Australian Lush Christmas Collection Boxing Day Sales Haul 2013

I've been obsessed.

I love Lush. But not enough to pay $8-10 for some soap.

I've tried many lush products in the past and in the end didn't find it to be anything special besides just being fun to use.

I still go into Lush occasionally for a browse but have not purchased their stuff regularly anymore.

Now that i've had to cut down on my products and have to be extremely careful of ingredients in the products i use, i don't shop as often for beauty items anymore.

I did check out the Lush Christmas collection early December and wasn't tempted by anything besides their Santa Baby Lip Tint. Having gotten rid of 20+ MAC lipsticks, i felt like i had nothing to put on my lips in the morning! So when i swatched this Lip Tint and found it to be a very rich full pigmented red, i knew i needed to hoard these. I have been loving red lips for a year now! I dab it on so it's not completely in your face bright. The ingredients appear gluten free and have been safe on my lips so far :)

The only downside is that it is very dry. It is almost rough and clumpy when i'm trying to smooth some product out of the tin. However it dabs on the lips fine and spreads easily with some lipbalm on the lips first :)

Also the expiry dates are only for a year long. I purchased 3 when i first spotted them and tried to not go crazy since i knew they would last forever and boxing day will have 50% off all Christmas Lush items.

I did end up going to the city on Boxing Day even though i had no plans to be part of the crowd. So my first priority shop was to Lush! Only one Santa Baby Lip Tint was found on the shelf so i grabbed that instantly. Originally $9.95 so half price was pretty good. I also grabbed one of their lipsticks that come in a dropper style bottle. I have been eyeing their lipsticks FOREVER but cannot justify paying $24.95 on another make up item when i have so much already. I got the shade Strong which is a dark deep orange. I absolutely love orange on my lips. It's like a pin-up red but much more cute :)

And that was all i got. The shelves were all ravaged to the point of almost empty. The line was to the door and the sales assistants were being extremely slow and inefficient. They love to talk and talk and TALK. When the line is out the door and the heat is up to 40 degrees C in there, you would think they would hurry up a bit more? That's the problem i've experienced at Lush. They are lovely but too friendly. There were times i've missed the train because they don't stop talking even when it's to the point where you're feeling awkward now and they need to stop. If i'm looking for something and you're helping me, ok fine. But when i've helped myself and gone to the counter because i want to pay and leave, please just stop :(

I went home with no regrets of not buying anything else from Lush. I didn't even think about it.

A Lush Kiosk opened near where i work and somehow it has tempted me after that. I walked pass during work and had a few looks. And in the end, decided to buy some of the gift sets while they were half off. It's the best time to buy so i needed to take advantage!

It started with one big gift set and a small one.

Then when i went home and got all excited smelling each item and looking at the pretty packaging, i ended up going back the next day at work and got another gift set and some small items.

Also when i notice one gift set being the last one left, i tend to just NEED to buy it.

So through all Boxing Day till this date, i've been popping into lush constantly and buying an item here and there. There isn't much left unfortunately and i feel sad i didn't decide to buy while there was still stock around. Today i did finally make an order from the Lush website which does have SOME stock left that i couldn't find in stores. There's only 3 different gifts sets left and like maybe 2 other single items. Not much at all. :(

I have unboxed a lot of the items that came in gift sets, cling wrapped them and put into my Lush tin anad threw all my extras into a bag.

I've got a whole assortment of stuff so i won't list everything i got.

Products which has stood out to me are, the Mr Punchy Soap. The smell is just so fruity and nice, i bought a few of the gift sets it came in. Keep in mind the 2 item sets were around $6-7 and 3 item sets were $10-13. The most expensive gift set i got was for $31.50 and there was 9 items. Overall i figured they worked out to be around $3.50 each item which is a super good deal!

I also love the Candy Mountain scent. My sister described it as cherry flavoured medicine which isn't very off from what it smells like. The Snow Fairy Massage Bar is the same scent and i was so reluctant to buy these at $5 still after being discounted but when i noticed stock was running low, i did purchase a few here and there. It's so creamy, i just love touching it. They won't last though and are very melty.

I've been told the Valentines' Day collection will be out soon and i have the catalogue with all the products on there. I will definitely be checking it out but probably not purchase anything since i have so much now! Although, if a Valentines' Day sale also happens, i might learn my lesson from this time and quickly snap up all the good stuff first!

