Beauty Products Used Up in October 2017

Beauty Products Used Up in October 2017

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, October 31, 2017

I've had a nightmarish last few days - while already nursing a foot injury, I woke one fine morning to an acute allergic reaction to the point of severe anaphylaxis. Apart from bad urticaria and joint inflammation, I couldn't move my neck/head at all, and landed in the ER. They pumped me with 'roids and antihistamines, and the former have broken me out, but as my doctors said, it was a question of priorities. I'll have to navigate my skin through bad acne all over again (long-term readers will remember I battled it for the major part of 2016, and am currently undergoing scar revision). Boo!
And, we don't even know exactly what caused the anaphylaxis - they'll do an allergy test after three weeks of no meds and no hives. They suspected a peanut allergy, but it turns out it wasn't one after all. Good. I adore chilli-and-lime peanuts.
Enough whining. Let me show you the beauty products I used up in October 2017, and what I thought about each one.

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No Makeup No Life Beauty Box From Japan: April 2017 Review, Unboxing

No Makeup No Life Beauty Box From Japan: April 2017 Review, Unboxing

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, April 21, 2017

Remember Memebox? They used to send out a bunch of full-sized Korean beauty products for around $35-ish, including worldwide shipping, before everything went kaput.
Ever since I read The Japanese Skincare Revolution: How to Have the Most Beautiful Skin of Your Life by Chizu Saeki (READ IT NOW!), I've been obsessed with J-beauty (and K-beauty).
Japanese beauty subscription No Makeup No Life reminds me of Memebox in its halcyon days. For starters, the products are full-sized. For another, the box, inclusive of worldwide shipping, costs $29.99 a month. Thirdly, like Memebox, the contents veer towards skincare. Just the way I like. Also, the product card (a booklet here) comes in English, so you are not perplexed by the Japanese labels. Finally, they reveal the entire contents of the box beforehand. No surprises, nasty or otherwise, to be had.
I have the April 2017 NMNL beauty box to show you. It is themed "Skincare Essentials".
The external box arrived so battered - mutilated - in the post that I could be forgiven for assuming that the Mother of All Bombs and the Father of All Bombs faced each other in mortal combat within the box. This did not - thankfully - take away from the contents, except for a minor leak and a soggy product booklet, about which I have just informed customer service.

Scroll down for the review of the April 2017 No Makeup No Life Beauty Box, a Japanese monthly subscription that ships worldwide.

Nothing to disclose

Beauty Products Emptied in January 2016

Beauty Products Emptied in January 2016

Tony Moly Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, February 03, 2016

For once, there is a makeup product among my empties. There is, as usual, much more skincare, but a lot of it was used in December rather than January. I am taking things slowly because of the staph outbreak and only use prescription products now but have been purging the harsher products from my cabinets and - hurrah - buying new skincare after careful examination of INCI lists and consultation with my derm. Will show you my haul posts once everything gets here.

Scroll down to check out the beauty products I emptied in January 2016 and my thoughts on each.

Beauty products used up in December 2013

Beauty products used up in December 2013

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a blast last evening. May 2014 be far better than 2013, each day bringing more happiness than the previous one.
Since I travelled in December, I have two sets of empties - products used up during my trip, and a second set that I used at home. I also managed to finish up a primer for the first time.

Here are the makeup and skin/hair care products used up last month.

International Beauty Box: Glam Guru Holiday Box #5 review

International Beauty Box: Glam Guru Holiday Box #5 review

Sunscreen Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, September 20, 2013

Yesterday and today brought me beauty boxes in the mail. Yesterday's box was the September Lip Factory Box (see here) while today it was the Glam Guru Box. Bag, rather. This box is a Jewish New Year special edition and the theme is "Glamour Holiday".

How to order a Glam Guru box: 

You can pay by PayPal and customer service is with you all the way through the process. Email here, and they'll tell you where you can send your Paypal money - and please do mention that Renu of My Beauty Junction sent you and we'll both have some fun!

My Glam Guru Holiday Box arrived 12 days after it was posted from Israel, via registered post, and I was able to track it online. The external box took a battering in the post, like last time, but the contents were thankfully intact.

Haul and review: Shiseido Lacquer Rouge swatches and skin care samples

Haul and review: Shiseido Lacquer Rouge swatches and skin care samples

Treatment Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, September 06, 2013

The last time I went looking for the Shiseido Lacquer Rouge lippies, the shades I liked were out of stock, so I settled for the Perfect Rouge lippies (swatched here). This time, I found the perfect shades for me.

