August Empties

Milk Bath review: http://confessionsofaba.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/review-body-shop-milk-bath.html

Herbal Essences Drama Clean: http://confessionsofaba.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/review-herbal-essences-drama-clean.html

Clarins Day and Night Cream: http://confessionsofaba.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/review-clarins-extra-firming-day-and.html

Al'chemy Shampoo and Conditioner: http://confessionsofaba.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/review-alchemy-shampoo-and-conditioner.html

Project 20 Pan: Shower and Bath Edition

Last week I noticed the lovely Ingrid from In Glossy Beauty was starting a P50P. Kudos to her. I don't think I have enough stuff to P50P, without it going for 3 years. However, I did mention I probably have enough shower gels for a P20P, and so the challenge was thrown down: do a P20P for bath and shower products.

Here's the current situation. I have 17 shower gels (yes, 17), 9 bars of soap, 2 tubs of body scrub, 3 body butters and 2 body lotions. Yes, I know. It's kind of crazy. Rachael suggested I need to go to Hoarders Anonymous. I don't think it's that bad... right?! In the interest of full disclosure, the reason for so many gels and soap is because I recently stopped doing Body Shop demonstrations, so all the products in my kit have moved to my bathroom to be used up.

Taking into account that my parents will probably use most of the soap, I figured P20P: Shower and Bath edition is do-able. I may still be doing this next year, but hopefully not!

What's in my crib bag?

Ah, here I go again. Mining slang ;) - this is the bag I take to work

It's a Pink by Victoria's Secret duffle bag, I love it because it's a bit girly but a colour that won't show up the dirt easily, and tough :)

Normally, my lunch would be in there too.

Ah.. pile of crap. Helmet, clip board, hand-knitted scarf thanks to Mum, locks and tags, ID card, lip balm, pocketbook, various pairs of safety glasses, makeup bag. Yes, my name is on my helmet - it's the only way people know who you are, we all look the same ha ha :)

This is inside my clip board. I take this out on jobs with me, so it's easier to carry. Tissues, stationery, lense cleaners, panadol, extra locks and tags (having 5 hanging off your pants causes them to fall down), paperwork. You never know what you'll need on a job and it's a PIA to have to go all the way back to the offices for something simple.

And this is what's inside my makeup bag. No makeup, ha ha. Feminine products, bandaids (If you have a small cut and go to the first aid, the paperwork required for a bandaid is crazy, so I always carry them), panadol (ditto before), handcream, paw paw ointment, spare pens (they grow legs) and spare shoelaces.

The shoelaces are because my boots are nearly worn through 1 pair of laces, so they're a backup :)

The hand cream is A'Kin Unscented Intensive Hand Cream*, I love this stuff so much! It's so hydrating, and sinks in super quickly so I can apply it on the go.

The paw paw ointment is by QSilica*, and contains no petrolatum, which is fantastic. It's got shea butter, beeswax, macadamia oil, calendula and colloidal silica in it. It's fantastic for wind-burned noses, chapped lips, cuts etc. Best of all it's cheap ($8.95) and Australian.

I'd love to hear what you take to work. I bet it's very different to me! Let me know by commenting below :)


Note: products marked with * were provided to me for consideration. All opinions are my own

Model's Prefer Infinite Colour Shadow Pencil Review + FOTD

It's safe to say I'm a fan of drugstore products.

It's also safe to say I'm a fan of multitasking products, especially those that are easy to use.

Let me introduce you to a new member of the Model's Prefer family: the Infinite Colour Shadow Pencil (shown here in 'oh fudge!')

My first experience with shadow pencils was with the NYX ones. Safe to say I'm not a fan of them, too creasy. So this one had low expectations placed on it, to be honest.

And they were blown away. It is so creamy and glides on easily, it also blends out really well so I could use just the one colour for my whole eye look (on a lazy day). It does have a fair amount of glitter, so probably not suitable to older ladies, but it's not so much that you look like you're about to head to the club - perfectly acceptable for day time in my opinion.

A pleasant surprise was how long it lasted - I tend to have oily-er lids, not overly oily but enough to tick you off, and without a primer I experienced very little creasing.

Swatched left, blended right, in full sun.

Aaaaaaand, here is my half arsed FOTD.

As you can see I just blended it out, nothing too dramatic.

