March 2015 Empties

It's time for my overdue March empties!

Emptying out products and keeping them for a few weeks just to write a monthly post gives me a high! Pictures has been taken and it's just writing this post that needs a lot of energy to do.  It's hard to concentrate and channel your beauty energy when there's too many things happening all at the same time but they say, just give it time and it will come around!

Okay, enough of the excuses and here's my nice stash of empties last month!

I'm so happy that I was able to finish several full sized products last month! I'm so proud of myself!
Because that means I can open new ones! Yey! You know the feeling when you're so itching to open and try a new product that you just bought but you're rational self keeps telling you to wait and finish the countless products you're currently using? That is a real struggle for a beauty addict! Yes, 1st world problems but there's something about makeup and beauty products that keep you addicted!


Let's get on to my individual thoughts to these products.

Organic Care Colour Shield Conditioner
- This brand's shampoo and conditioner has been appearing on my empties posts for quite some time now. It's my go to brand when I'm being thrifty and can't afford my favorite Sukin hair products. It smells organically divine!

Verdict: will always repurchase

Sukin Natural Deodorant
- Another regular product of mine. I have reviewed this before here.

Verdict: Not recommended for summer sweaty times but a good and natural deo for winter

Thursday Plantation Macadamia Oil
- I love this oil! It smells strongly of lavender oil which is one of the main ingredients and very relaxing. I love using this as a body oil and it gets absorbed by the skin quite nicely. The spray on pump is also a bonus, makes it a lot easier to use and no spillage.

Verdict: Love this! Definitely on my favorites list now and highly recommended.

Imperial Leather Body Wash in Forbidden Fruit
- My beauty blogger friend Kats of Kats Colourings  likes Imperial Leather's body washes that I just had to try it. I love that it's very affordable and it smells sweet and tangy. It's a combination of blackberry blossom and wild fig and colour purple. I like that it doesn't dry out my skin and I would love to try the other scents.

Verdict: Like this! I'll try other scents before buying this one again.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover
- I bought this because the bottle says it's nourishing but there's nothing exciting about this remover. I don't like the scent and it leaves a white film on your nails to "nourish" it. It does remove your nail polish but I'm really bothered with the smell.

Verdict: Not for me. I don't like the smell.

Klorane Dry Shampoo
- This is a nice dry shampoo but I don't think this is my HG. I'm yet to find it. I like the simple subtle scent but this is one of the pricier drugstore dry shampoos so I don't normally buy this.

Verdict: Okay product but pricier than others.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Happy Easter everyone!

The long weekend seems so short when you realize that you have to go back to work tomorrow! Aargh!

I used this time to regroup my thoughts, pamper myself a little bit, dream, mourn for a beloved family member who just passed away and of course to remember the meaning of the Lenten season.

Life has been a roller coaster these past few weeks and it has been really hard.  Change won't happen overtime and reality will always wake you up from your slumber. It's up to you if you want to wallow in your pain and depression or if you'll take action and control your life.

I have always been optimistic but there will be times that you'll think every thing is just going wrong all the time. They say when you're down, there's no other way but up! So pick yourself up and make the most of what you have at the moment.

These past few days has been good for me. I got some much needed rest and relaxation without worrying about every single aspect of my life. I am now taking the steps to get in control of my life. Change is inevitable, you just have to take the step and embrace the challenge.

Most importantly, I started dreaming again! Creating dreams that will one day going to be reality. I just have to focus on the end goal and enjoy the process. I'm also rediscovering my passion and giving myself time to do the things I want to do like blogging.

It will be a long way and I know there will be hiccups along the way but I'm making a promise to myself that I will always get back on my feet no matter how many times I fall.


I would also like to share some pictures that I also shared on my Instagram account ya_mia . These pictures made me happy and a little glimpse on what I did this weekend.

Here's my Instagram entry for Benefit's #easterbenetreat competition. I love Benefit and I have a weakness for palettes! Hubby also gave me this massive white chocolate egg with almonds and cranberries and it's really yummy!