I'm a little obsessed but i've been nothing but work work work lately so it actaully feels good to have something to be excited over :)

Ok so i guess i've mention the other things i've purchased during this sale season :)

I've been quite good until this Lush obsession hit. I've only been on one other proper shopping trip.

I purchased a fabulous dress from Myer and of course in one of my favourite brands, Tokito for $45 which isn't too bad. I expected the sales to be much more and the Parramatta Myer sale sections were in such a mess. They threw all the sale clothes on 3 massive racks and after a bunch of browsing, you realise there's only a few styles on there but just all over the place. Things were still not considered cheap to me. There are constantly 30% off sales at Myer and the clothes were only marked down by that much anyways which didn't make anything a 'steal'.

I purchased a wrap bracelet from Fossil. They had half price on certain stock. However it is blended in which normal stock so you won't even notice they were having sales besides one dinky red sign in the corner of the shop somewhere. The bracelet i got turned out to be the last one so i was fine with taking the display since i was going to wear it anyways. However i noticed it was all scratched up and had a massive logo flaw where the metal had a dent. This made is quite upset so i took it to another Fossil store just to change it over to one that was in decent condition. The service was shocking. Not only to me. I noticed it towards other customers as well. 3 staff in the store, yet none can finish serving this one girl waiting to pay and no other customers were needing help besides me just wanting to exchange the bracelet over.

They took forever to get the bracelet out of the case, one girl standing at the case not doing much got annoyed she had to take it out for me, took the faulty bracelet and asked what was wrong with it rudely. When i showed her the obvious faults, she said 'that's what happens when you buy sale items'. Excuse me? Sale items aren't faulty items. And i've been a constant regular to this store and purchasing everything at full price all year round, now to have this kind of treatment makes me extremely turned off the brand. The lady taking 1 hour to process a simple exchange because all 3 staff were incompetent, eventually had to call someone from outside to do it. The girl came in, knew what to do straight away and gave me the new bracelet and let me go. The sad part is that it wasn't their usual staff who would have recognised me, and these 3 random staff seemed like they would have been head office people too because their heads clearly weren't on this planet.

I was going to do a massive order from the Fossil website since none of the sale items are even displayed or available in stores for some reason. However after that day, i don't think i will be buying anymore from Fossil.

My next purchase was at the Chanel counter. I've been needing a new powder to set my make up and i've been loving my Chanel blush so i decided to have a look at what they had. I purchased 2 items from them and the young girl there had the snootiest attitude. She stood on the spot and everytime someone called her over, she would roll her eyes a little and go to them, answer their question and walk off back to her spot. While the other 2 staff were actively helping other customers.

She was the only staff available for us to call over for us to make the purchase and even thinking about it now makes me annoyed at that kind of attitude. We were such an easy sale for her, she made no effect, she even tried to up sell me stuff after i told her what i wanted. To the point where i was going to change my mind because she told me what i'm buying is not for what i plan to use it for...

There's bad staff everywhere. It makes me sad how some much more capable people are more deserving of these jobs yet these kind of people get it instead.

Another thing i got was 2 Avene Body lotion creams for sensitive skin. This has been the best face moisturizer for me now. When my skin is flaring up from allergies and hormones or whatever, this is the most basic and nicest feeling cream for the face. It's also a massive tube so it will last agessss. But when Priceline had 40% off i couldnt resist  to not buy 2 back ups :)

My Victoria Secrets order also came. I love their body mists. Everything of theirs just smells heavenly and luxurious! This is going to be one nice smelling year with all my new goodies i think :)

Scored some generous Lush samples without even asking! :D

I don't like the dry feeling of soap but this smell is addictive!

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar!

I went back for more :D

Shooting Stars Gift Set

This bag of lush goodies has now completely over flown :)

2nd Lush haul coming soon.... :D

Not Dead

Hello :)
I just wanted to quickly update that this blog is not dead. Ok so it has been dead for the past few months but i have very good explainations! lol Won't you let me explainnnnnnnnn.