These shadow pencils come in 7 colours, and are $9.99 (Bargain!!!!) at Priceline. I'll definitely be picking up a couple more colours.

Models Prefer products are not tested on animals.

Note: this product was provided to me for consideration. All opinions are my own.

DIY Coconut Oil Hair Mask

I've said it many times, my hair is a bitch, basically. Dry dry dry, and rarely shiny.

NO LONGER!

The lovely Sabine from Echolife suggested to me one day that a coconut oil hair mask may be just what my hair needs. And she was right!

Yes, really, the stuff you cook with. Organic, extra virgin is best.

What do you do with it?

Throw a hair towel or similar in the dryer or in front of the heater to warm up.
Ensure your hair is completely dry, and I've found no problems with my hair being a little oily, just make sure there's no product in it.
If it's cooler where you live, you might need to microwave the coconut oil a little to soften it up - I typically do 2x30seconds on high. No biggie if it melts completely, just make sure it's not hot!
Apply it all over your hair - I start at the front of my head and work around, and then in.
When your hair is completely greased up, apply the warm towel and wrap your hair.
Leave it for about an hour, or overnight if you like.

Now, this is the bit where YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION!
Jump in the shower, but DO NOT wet your hair.
Get some shampoo in your hand and mix a little water to lather it, then apply it to your hair. Repeat until your whole head is covered in shampoo lather. THEN you can wet your hair. If you don't do this, well, you'll be spending a LONG time washing it out.
I typically shampoo two or three times then condition, to ensure all the oil is out of my hair.
Enjoy your soft, shiny hair!

A few things to note:
Yes, your hair will smell like a biscuit. A delicious biscuit. It doesn't linger after washing though, never fear.
Be careful when applying in the bathroom. Clumps of coconut oil may fall out of your hands or the jar and onto the floor or sink, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WASH IT DOWN THE DRAIN. Why? Remember science, oil and water don't mix. You may think you cleaned it, but then you will spill eyeshadow in the sink and see it stick to it and then have to Jif it out (yes, true story).

I found my coconut oil at the health food shop in town for approx $14, but I hear some supermarkets sell it as well.

Aromatherapy Associates Anti-age Skin Care Introductory Set

I'm a big fan of introductory skin care sets. There's nothing worse than purchasing a new line of skin care only to find out it's not suited to your skin. It feels like throwing money down the drain, to be honest. I've used such a set before, from Dermalogica, and it really helped me work out which products in the line I wanted to give a good go, and which I was going to give a miss.

So, let me introduce you to Aromatherapy Associates Anti-age Skin Care Introductory set (henceforth known as "the set")

Aromatherapy Associates is a British company, recently branching out into Australia. They are over 30 years old and pride themselves on natural, plant based beauty products. They support fair trade, organic products and traditional methods of agriculture, and believe that the ritual of skin care is just as important as the skin care itself. This is my kind of brand!

The set comes with six products:

- Instant Skin Firming Serum, 5ml

- Fine Line Face Oil, 3ml
- Intensive Skin Treatment Oil, 3ml
- Overnight Repair Mask, 5ml
- Rich Repair Nourishing Cream, 5ml
- Rich Repair Eye Cream, 3ml

All packaged in a lovely cosmetics bag.

Each product is enclosed in an information card, depicting the full size product, with a little info on the product and how to use it.

I quite enjoyed these products, I got probably 5-6 uses out of each, which I think is a good period to decide if you'd like to try the full size product. My sensitive skin certainly didn't react, which was nice, and the products themselves smell lovely. The smell is something I should go into more detail about - they are very strong smelling, and not in a bad way, a very essential-oil sort of way, so if you are sensitive to that it's probably not for you.

I found these products to be very kind to my skin, and I can feel that a lot of thought has gone into the formulation of each part of the skin care line. I was a little interested in why there was no cleanser in this kit, however on closer inspection Aromatherapy Associates does not do an Anti-Age cleanser, however there is one as part of their Essentials line.

I'd recommend this kit to anyone looking to go a little more natural with their skincare, but not ready to fork out hundreds of dollars to see if their skin likes it.

You can purchase this set fro $49.80 from Aromatherapy Associates - they also stock a large range of bath and body products that sound divine.. must try them!

Aromatherapy Associates do not test on animals, nor use ingredients which have been tested on animals.