My hilarious attempt to create an Easter egg nail art! I bet kids half my age can do it so much better than me! Oh well, it was fun!

Our adorable Ellie the Kelpie! We went to a park yesterday and she went inside a bush and came out with a little flower on her head. She just looks so cute and girly like her mama!

Violet Box 2015 Review

I got my February Violet Box more than a week ago but it's only now I got to write a post about it. I'm actually quite happy that it arrived on February as the January box was very late.

As usual, I'm happy with the contents and I particularly like this box because it contains items I need or meaning to buy like the exfoliator and the highlighter pen!

Here's what I got!

I really love their boxes as it's spacious and very usable!

It contains 4 full sized items and the Suki exfoliator is a very generous sample.

Love info cards! It tells you how much the items are based on the card, this February box is worth $85.73! That's such good value considering I only paid $22.95 for my monthly subscription.

This month they're having a promotion asking members to post this month's box on Instagram. It says to snap a pic and hashtag #violetboxlovin for you to win a $50 beauty swag.  This is great for IG lovers like me but I don't know what a beauty swag prize will look like! LOL

February 2015 Empties

The shortest month of the year has now passed and I was quite happy to finish some of the products I've been trying to use up for quite some time!


Here's my empties for the month.

Some of these products just got expired and I don't like using products whether food or non- food past the use by date. I believe there's an expiry date for a reason! I'm scared I'll get sick or the product doesn't work anymore and I'm just wasting my time and effort.

Beauty Essentials Round Cotton Pads
-I bought this as this was the cheapest I can find at Priceline. It's somewhat rough and disintegrates quite easily. Cheapest is not the best option in this category.

Verdict: Cheap but the quality is cheap as well. I won't buy this again.


Johnson's Pure Round Cotton Pads
- The worst cotton pads I have ever tried! Much worse than the Beauty Essentials one. This is very rough on my skin and I really hate it! It was such a chore trying to finish this up!

Verdict: Hate it! I'm not buying this again ever!


Beauty Essentials Fresh Make up Remover Wipes with Aloe Vera
-The worst facial wipes I have tried so far! Another disappointment from Beauty Essentials, I really need to stop choosing the cheapest when it comes to skincare. The smell is okay and quite nice but it's just not moist enough and it doesn't really remove my makeup. I can still see residue even after wiping my face off 3 times.

Verdict: Not buying from this brand again!


Manuka Doctor Apinourish Rejuvenating Face Mask
-This is a very unique face mask. It's more like a cream but it gets absorbed by your skin. The longer you wait the more it gets absorbed. It leaves my skin very soft and noticeably brighter and tighter. My pores are clearer yet smaller. It says it contains purified bee venom and manuka honey and it doesn't sting at all!

Verdict: Amazing product and my skin loves this but for $69.99 for the full size product, I don't think I can afford this!


Maskd The Green Mask
-I found this sample giveaway online and their marketing strategy is attention grabbing! They're daring people who wants to have nice skin to try their product and see if they can handle the sting! It says it will sting depending on the PH level of your skin. The sample is good for one use only and it stung me just a little bit. However, the results are not that mind boggling! It cleansed my face but not as good as I want it to be.

Verdict: Okay product but not extraordinary.


Eslor Botanical Peeling Gel
-I was actually quite confused with this product. It says it's a peeling gel but it did no such thing! It says apply on dry skin, wait 5-10 minutes and gel will melt on skin and liquefy! It claims to be an exfoliator but it feels like a regular face mask for me. No peeling for me or anything, only made my skin soft which is not extraordinary.

Verdict: Too confusing and won't buy this for $49.99 for full size!

Priceline Haircare Goodie Bag 2015

Priceline offers several goodie bags every year and the 1st one for 2015 is the haircare goodie bag.  Spend $40 or more on hair care products by participating brands and you get a goodie bag worth over $190. This offer starts today until 25th of February or until stocks last.

I needed to buy or try some hair care products so this is the best time to buy them! I love goodie bags and these are one of my exclusions for my spending ban. I think getting items that you need for free is worth it! :)


Here's the goodie bag:

It's not that heavy but the items inside are wonderful!