Basically, i am a make up skincare hoarder. And i've been trying to cut back and use what i have. The disappointment of looking at something you love and knowing it's nearing the 'too old to be used' stage makes me sad especially when i have 10 back ups of it.
So i've been not buying anything i don't need, not buying things that are "new and fun to try". Simply because i've got 30 other 'new and fun to try' unopened eyeliners or lipsticks sitting in a drawer somewhere.
Also, saving. At my mid twenties, my financial status is not at the top. It isn't bad. If i wanted something i could buy it easily. But it's time to think about the future. I want to buy a new car and be able to afford a house one day.
Also i figured, the amount i spent on beauty products, a few shopping trips could = a designer item that will maintain it's value a bit longer than make up :)

To stop buying beauty products is hard but something has really made me start. And it is my allergies. I need to avoid gluten/wheat products which means nothing with wheat germ oil. I've also recently discovered i need to avoid things with Vitamin E which is derived from wheat.... which means 90% off my beauty products will go in the bin.
I've been slowly sorting my stuff. Anything with wheat for sure i've taken out and given away. I will try to sell some more expensive products that are new and sealed to hopefully get back some of the $$$ i spent and use that towards my new gluten free make up :)

That means this blog will now become a gluten free shopping blog!
I think i'll have stuff like fashion accessories, make up and skincare still but only things i find that are gluten free :)
I'm so busy with work i won't be able to post once a week like i use to :( Hopefully once every fortnight i guess hehe And because i'm buying lesser now i'll just post collective hauls which has lots and lots of photos. I know that's what we all like! hehe

I've definitely bought a lot of fun items since my last post... which i can't even remember when that was! Sorry :(
Is there anyone else who has had to cut back on their beauty stash for any reason? I'm a bit of a organization freak so it's kind of fun even though it's sad at the same time :O

I will back back soon with lots of photos!

Priceline 2 day 40% off skincare Sale ~ nanoblur ~ hydraluron ~ snoxin

Priceline had a 40% off all skincare sale on Tuesday and Wednesday!

Most brands only ever go on 30% off at MOST so this was a good chance to buy those products you've been eyeing! Not only that, some brands never go on sale too!

I've been on a de-hoarding and budgeting plan so i have not been eyeing any products or been in need of anything :)

However it doesn't hurt to look and see what would be the best item to buy on this sale right? :D

I did end up getting some exciting stuff!

I bought a Nanoblur which i have tested on the back of my hand before and it definitely does have a matte blurred effect on the skin. I had wished i read reviews online first because apparently it doesn't work well with make up. Whats the point of using this without make up on when i'm going to look ugly anyways??? lolol 

I also picked up from the same company Indeed Laboratories, Hydraluron which is a moisture booster. This caught my attention and i have dry skin so i got 2 of these. I'm so glad i came home to raving reviews on this product. The size is a tiny 30ml but withthe 40% off it was around $22 which made it a decent price compared to the Dr Lewinns Super Hydrator 30ml $89.95. It's not as sticky and disappears into the skin quickly. I do enjoy still feeling the moisture on the skin which the Dr Lewinn's does though.

I decided to also get the Snoxin from the same brand since i was already getting most of their stuff. When i tested this on the back of my hand, it felt nice. The spot on my hand looked nicer instantly too! Maybe it's in my mind :D But i bought it anyways. When else would be a better time to try it? 

Maybe i should have got the eye cream too much i don't have eye wrinkles. I do have some darkness and sagging under the eyes but that's probably all genetics and i'm not convinced anything will save them now.

I'm super excited to try the Hydraluron mostly because i feel like that's something i need straight away. Nanoblur was just for fun. I don't have shiny skin that needs to be mattified. If i can't use make up over this, then it's kind of useless to me but i'll see if i can make it work. If Snoxin is as amazing as it claims, and a cheaper alternative to the Lancome Genefique. I may start adding it to my routine regularly. I didn't think the Genefique was doing anything for me, but my skin did feel like it was in a good condition until i stopped so it must have been doing something!

Overall i really like this brand and think it has so much potential. The ingredients list is short and not filled with fillers. Which is what i like since i need to avoid gluten in my beauty products as well!

I hope they come out with more stuff! But maybe not because i really don't need more products lol I can't wait to finally reach the point where i have one-two back up of stuff, not 20. It's exhausting to use 5 body cleansing products in the shower every day lol Gotta use them up somehow right? :D

I've resorted to old body lotions as shower washes and old facial moisturizers as hand cream. I've been pretty good at not buying more skincare :) except this one time hehe

MyProsperity.com.au

MyProsperity.com.au

Product Talk by Nuffnang

If you've stumbled across my blog, you probably like shopping. I know i do lol

However being a shopaholic can be a bad thing. I was definitely one for a long time. However i grew up in a family which always knew saving was important. 