Note: this product was provided to me for consideration, all opinions are my own.

Review: Australis Multi Mega Lash Mascara

Mascara takes a lot to impress me. I want length, curl AND volume. I also want the curl to last more than twenty seconds (I'm looking at you, Covergirl Lash Blast). So it generally takes a fair bit for a mascara to impress me. My current holy grail is Clinique High Lengths - it's a bit exxy, but I usually order 3 or 4 from the USA at a time.

Now, let me introduce you to my new favourite everyday mascara.

Australis Multi Mega Lash from their Mascara All Sorts line. I am IN LOVE with this. It gives me length and curl, and a good amount of volume for everyday. Plus, it's cheap as chips. What's not to love?

A typical brush comes with it, nothing high tech or hard to use. I generally like simple brushes, I don't need NASA technology in my mascara, I just want it to be good.

Excuse the manky brows. They were shaped the following day, I swear.

I feel the only downer about this product is it does have a slight chemical smell. Nothing major, and certainly not enough to turn me off buying it again, but just something to note for those who are sensitive to these things.

And removal? SO DARN EASY! It's a tubey mascara, so a little warm water, a wiggle of the lashes and it comes off so easily. No lash damage, no harsh cleansers required!

You can pick up Australis Multi Mega Lash Mascara from pharmacies, Big W, Kmart and the like for $12.95, and it's worth every cent.

Australis does not test on animals, nor commissions third parties to do so.

Review: EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

I have been through approximately 452983 balms trying to find one I love. I often went back to the good old Lip Smacker, because it worked. No more! I have found my holy grail lip balm:

Brand image

EOS Smooth Sphere lip balm is amazing. They just glide on, giving a thin layer of balm that keeps moisturising AND protecting from the elements. It comes in 6 flavours (I personally love lemon drop and summer fruit), is so moisturising and perfect to throw in the handbag (or crib bag). They're 95% certified organic and not tested on animals.

I love the looks I get when I use these balms. People look at me so strange as they've never seen these before. They smell amazing, and really protect my lips. They're a crib bag staple for me for work - my poor yellow lemon flavoured one is all dirty now, but still protecting like a trooper!

If you're an American you can find them at Walmart, Walgreens, Target, CVS etc for around $3. If you're an Aussie you can find them at Addicted to lip balm for $5.95. 

Blogger Swap Goodies!

The lovely Mystique from Beast And Beauty organised a blogger swap earlier (I think in May?) and teamed up bloggers from around the world. I was paired with Maddie from Maddi3 who is an American blogger (and a good one at that, don't forget to drop by her blog!)

I'll let you keep an eye on her blog for what I sent her, but boy did she send me a massive package of fun!

Excuse the terrible photo, I was just too excited to open everything up!

Sonia Kashuk Eyelash curler - Maddie tells me this is the HG of eyelash curlers
Revlon Just Bitten lip stain in sweetheart
Revlon Lip Butter in lollipop
Revlon Colourburst Lipgloss in strawberry
Milani Baked Blush in Coralina (This came unstuck from the pan en route, so I need to glue it back in - no biggie :) )
Hard Candy blush in Honeymoon
Hard Candy boxed blush in skinny dipping
Wet'n'Wild eye palette in comfort zone (one colour got cracked en route, but it's a liner colour so no biggie there!)
Revlon Photoready Powder in fair - Maddie tells me this is a good dupe for MAC mineralize skin finish - I have never used it but I do love Revlon so excited to try!
Wet'n'Wild blush in pearescent pink

WOW!!! One hell of a package. I am so excited to try it all. With exception of the Revlon lip butter and gloss, I haven't tried any of these products - and that's what a blog swap is all about, right?!

I will be sending Maddie another package as I feel she sent way more than I did. Good excuse to go and haul at Priceline, right?! Ha ha :)

Dirty Jobs Beauty Routine

I work in a mine. It's dirty, smelly and noisy. However, my job largely involves watching other people work, and it's pretty interesting to see the inner workings of how gold is processed, and all the steps involved. OK, I sound like a weirdo but it's true! It is interesting I swear! Ha ha.

Not where I work, but similar.