It comes in a Models Prefer bag and the color combo is my fave! I absolutely love black and pink combo and even though it has silver in the middle, I still think it's cute! Although I like it, I told my mom I'll give her the bags every time I get a goodie bag so this will have a new owner soon.

Here's a closer look at what you can get inside the goodie bag.




And, here's the items I got:

It comes with a voucher for Solfine Crema Color and Revlon Colorsilk wherein you can choose the shade you want which I think is really nice than just randomly getting a color shade that you don't like. As you can see, I have already redeemed those vouchers as I want to color my hair this weekend and I haven't tried Solfine before mainly because the packaging is dull and not eye catching but I was actually quite surprised that they have a nice range of hair color and much nicer than those from the bigger brands! I'll be trying the Ginger blonde shade so stay tuned how it will turn out on my hair! For the Revlon Colorsilk, I chose medium brown which I will be giving to my mom.  There's actually just a few boxes of Revlon Colorsilk in my Priceline so you may want to redeem yours quickly to avoid getting the leftovers.

I also got the ridiculously red Lady Jayne hair extension in Raging Red! It doesn't look like a natural dyed hair and looks more like a red wig that you can buy from a $2 shop! I don't use hair extensions so I'll just give that away. For the rest, I'll add it to my growing stock of hair care products or give the rest that I can't use to my mom and family.

Violet Box January 2015 Review

Yes, it's my January Violet Box but it only arrived last week and it's already February! I wasn't really that bothered that it arrived late as I know it always contains good items.  It would have been nice though to be told earlier that the box will be late and another item or sample thrown in like what other subscription boxes do if they can't deliver on time.

January's theme was New Year New You.  I thought they will be introducing new brands as the theme suggests but that wasn't the case as some of the items are from brands they have introduced to members already, I'm still okay with that as I haven't tried all of the products I got.

As usual, it comes with an info card which I love.  I rely on this card to tell me everything I need to know about the product I got as it's so much of a hassle to research it on your own when you just want a simple explanation on how the product works and how much it costs.


So, here's what I got:

I have received 3 full size products and 2 samples and this is what I like about Violet Box.  You get several full size items and not a bunch of samples in an almost empty box.

January Empties -2015

My 1st empties post for the year! Yey! It's nice to finish products so you can use your back up ones!
We recently went on a short vacation so I was able to use some of my stashed sachets. I know some people hate sachets as it can get messy to use but I actually love them as it allows me to use and try different brands as I always get stuck with one product for ages as I only use a pea size amount every use.


Okay, so here's what I finished last month!

Sukin Rosehip Oil
- I think this was my 3rd bottle of Sukin RHO but I wasn't able to finish it as I  think it became stale already as I have tried other serums and moisturisers. It's not the best smelling RHO but it works really great on my skin. My skin feels really soft and it's clearer the next day.

Verdict: It's a very good product but  I just purchased A'kin RHO recently as it smells a lot better so I don't think I'll be buying Sukin for quite some time.


John Frieda Touchably Full Shampoo
-This shampoo promises a fuller hair as you can see on the name itself. I have very fine and can easily get limp hair.  Did I see a noticeable touchably full hair? HELL NO!  It's just a normal shampoo for me and nothing extraordinary.

Verdict: Definitely not believable! I won't purchase a full size of this!


Hello Kitty body mist in Bubblegum
- I know this is for kids but I actually really love the smell of this! In fact, I think this was my 3rd or 4th bottle. It has a sweet scent that reminds me of candy floss. I usually can't stand sweet or floral scents but this mist is not too heady and I've gotten a lot of compliments from this.

Verdict: Love it! I'll finish my other perfumes or body sprays then I'll get another bottle of this.


Premium Spa body wash in Tangerine and Lime Zest
-This is a nice body wash but not really a standout for me. It has that fresh citrus scent and doesn't lather that much so I was able to finish this quickly. There's heaps of body wash out there so I'll definitely try other brands first and not repurchase this.

Verdict: Just an okay body wash! It does give you that fresh clean scent afterwards.