I've really let go last year and spent way too much. It got to the point where i was spending all my pay every week and i knew i had to stop. I've been doing ok this financial year :) My goal is to stop being a shopaholic/hoarder. I don't need more stuff! My room is overcrowded and i'm never going to be able to downsize my stuff at this rate!

So when i got an email to review MyProsperity i knew it was something that could be of use to me. It is a website which allows you to have better control of your finances. It securely links your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, super, shares, property, car, etc all in one place and best of all it is free!

It allows you to design your own budget plan and sorts out your spending for you. You can see all your money related stuff in one place which i think is the best way to know how your financial situation really is. Sometimes i spend on one card but i monitor my other bank account more. Before i know it, i've spent everything in one account without realising and thinking i still have money :(

I usually put all my spendings on a very VERY messy spreadsheet. I use EditGrid which i can access online everywhere but their servers are always down so i have been looking for a new option :)

I've signed up and so far the website navigation is easy. They also have a easy set up steps for you at the beginning. There's a few sections where you can add goals and budgets. Apparently if i want to save for a new car, it's going to take me 150 months if i only add $200 in per month lol... no more goal of a new car any time soon :P I really like how it puts your goals and plans into perspective. Now i know if i want a new car within the next 1-2 years, i'm going to have to buckle down and save hard!

Finding a good way to watch your spending and money flow is so important these days. Money is put into all kinds of things like share, investments or even an old sock in your drawer :P lol Keeping track can be a headache trying to gather everything together. I know because i did my tax recently and i hated looking for all my files and logging into all my bank accounts! 

I think this website service is great and something we all need in our busy lives.

If you need help with budgeting or just want to be able to see all your finances in one place, check out MyProsperity.com.au! They even provide a free car and house worth valuation :) 

New Prada Bag! Prada Saffiano Lux BN1786 in Baltico Navy Black Blue

For my Birthday last month i got the Prada bag i've been wanting from L :)

It's their Saffiano Lux tote bag which is their popular standard bag design. It's my first luxury designer bag, and although the price still hurts, we only live once and if you can afford to get one, why not. I always knew i would indulge in one someday :) But letting go of the money is always hard especially when you slave away at work for so long just to be able to purchase one of these!

I'm afraid i know this will not be the only overpriced bag i will possess in my lifetime :D But it's a good start! I've wanted this for it's simple elegant design. It's very sturdy leather. Should not easily stain and the design will go with everything. It's a classic piece which should stay within trend for years and years.

The problem was choosing the colour. I was set on Navy or Black. Should i go safe and stick with Black? Or should i add a bit of fun and go Navy? When we were at the store choosing out my bag, they had the seasonal colours available :D Which is how i came upon 'Baltico'. A Black Blue! My perfect shade! It's so much more classy than the Navy but not as flat and boring as the Black! I knew straight away this was the one :)

This is how the colour looks in real life. Isn't it beautiful? :)

With Flash! Definitely see the blue tones in this now.

I feel like this bag needs a seatbelt on in the car :P

I hope this can become my everyday bag and i can the money's worth in use out of it! I've got one of those plastic bases from a supermarket environmental canvas bag to put in the base so it keeps it shape ok. But i don't mind if it doesn't stay 'boxy' since i want it to look like a comfortable everyday bag. Sadly i've only used this bag twice as i don't want to bring it to work where it sits unattended in a cupboard all day with a good chance of it being possibly stolen! On my days off i don't tend to bring a handbag with me when i drive around to local places :( Must find places to bring this bag! It's so roomy i can fit everything in it. I might start bringing this to work but after i've done all the leather protecting stuff hehe

I love this bag so much :) But once you own one, you realise you don't need a million designer bags like you dreamed of hehe. I'm at the stage in my life where i've tossed all those cheap bags where i had like 20 different designs and have stuck to the one basic black bag everyday. What age were you guys when you decided to stick to one handbag only like most 'adults'. Not that adults should stick to one bag but my mum always uses one bag for everyday, so did my teachers and older people i've come across :)