Anyway, so with dirty jobs comes dirty me. Despite the fact that I don't really do any physical labour, I'm still walking around and touching things. The mine is obviously VERY dusty, it gets everywhere (EVERYWHERE), and it dries out everything in sight. You also wash your hands 100x a day to remove the dirt, with high grade hand washes which are very drying to the skin. So you can imagine how my hair, skin and nails suffer!

So here's how I've learned to deal with my dirty job.

FACE
I don't wear makeup to work, I think it's silly. No one cares what I look like. I do, however, still do my usual skincare in the morning with a generous layer of sunscreen and moisturiser. At night when I finish I make sure I cleanse with a deep cleanser such as QSilica Makeup and Grime Removing Cleansing Gel**, and then follow up with my regular cleanser (Weleda Almond Cleansing Lotion**). And of course, a thick layer of moisturiser.

When I've finished my line of shifts, I will do a face mask as my skin does NOT like the environment out there and my red patches flare up. My face mask of choice is Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Mask ($25.90 from Echolife) - it calms the redness like nothing else!

HAIR
Ugh. Your hair gets SO dry from all the dust, and gets oily because you wear a helmet all day and sweat. Sexy.
I choose to use Al'chemy shampoo and conditioner** - the shampoo really gets the gunk out and the conditioner is so light and yet quite moisturising at the same time.
When I come off shift I also use a deep hydrating mask such as pure coconut oil (post to come!) to get extra moisture back in.

HANDS
This is the bane of my existence, I swear. As I said, washing your hands 100x a day. And not having time for a deeply moisturising hand cream to sink in. And stripping soaps. BLAH.
I've found A'kin Unscented Intensive Hand, Nail and Cuticle Treatment** ($17.95 from Echolife) is amazing for this. It really gives back the moisture, and sinks in super quick which means I can apply it on the go. The squeezy tube is perfect for work as it means no nasties get in. It's definitely a crib* bag staple now.

When I come off shift I use LUSH Lemony Flutter ($15.50) on my cuticles and LUSH Handy Gurugu ($17.50 from LUSH) on my hands before bed for an extra moisture boost. Handy Gurugu feels light, but takes a long time to sink in so is best used at night. It does give extra moisture, though, and is a great treatment product.

Do you have a dirty job that needs special products?

* For those unfamiliar with mining slang, crib is a Welsh word used in mining to describe a meal break, "crib room" is the lunch room, "crib bag" is the bag you take to work containing your meal and gear.

** Product provided to me for consideration.

All products mentioned are not tested on animals.

What's In My Bin? July Empties

Big month for empties as usual. I also threw out a crapload of old makeup I will never use, but I haven't photographed that. Some of that was pretty manky.

Victoria's Secret Love Spell body scrub - I hate this scent. HATE HATE HATE. However my friend Alissa loves it, each to their own right? Otherwise it's a nice sugar scrub, but it foams, which is kind of disturbing. No repurchase.

Protane Hair Spray - this is from Aldi. I typically like Aldi prods, but this was Meh. No repurchase.

St Ives Olive Gentle Face Wash - I didn't mind this, but it was an emergency stop-gap. Back to my Weleda now.

Victoria's Secret Pear Glace shower gel - this is like a jelly texture, smelled nice. Would repurchase, but not for a while.

John Frieda conditioner - this came with my hair colour, and I wish they sold it for reals. It's the most moisturising conditioner, ever.

Mitchum deodorant - HG. Will purchase again and again and again

Victoria's Secret Secret Garden body butter - can you tell I went a bit nuts on the Victoria's Secret beauty site? This smelled lovely, but is not moisturising enough for winter. May or may not repurchase.

The Body Shop Almond Oil Hand Rescue - they actually don't make this anymore. They have a new "hand butter" which is slightly different. Boo.

LUSH Pow Wow lip scrub - this was awesome! It had pop rocks in it and smelled of lime. Unfortunately water got in there and it went hard. Would repurchase, though.

Kosmea clarifying face wash - meh. It was nice, but probably not suited to my dry skin.

Australis Lash Length Extension mascara - this is actually getting thrown out as it most definitely does NOT extend my lashes. 

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara - very meh.

Hurraw Lip Balm in Lime - lots of people love these. I don't. They seem to sit on the lips rather than sink in, but there's no ingredient I can see that would cause this... Hmmm

EOS in Summer Fruits - I do believe we have a HG balm. I have already repurchased 3 of these, and they're everywhere. Review to come.

So, what's in your bin this month?