Sukin nourishing Conditioner
-We use Sukin shampoos and conditioners regularly. I buy these whenever they're on sale or our stock is running low. It has that distinct Sukin smell that I love. A definite fave!

Verdict: Love it! I will definitely repurchase!

January Priceline Haul

I'm meaning to do a spending ban this year to curb my expenses and to save money for important things like getting my own car. But, I've been bad and gave in to my inner demons that told me to buy items I "need."  You know when you're sad and you suddenly find yourself in Priceline, you tend to buy something to give you that instant boost of happiness and that's what happened with these purchases.

But, I'm telling myself that January is just the testing period! Today is 1st of Feb and I won't buy anymore makeup or skincare products unless I've ran out of that product. And, I'll try my best to stick with this resolution. :)

So, here's January's Priceline haul and hopefully this will not be a monthly haul! Only exception is if they're offering a goodie bag which I love because I can share the goodies with my family.

These were bought 3 weeks ago and I only planned to buy a body wash and facial wipes!

Veet and Savvy were having a 3 for 2 sale 2 weeks ago and I needed to buy a hair removal cream.

Priceline 40% Off Skincare Haul 2015

Hi there!

If you don't know yet, Priceline is having their twice a year 40% off sale on all skincare products!

And, since I'm in need of some items I decided to buy some and stock up a little bit.

I was also in search of chemical free creams that's good for someone who suffers from skin asthma and I got some good recommendation from fellow Beautyheaven member Petal. :)


So, here's what I got!

I told myself I'm only going to buy a few things but when you see products that you like on the Clearance Rack and that elusive Australis Contouring & Highlighting Kit, my plan was automatically ditched!

3x Olay Regenerist Replacement Brush

Burt's Bees Lipgloss in Rosy Dawn

Burt's Bees Lipgloss in Ruby Moon

Hope's Relief Therapeutic Cream

Billy Goat Soap Intensive Balm

These are the items that I did not buy for myself.  The creams are for my mom who suffers from skin asthma and hopefully it will work for her. I recently gave my mom an Olay Cleansing brush set and she's loving it so I was lucky when I found the Olay Replacement Brushes on the Clearance Rack for $5 each which is normally $10 each. It's 40% off too so I only paid $3 each and I'm very happy with this purchase. It contains 2 brushes in 1 box.

I also found this wonderful Burt's Bees Lipgloss on the Clearance Rack for $5 which is half the original price. One was scanned the original price on checkout but both got scanned for 40% off as well even though they're not skincare products so I'm still a happy chappy!

Beautyheaven Members Exclusive Giveaway

Hi everyone!

Happy 2015 to all of you!

Let's start the year with happiness and lots of hope for a good year!


I know I've been MIA for quite some time and haven't written for a long time but this is a new year  so let's start the year right!

I'm going to be more positive this year and will try my best to write regularly. I may not be able to write a lot of beauty posts as I have agreed to a shopping ban for unnecessary things to keep myself in focus to things I need to prioritize!

This will be very hard as I just started loving dark and matte lipsticks and I just can't help but drool at them whenever I get the chance to go to Priceline! I'm thinking I can reward myself with 1 lippie per payday and I will only buy it if it's on sale or if it's less than $10!!

I have also cancelled my subscriptions to Bellabox, Redpawpaw, and Harvest Box as I'm not happy with what I'm getting anymore.  Bellabox to me seems like they're going downhill and the items are mostly just samples that I'm not interested in. I have also incurred too many skincare products and some makeup that I haven't used yet which will only pile up as I can't possibly use all these products in such a short period of time and most of the time I just keep them to be given away to friends and family. I'm just going save the money for something more important.

However, I did keep my subscription for Violet Box and The Parcel as they're the only ones that give you good value for your money. Violet Box never disappoints me and it's mostly full sized items. The Parcel only comes quarterly and makes me try luxury brands I wouldn't buy normally. I have to keep these two to maintain my sanity! I know it may sound crazy and some people may not understand but getting something every month that will make you pretty makes me happy even though it can be superficial. Life can be harsh and depressing at times so these things help me smile and appreciate my femininity.


