What's been emptied?

A good thing about going on a shopping ban or should I say launching a restricted shopping habit means that more products are getting used up.  Recently, I saw 7 of my skincare/ beauty products had been truly well loved.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - I did a review in my August Favourites so I'm not going to talk about this again in too much details.  I first bought the taster kit, fell in love with it then purchased the full size version, and later finished this.  I loved using this so much, the creamy formula managed to dissolve the very last bit of any makeup that I couldn't remove totally.  The muslin cloth helps to exfoliate any dead skin on my face.  I used this as part of my evening skincare routine, I found my skin looking clearer, and more supple.

Eucerin AQUAporin Active moisturising cream (Rich) - A tried and tested product which I gave a full review on my blog previously.  This little tube of cream contains 40ml of product but has lasted me a good 4 months of usage.  I used it day and evening, a tiny amount was enough to inject the moisture that I needed.  A word of advice though, when I used this in London where the weather was much cooler and less humid (even though in the hotter months that we had this summer), I found that the formula not greasy at all even it is the rich moisturising cream I used.  However when I used this after I relocated to Hong Kong, I found it a little too rich especially on the 2 weeks when it was really humid here.  I would, may be give the 'light' version a go later.

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Makeup Remover - I must have loved it so much because you can read yet another full review here. 

Sanoflore Micellar cleansing droplets - I bought this on my trip to Paris in the summer.  I was so excited to shop in French Pharmacies and was determined to pick out something like a makeup remover there.  I have to say I wasn't too impressed by this.  I chose this based on its packaging (silly mistake!), price range (under £10 mark), it claims it's for face and eyes (handy!), it's tested on sensitive skin (my skin type) and contains no paraben.  It seems to have ticked all the boxes.  I wouldn't recommend using this to remove eye makeup as you would end up feeling quite frustrated.  I tend to wear quite light makeup, or even if I would wear smokey eye looks, it would be quite a soft one but this wasn't enough to remove that.  So I used the rest to remove makeup that I had on my face which worked fine.  It has a nice and mild floral fragrance, it doesn't irritate my eyes.  See... I wasn't excited by this, I wouldn't repurchase this.

Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint & Precision Shaping Pencil (Brownie Points) - I'm already using my second pencil of this.   I love love loved using this eyebrow pencil.  It has two ends - shaping pencil and a brow tint brush; but I only use the shaping pencil.  I loved the shade of brown (light but not too light that it wouldn't look awkward with my darker hair colour but matches with my fair complexion).  I love how soft the pencil is but at the same time it is very easy to control when I filled in my eyebrow.  The colour stays put really well and doesn't fade away.  If your eyebrows are easy to manage, this eyebrow pencil fits in the category of  'fill 'em in and you are go to go'.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector - I did a comparison of blemish treatment products on here.  This is by far, the best spot treatment cream I have used and suited almost perfectly for my sensitive and dry skin.  I learnt that with treating spots, you really have to be patient.  I found that my spots heal much better, and leaving less prominent scars, aftermath.  Slapping on a thick layer of this cream on the area you needed, you go to sleep then the next day you notice that the spot is a little bit calmer.  It takes about a week (5-7 days) for the whole cycle from start to finish.  It sounds a little slow but when you have sensitive skin like me, you don't want anything too strong, too potent to damage your skin, e.g. salicylic acid which can be too much for sensitive skin to take.

Laura Mercier creme de pistache hand creme  - each year before Christmas, Laura Mercier has some exciting xmas giftset launch.  I got this hand cream last christmas which came in a set of 4 handcream (£20 for a set, as opposed to £13 a tube) (pistachio, fresh fig, almond coconut cream and creme brulee).  The creamy texture moisturises your hands like no tomorrow, it leaves your hands feeling soft and hydrated rather than greasy!  Laura Mercier body and hand cream products feel so luxury, perhaps this can be a treat for yourself?

What have products have you finished up recently?

