail polishes are both clear top coats with gold glitter particles, the difference being that the Nicole by OPI has regular cut glitter particles and a bit of silver particles while the Dior more of a irregular particles only in gold colour.

Thank you for reading,

Ella

USA haul fall 2014

So I dashed to NYC with my sister in the end of October, of course I did some beauty shopping along with the eating and sight seeing. The biggest damage was done in Bergdorf Goodman, then Sephora but most of it was bought in CVS or in one of the small drug stores of New York. But still I tried my best not to go overboard, as I already have too much beauty stuff, and as of late I really believe less is more!

USA haul

Hourglass ambient lighting palette

The most expensive of the items, and was I totally sold by the staff at Bergdorf Goodman, who were super nice and helpful and gave me and my sister the time to an demonstration (which is very uncommon in Iceland). The phrase "treat yourself" was used a lot, and yes I did treat myself - have to encorporate this to my daily routine, as of now I feel this is too fancy and nice to use everyday. Wrong, I should treat myself every day to use this product.

Loréal infallible eye shadows in 890 bronzed taupe and 892 amber rush

A regret buy? Almost as these came at over 9 USD a pop, wow, and then I think two of the colours from the comfort zone are dupes for these two - but they are beautiful - I would buy them on a sale only.

Wet and wild shine protective base coat

An oldy but a goody - there says new shade on this bottle, but I have a 10 year old bottle from wet and wild in the same clear purply shade. I am quite sure it is the same. Too cheap to resist even thogh I had picked up the Orly bonder.

Orly bonder rubberized basecoat

I had heard so mutch things about this base coat, so when I saw it at CVS I just could not let it pass - still testing it out, but I totally belive the youtube beauty gurus.

Inm out the door top coat for nails

Another thing I had seen on some beauty chanel, picked this one over the Seche Vite, as it's supposed to contain less harmful cemicals. Yet to be tested.

Love express eau de parfum roller ball

Have wanted to buy this perfume for several years, I indulged in buying a roller ball - as I already have too many big perfume bottles.

Cover girl clump crusher by lashblast mascara in 800 very black

Youtube made me buy it

Wet and wild eye shadow palette in 738 comfort zone

Again Youtube made me buy it - it was not easy to find, found it in a random health + glass store in Astoria-Queens. Price was dirt cheap.

Clarins radiance-plus golden glow booster

Ruth Crilly on Youtube talked about this one sometime this summer - I had been searching for it in airports in Istanbul, Copenhagen and Iceland - and it was nowhere to be found or sold out everywhere - so I snatched it up in Sephora.

Untill next,

Ella

Airport and Iceland haul

So since I came back home to Iceland these products I have accumulated, so from mid September untill the end of November:

Iceland and airport haul

So these are the products I have bought since mid September:

Garnier miracle skin cream
Maybelline the rocket volum' express waterproof
Nuxe micellar foam cleanser face with rose petals

The body shop Aloe protective serum for sensitive skin
Maybelline eye shadow 610 silken taupe
Elizabeth Arden green tea honey drop body cream
Beauty by Zazie nail polish remover
The body shop lip scrub

Bourjois happy light luminous serum primer

Lumene bright now vitamin c eye cream

Loves:

Lumene bright now vitamin c eye cream - I don't know why but I really belive in Lumene products and this I like very much. Not too heavy around my eye area, love this one.

The body shop aloe protective serum for sensitive skin - I don't have super sensitive skin, but then products for sensitive skin are very unlikely going to irritate normal skin. It's more of a very light cream texture, does the job and my skin feels very hydrated.

Nuxe micellar foam cleanser face with rose petals - a really long name, and it really smells rosy. I was going to repurchase the body shop nutriganics foaming face wash (see here) - but as I was searching for it in the duty free at Copenhagen airport (they had several body shop products around) I saw this Nuxe foaming face cleanser, and thought I could buy something new for a change, plus it is French, not available in Iceland and the cheapest foaming facial wash at the airport. I like it, it is not better or worse than the body shop one, the price I guess would decide which I would buy - if it would become available in Iceland.

Disappointing:

Maybelline eye shadow in 610 silken taupe - I could not resist buying this on a 50% off sale in the supermarket. Still I think it is way too expensive for what it is. I had heard this was a dupe for satin taupe from Mac, it's not I tell you. Still I use it, but it's more of a blah colour for me, as my crease eats up all my lid (I have hooded eyes), so if I put this all over the lid - it becomes invisible, but still you can work with it and if I use a creamy base it becomes more vivid and stands out more. Workable I would say.

Garnier miracle skin cream - a white cream with colour particles which burst when you rub it with your fingers. First of all it is only available in one colour, and you can really go overboard with it if you use too much product. So only use a little amount, and put on top of another cream, otherwise it is too hard to work with and becomes uneven.

untill next time,
Ella