And, since I know that the people who can understand this queer side of me is my Beautyheaven family so I'm doing this exclusive giveaway for them!

I joined the site the same time I started blogging and I must say that I have been down a lot of times last year but you ladies has picked me up time and time again.  It's very hard to live in another country where you don't have your family with  you and you only have limited number of friends. It's hard to find true friends when most people are too busy with their own lives to care about you. I must say I was a bit apprehensive when I first joined and write my first comment on the forum as I don't know if anyone will even care or notice my naive questions and rumblings.

I have to say thank you to all those members who were nice enough to give me support and friendly enough that I felt "included" right away. I must say without these nice group of ladies I would have been lost until now. Just knowing that someone's kind enough to give their time in writing replies to my rumblings made me feel humbled and loved and that's a big thing when you're feeling so alone and all you need is a li'l bit of TLC. What makes me feel more appreciated is that I haven't even met anyone of you personally and some of you I don't even know what you look like, yet I am treated like a long lost sister, friend and even as a daughter.  Your kindness inspires me to be kind to others as well, to care and to say a prayer for those that are in need at the moment.

I also would like to apologize for those times I haven't replied to your kind words and well wishes as there were times that I read and stalk the forum but just don't have the will and strength to reply. I have said thank you countless of times in my head and I'm grateful for your understanding ladies!

You all know who you are and I won't put names in fear of missing someone! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!





And if you are able to read up to this part, thank you! And as my little way of saying thank you to you ladies I'm holding this giveaway for you all! I initially planned to give several items but unfortunately budget came in the way. So sorry that there can only be one winner but know that I appreciate all of you and if I win Tatts I'll do a mindblowing giveaway where everyone will be a winner!  :)


So, here's the prize!

These are all from the Philippines and made from native materials.  I wanted to give something that represents me and will give a smile to the lucky person who's going to win this.

This lovely clutch bag comes with a nice gold chain so you can use it as a shoulder bag which is handy for those like me who hates having one of my hand occupied all day long by holding a nice but silly bag!

Birthday Giveaway - PHILIPPINES ONLY

Hi there!

This my 3rd and last giveaway for my birthday month and I'm so excited to share some of the products that I love using!

Here's what you can win:

Here's just some of the products that I love and would like for you to try as well.

People for Plants Mist Toner is an Aussie brand. It's organic and I've been trying to embrace organic products to minimize the toxins coming in to my body. I really love this toner as it doesn't leave your face dry and taught like most chemical made toners.

Wen by Chaz Dean is an American brand and their products are luxurious. The cleansing conditioner is unique as you don't have to use shampoo when cleansing your hair. You just use a generous amount and massage to your scalp, wait for 3-5 mins, rinse and voila your hair is clean and very soft. I'm a big fan of their products if only it's not too expensive to buy from their Australian website.

Yes to Carrots is another brand that produces natural products only. As per the name suggests this lip balm is made of carrots and very nourishing.

Anastasia by Beverly Hills is a cult brand that everyone's talking about. You're going to get a deluxe sample of their clear waterproof topcoat for your mascara.

I also have a deluxe sample of Benefit's famous They're Real Mascara. I adore this mascara as it's really easy to use and still gives you that natural look but with a lot of oomph!

Samples Giveaway 2014 - PHILIPPINES ONLY

Hi everyone!

As promised I'm doing several giveaways for my Philippine readers since it's my birth month!

This is the 2nd one and watch out for the 3rd and last one for this month!

What's the prize??

I have collected several samples for me to share to my Philippine readers as most of these products are only available here in Australia.  I have received requests for more reviews of products that you don't get there. I have tried most of the products above and I would like to share it with you.

Most of these are in sample sachets but there are deluxe samples too like my favorite Nuxe Cleansing Milk and Dr. LeWinn's Day moisturiser. The Neutrogena Hydroboost is really nice as well as it gets easily absorbed in you skin and perfect for warm climates like Philippines.

Inuovi Philippine Giveaway!

And, this is for my ever supportive Philippine readers!