Kissable lips, my evening lip routine

Who doesn't know I have the driest lips all year round by now? I've said it like every time on my blog now I must have bored you guys to heaven!

I am enjoying a rather effective lip hydrating combo for nearly a month now and I thought it's about time I should share with you.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Baume Levres Lip Balm (£9 or HK$165 available from Sasa).  It is a lemoney scented lip balm which gives a matte finish; so unlike your average lip balm which makes your lips shiny and glossy.   You definitely don't need much of these, but I tend to slap quite a bit on my lips and used it as a lip mask (I might well just go for it!). As I usually use this as part of my overnight lip treatment so it's brilliant in that sense.  After using this lip balm, I realised that actually, lip balm doesn't have to be greasy nor sticky to do its job right. 

Before I moisturize my lips, they need to be prepped. When I discovered Being Content, a hidden gem in Marylebone High Street; I learnt about ILIA Beauty and her fabulous lip product range. 

I picked up this Balmy Nights Lip Exfoliator (£20) because ILIA started her range specialising in lip products, I reckon ILIA must know how to keep her lips sexy and juicy!  One other lip scrub product I had tried in the past was by Lush. It worked really well but it often ended up in a messy act. Whereas this one by ILIA, as it is in a stick form, all you need to do is twist, turn and slap on your lips. Then I would use a couple sticks of cotton bud to rub on the surface of my lips to get rid of any dead skins. Any remaining exfoliate bits can then be swiped off by a dampened cotton pad or with a flannel. 

Then apply some of these lip balm by Nuxe, dependent on how dry my lips are; I would adjust how much I put these on.

I think I've found a lip treatment routine that worked for me. Do you imply a similar routine? What lip products do you use?

You can totally take the eyes off with.....

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Makeup Remover (£8) or you can get it at a slightly more expensive price at HK$139 if you live in Hong Kong.  'I wanna scream and shout and let it all out', this is an amazing product.

I like products which are effective, efficient and trouble free, most important of all; reasonably priced.  This makeup remover has ticked all these boxes.

This makeup remover is designed for removing eye makeup, and is something you would expect to see, a bi-layer oil and water mixed product.

Something I have tried which is similar in the past which also amazed me was Clinique's Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips.  It is one of the best ones in the market in my opinion.  If comparing the prices, the Body Shop's one is definitely the winner, for £8 you get 150ml but with the Clinique's one it will set you back for £17 but only for 125ml; double the price but less product you are getting.

However much makeup I have on the day, this makeup remover can easily take all the most waterproof eye makeup you have got on.  Soak a small amount of these onto cotton pads, cover your eyelids and gently massage it into your eyes for just a few seconds, voila - all the yuckiness and gunk are transferred onto the cotton pads.  Make sure you use a proper cleanser to clean your face, too.  This good stuff doesn't sting my eyes at all, it is very gentle in formula.  It also has a very mild floral scent (must be camomile!) which is always a bonus!  I have sensitive skin and have been using this for over a month now, it didn't cause any irritation to my skin.

I can't take my eyes off this product and will most certainly repurchase, and recommend this to the world!

Shopping ban update

The rules, simple;

• No purchase of handbags and mascaras from 7 October to 25 December 
• Limited/ restricted shopping/ purchase of skincare and beauty products unless absolutely necessary, i.e. complete run out of either category

Why?

• since the relocation to Hong Kong, realised living spaces are a whole lot less and scarce 
• to avoid my handbag drawers becoming overflown (yet again)
• learn to appreciate my own collection of fashion and beauty items
• learn to give time to use up beauty items, hence can show better reviews with you guys
• learn to rediscover existing fashion and beauty items
• my weakness is in the handbag department, I have so many there is no more reason to buy more
• my overflowing mascaras collection - waiting to be used

Update

• failed on day 1 after announcing the ban - bought one more handbag
• felt guilty but more determined
• previously completed a 2 weeks shopping ban on beauty products - successfully accomplished, started using up more products and learnt to appreciate what I have in my collection
• a 'what have been emptied' blog will be uploading soon

What handbag made me failed on day 1?