I can't wait till i choose my next designer bag to put on my want list. But i'm super happy with this bag and will wait till it's a little worn before i even consider wanting another pricey bag :P

BTW i've been meaning to do a massive haul post for the past month. But my laptop screen broke and i'm using an old laptop which won't connect to my phone so i can't upload photos easily. It's really such a hassle and has made blogging so inconvenient :( I'm working on it though, i've bought so much fun stuff, i can't wait to share soon :)

Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Daily Clear Wash and Mask Review and Giveaway :)

Product Talk by Nuffnang

Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Daily Clear Wash and Mask $10.99

I was sent this item to review around a week ago. It is the new Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Daily Clear Wash and Mask. 

"Formulated with Avocado Extracts and nourishing Vitamin E, glycerine for hydration, as well 

as Pomegranate fruit extract, an anti-oxidant known to help keep skin looking and feeling 

healthy, these delicious smelling products cleanse gently and do not leave your skin over 

dried."

Definitely sounds like it's packed with lots of goodness for the skin. The packaging is a easy to use squeezy tube :) It smells so lovely. Very refreshing and soothing. It is a greenish grey colour with a cream gel texture. It reminds me a lot of Dermalogica's Dermal Clay Cleanser. But when used on the face it definitely feels more like a watery gel and smooths out very nicely. It's at a very good price too for only $10.99!

This is great for the mornings when you need something to freshen up your face and is gentle enough to just clean off left over cream from the night before :) i would recommend this as an everyday morning face wash or even for nights where you just bummed at home all day and don't have much to wash off :) Sometimes its better to use gentle products that don't strip off everything too harshly. Gotta give the skin some R&R now and then right :P

~Giveaway~

http://blog.nuffnang.com.au/clearasil-product-talk/

5 commenters will also win a full sized Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Daily Clear Wash and Mask. Just leave a comment below on what skin concerns you think Clearasil Vitamins and Extracts could help you with? 

For me i think it will help me feel energized and more awake in the morning so i can apply my make up with my eyes opened! lol 

This giveaway will only be till the 22nd of July 2013, so i will contact the winners then to arrange for the prizes to be sent to you :)

Now leave a comment! Gogogo :D Chances are i wont get enough comments so if you're the first 5 you'll probably win hehe Everyone loves a freebie right? :)

Priceline Skincare Goody bag June 2013!

Priceline is having another Goody bag offer again! This time it's on skincare and you have to spend $60 or over on the selected brands :) I got mine already hehe and they seem to be almost out since it's Saturday today. You might be able to find a few more left in some stores. It's a really good one too so if you're in need of some stuff anyways, this is the best time to buy!

On Thursday night, just 20 minutes before all the shops were to close, i rushed into Priceline on the drive back home from the city and grabbed a basket, threw stuff in and went on my way as they were slowly kicking people out. 

In such a rushed manner, i didn't make a very good choice with what i needed to buy. I knew i needed make up wipes as my last pack was coming to an end and a few packs of pore strips, you will always need these babies. 

So i ended up buying pretty much all make up wipes and a few packs of pore strips. There looked like only 3 goody bags left on the shelf like they were almost out!

The next day when i was at work, there is a better Priceline there and i had a good chance to look at all the skincare on sale as well. My local Priceline has skincare divided into this 4 section maze and i didn't see most of the offers the night before. This Priceline still had shelves full of goody bags!

I really didn't need an extra goody bag as i already have more than enough skincare at home. I still have unopened stuff from last year's goody bag! But the skincare was 30% off and i went through convincing reviews on my phone. I decided to just go for it. 

My sisters got the goody bag as well so we all did product trades and swapped for things we would use which was good hehe.

 Priceline Skincare Goody Bag 2013 :)

Dr. Lewinns Reversaderm Micro-Cellular Age Correcting Peel

I'm not at the age that Dr. Lewinns products are targeted for but they do have products which interest me. And it's usually these brands that have good stuff that works! I've also bought their new cleansing oil and will do a review on it later.

I've bought quite a few skincare products lately but haven't had the time or energy to do any posts but i will post pictures and mini reviews next :D If anyone has had good or bad experiences with Dr. Lewinns please let me know! I've got a lot of their basic stuff which i haven't gotten around to really using properly yet and their new products really look appealing :D