October is my birth month so I'm celebrating it with a giveaway!

Finally, I have been able to write this post as I've been planning this for quite some time now and watch out for this page as I have more surprises to come!

Take note that this giveaway is only for my PHILIPPINE readers so make sure you are entering correctly.

I would also like to say thank you to my family and friends who have reached out to me and told me that they love my blog. This is a journey for me and I had my ups and downs. If  you have noticed, I haven't posted any thing for 2 months as I have been dealing with some personal issues and sometimes the demons in your head can get quite aggressive. Hopefully, this is a start of a fresh new blogging journey for me. Thank you all for understanding!

I've been getting lots of requests for giveaways and more posts so this is the first one! Hope you'll all enter and enjoy it with me! :)


So what's the giveaway?

If you saw the teaser from my last post, the Inuovi review which you can check out here, you'll get the idea of what you can win.

But enough of the suspense, just take a look at the pics below to see what's in store for my Pinoy readers!

Inuovi Australian Giveaway

As promised, I have a giveaway for both my Australian and Philippine readers!

Take note: This post is for my AUSTRALIAN readers so make sure you are entering correctly.

I'll be celebrating my birthday on October 27 and this will be my birthday giveaway as well and hopefully I can do more giveaways very soon! :)

So what's the giveaway?

If you saw the teaser from my last post, the Inuovi review which you can check out here, you'll get the idea of what you can win.

But enough of the suspense, just take a look at the pics below to see what's in store for my Aussie readers!

Tada!

Inuovi Review and Giveaways

Hi everyone! I'm back! After 2 months of hiatus I'm back with a bang and you'll know why later! :)

A friend of mine gave me heaps of Inuovi products so it's time to review them and share it to you all.

If you're like me who's a late bloomer in discovering beauty brands and probably saying you haven't heard of the brand before, I nuovi means "The New" and their research and manufacturing facilities are located in Italy, France and Japan. I also know that they used to sell their products in Singapore but at the moment I can only find them online.

So, let's get on to the goodies! 

12 amazing eye shadows, 1 glitter pot and 1 high intensity eye liner which I will point out to you later.

And a blush and blue eye liner that I forgot I have when I took the first picture!

Bellabox July 2014 Review

After delivery delays last month, I'm actually quite pleased and surprised that my Bellabox was delivered with the first shipment! Bellabox definitely listened to their members and made extra effort to improve this month's delivery and sneak peak items inclusion.

For those that's asking what's a Bellabox?

I'ts a monthly beauty box subscription for $15 wherein you get 5+ surprise products that you can try and enjoy. Most of the products are newly released or brands that are not easily available in Australia.


What did I get?

Info Card

Designer Brands 10% off voucher

Cuccio Body Butter in Honey & Soy Milk sample

ModelCo Eye Define Eye Pencil in Black

Anastasia Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat luxe sample

Designer Brands Lip Butter in Mango

Urban Rituelle Body Soap

StriVectin-EV Get Even Brightening Serum sample

July Theme: American Beauty

back of the Info Card

Here's the items:

June Empties

I know it's already July but it's only now I have the time to post my June empties. It's still better late than never and that has been my motto when I was still in school! haha



Here's my empties for June:

Organic Care Conditioners in Nourish & Balance  $3.75

- This is my go to conditioner if I can't afford my usual organic conditioner. You can easily buy this at supermarkets and so affordable compared to regular conditioners. I also love that this is organic and even the bottles are made from recycled materials. I'm also a supporter for local products so this is a big plus for me. It has a nice smell and what's great about this product is that it doesn't weigh your hair down and leaves you with a clean and soft hair.

Aveda Thickening Conditioner sample    $49.95 200ml

- I got this very small sample when I bought one product from Aveda and they were offering free shipping and 6 samples for free as well. It's recommended for those who have fine and falling hair which best describes my hair. It has a nice sweet smell and it does leave your hair soft and smelling nice all day but the container is too small. I was able to stretch it to 2 uses and 2 days of use will definitely not show any results yet if it's effective or not. Sadly, the small sample has not convinced me to buy the expensive full size bottle.