This, another yet again 'Chanel' look alike handbag.  I love the size of this, the heart shape pattern and the fabric materials, and with a very reasonable price tag of HK$139 (£11).  You see why I couldn't resist, and so to break my rule!  Please forgive me, I learnt another big lesson.

My dream bag is a Chanel quilted handbag, but as you fashion lover, trendy people know how expensive it is.  If I stopped buying anything, and I do mean anything - beauty, skincare, clothing, shoes, etc. I might be able to own one myself..........

One day, this will be achieved and I'll post a picture.

Are you with me on a shopping ban?  Have you tried banning yourself from shopping?

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint Review

Liz Earle is most famous for its Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleasner because it is a product which has received all the hype all these years.  It seems like people of all ages who have used it found it equally good and suitable for their skins.  I have recently become a new fan (I was wowed by her signature hot cloth cleanser!) and have decided that this is one of the best facial cleansing products I have tried.  But today, I want to share with you a less talked about product in Liz' makeup line: Sheer Skin Tint.

I got my hands on this Sheer Skin Tint as a complimentary gift (worth £21) when I bought its Essential Cleansing Set (Hot Cloth Cleanser, Instant Boost Skin Tonic, Moisturiser).  I wasn't expecting anything but I thought of it as a brilliant complimentary gift.  When I tried it on the first time, I was totally amazed by it!

 This Sheer Skin Tint is available in 4 shades and I chose the lightest shade in #01 Bare which matches my skin perfectly.  It contains SPF 15 which is always handy to provide extra sun protection to your skin.  The packaging is nothing fancy but a dark blue plastic squeezy tube which is handy to get the product out.  You have to shake the bottle before squeezing out the product as it is quite a watery texture (it reminds me of Chanel Aqua Vitalumiere Foundation) despite the description of the product on the website says it's a rich and creamy texture; it is definitely a very lightweight formula.

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint Only

 Blending this Sheer Skin Tint on the skin is extremely foolproof.  Fingers is your best tool when it comes to applying this product. It provides a light coverage and a transparent and dewy finish to the skin.  I think this formula is especially suitable for dry skin type because of the radiant and moisturising finish and texture.  I have worn this for quite a number of times and each wear lasted for at least 6 hours and the performance of the Sheer Skin Tint has been impressive as it doesn't make my skin greasy.  It has definitely lived up to the standard of a good tinted moisturiser as opposed to a bb cream.  It sits on your skin like you have never put anything on but transformed your skin at the tip of your fingers.

It does give such a healthy glow and natural finish to my skin and a great product to provide a (near) perfect and flawless base.  I wore a bit of the Maybelline Eraser Foundation Concealer (in light) for my under eye areas, round the nose and on any areas I wanted a little bit more cover up to even out skin tone.

It's also worth mentioning that when I wore this in London, I felt that the formula was moisturising enough to keep my face hydrated, especially round my nose area.  I have been reluctant to wear this in Hong Kong since I came back 3 weeks ago because the weather in here is so humid and hot.  Until this week I have finally given this another whirl to test out how it reacted to the humid weather.  I found it slightly greasy on the face but this is not because of the product itself, it's mostly because of the weather.  I'd suggest that this is to be worn in cooler months in drier climate, that way you can benefit from what this product would suppose to do.

Have you tried this before?  What do you think of it?

Makeup Storage Solution

Helmer, and on top of Helmer is my makeup which I reach for on a daily basis

Hong Kong isn't an easy place to live in (or even surviving in) I'm telling you, it is definitely not for the faint-hearted.  I don't have the luxury of living in a spacious flat anymore, spaces in Hong Kong are limited, everywhere.

My room is small, which I shared with Mr Holiday.  Before I moved back here, I was worried about storage available for all my beauty stash.  Honestly, my makeup collection has grown so much, the quantity has reached to an 'abormal' level.  

Luckily, I have a petite but well functioned dressing table.  However, what's lacking is a storage for all my makeup.  I went to Ikea, of course that's where you would go when looking for furnitures.  Tell you a little secret, I've made at least 6 trips to Ikea in the first 2 weeks after I arrived in Hong Kong, crazy eh?

My dressing table and makeup storage stack in my very humble room

I kept looking and looking; then rediscovered this white, office looking stack of drawers-on-wheels.  Hang on a minute, I have one (but in red) in London already - I didn't use it for any beauty-related things, it was merely a stack of drawers to hold 'equipments and bits and bobs' like spare light bulbs, screwdrivers, hammer, etc.  How boring is that!

But, ladies and gentlemen, can I introduce to you Helmer?

Helmer is available in red and white, the size is 28x69 cm with 6 generous sized drawers and cost a reasonable £25.  

I know that in the beauty blogger world, Alex is a much more popular choice, a bigger (36 x 115cm) and with more drawers, 9 instead of 6; but costs a lot more at £90.

I also love Helmer the fact that the shape is sleek and fits with smaller flat environment.  Helmer is on wheels so you can swirl it around easier if you need to.  Also it's provided with small pieces of paper you can label the content of each drawer as you can see in the pictures above.

I have filled up all 6 compartments and found the spaces very easy to work with.

I put my daily makeup brushes, mascaras, eyeliner and eyebrow products, blushers and some eye products that I reach for on a daily basis; on top of Helmer for easier access (as you can see in pictures above).  I would then switch up these products with what I have in my drawer.

On the first drawer, I put in all my base products - foundations, tinted moisturisers, primers, sponges and eyeliner pencil sharpeners.  I am also a fan of Muji so I put my products in desk storage organisers from Muji so that the content looks more organised.

On the second drawer, I have all my lip products in the front for easier and more visible presentation when I open the drawer, and at the back I have some bigger palettes and some miscellaneous eye products.  All of which I put them into my empty birch boxes!

Then comes up my favourite drawer, my crazy amount of blushers, and a small collection of eye shadows and palettes. I stole the idea from my sister who has also recently organised her makeup collection.  She used one of those empty iphone boxes to hold some of her makeup.

Like so, it holds like a dream!  Not only does it fit perfectly with my blusher drawer, it also saves me a bit of money on buying more trays whilst recycling these very sturdy and high quality iphone empty boxes!

Then comes on my nail products drawer.  Although not highly organised/ colour coordinated, it is big enough to hold all my nail products and I can find my favourite colours to wear quite easily.  At the back of the drawer, I put all of the stick-on fake nails as well.

In here, I put some other bits and bobs, like fake eyelashes, my hair dryer, my tangle teezer and my Ciate Caviar nail box set.

Then in my bottom drawer, I have my set of hair styling tool and a large collection of makeup brushes which I don't reach for on a daily basis.

As you can see, when you open the each drawer, you can slide open quite generously to find things which you put at the back of each drawer.

I hope that I have given you an alternative idea for storing your large/ small makeup collection.

Helmer or Alex?

Shopping ban and ban

Ok, it's official; I think I must have got some kind of obsessions with handbags. I just cannot resist the temptation, a lot of the times.

Apart from banning myself from buying more mascaras, I've decided I'm not going to buy ANY handbags until Christmas Day.

Yes, you heard me right and this is OFFICIAL! My tiny room cannot hold anymore new handbag additions, it's getting serious. A person, a normal person simply doesn't need THAT many handbags, I'm so freaking ill!

To mark the end of my unusual handbag shopping behaviour and the start of a new handbag free life, I couldn't help but have bought yet another handbag. I waited for 2 days and couldn't sleep on it and went into Zara to buy it. Total failure and guilt but am loving my new addition! Look how sad I am!

I'll report on how much of a struggle I will feel in the next 2 months or so. I'm not buying any handbags, I promised myself and you.

Wish me all the luck in the world! See you guys at the other end!