May empties

May empties

The Body Shop Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, June 03, 2013

I keep wondering how other people manage to finish so many products in one month. I need a few months to even reach half-way, because, at any time, I've got around four moisturisers, four shampoos, six or so lipsticks and so on open. I'm proud of the six I used up in May, thanks to liberal application! 
From right:

Shiseido buys, swatches and samples

Shiseido buys, swatches and samples

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, March 30, 2013

Who said men don't know to shop, especially for make-up? My dad was going out of town so mum and I asked him to get us a Shiseido lippy each (we specified the shades) and a day lotion for me. Not only did he bring back the right things, he also came home with some samples for both of us. He didn't ask for samples, the SA handed over two bags, asking him to give them to his wife and daughter. Note to self: Send father for shopping with lists in future. Have a great Easter, everyone!
I bought a full-size day lotion and a Perfect Rouge in shade 711 (Venetian Rose).

Debate: The world's top five cosmetics companies

Debate: The world's top five cosmetics companies

Shiseido Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, March 18, 2013

Wikipedia has a list of the world's top five cosmetics companies. The order, by revenue, as of 2012, is:

1. Procter & Gamble (owns Olay, SK-II, Max Factor and CoverGirl)
2. L'Oreal (Blimey. Owns everything from Lancome to YSL, Urban Decay, Essie, Maybelline....)
3. Unilever (TRESemme, Noxzema, Dove and so on)
4. Shiseido (Owns NARS, BareMinerals and so on)
5. Avon

War-time supplies: A make-up hoarder confesses

War-time supplies: A make-up hoarder confesses

YSL Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, March 12, 2013

War is coming. 
If you look at my make-up hoard, you may be forgiven for getting that impression.
I decided to go through the top-most shelf in my dressing-table cupboard and was shocked to find quite a few items I've repurchased time and again, despite already having enough of the product. So this is another rather shameful yet honest post about my weirdness and how I've hoarded stuff.
Here is Benefit Porefessional. My all-time favourite primer. I'm using one tube for special occasions (more on my daily primer later), and I had a vague idea that I had another full tube somewhere inside. Turns out I have two more.
I like Benefit Dr Feelgood, though it's not an everyday item for me. I haven't even scraped the top layer off the first tin, and I seem to have bought another.
Chanel Rouge Double Intensite in Rose Garnet turned up six times. I love this colour and it is my all-time favourite lippy. I keep a tube in my bag and one for travel, but what are the other four doing???

Four items answered to the name of Estee Lauder's Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Duo in Mega Mauve. I can't even remember buying this lippy more than two times.
I also have three YSL Touche Eclats. It is my all-time favourite concealer, and I'm only using the first one. And why do I have so many refills of Shiseido's Sheer Mattifying Compact and Sun Protection Compact? These are in addition to the ones in two compact cases - one in my daily make-up bag and one for travel.

So you think I only hoard high-end products? Here are four Revlon Colorstay Ultimate lippies - all in shade 75. And I don't even like the shade or the formula!
I cannot, for the life of me, tell you why I've gone and bought three of these L'Oreal Smoothing Serums. They're okay for pre-styling use, though I prefer John Frieda. Still, three full-size bottles?

I also found three anti-dandruff shampoos which I no longer use, thanks to Lush Snake Oil. By the way, these are all from the top-most shelf. I haven't dared to look at the other shelves, bags or drawers.
I have just taken a solemn oath, by all make-up ever known to humans, not to buy any more of these products until I'm on the last tube or case of each. Does anyone else hoard like this?

February empties and March wishlist

February empties and March wishlist

Wishlist Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, March 03, 2013

I'm on a spending ban for now, but once it ends, here's what I want this month (giveaway will take place post-ban, before my birthday in mid-April):

1. L'Oreal nail art sticker in python: Love this pattern.
2. The Body Shop sleep mist: I'm a restless and tense sleeper, so let's try this out.
3. YSL Vernis Pur glossy stain: I love the packaging and badly want it, in a shade that suits me. Let's see - I plan to visit YSL later this month (my mum wants one, too).
4. Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner: I really hope they still produce this. It's on my list when I go Lush-hauling to mark the completion of my spending ban.
5. Caviar microbeads: From MUA or wherever. Doesn't matter. I've wanted to try this effect out, but I'll have to go easy, because the  beads don't last for days and you can't reuse them. Maybe a birthday mani?
6. Burt's Bees lip balm: A regular favourite.
7. L'Oreal primer: I tried a tester and found it quite silicone-y. If it is a good enough alternative to Porefessional, why not?
8. Shiseido Lacquer Rouge
9. Maybelline Rocket mascara: Blame Hannah for the presence of this on this list!
10. The Body Shop Peppermint pumice foot scrub
11. Lush Buffy Bar: Or any body butter bar, and a couple of massage bars, really.
12.  China Glaze Scattered and Tattered: I don't see myself buying this anytime soon, but if divine forces, if any, are reading this....
13. O.P.I. Polka.com: As above.
14. Shiseido Camellia Compact: This is more of a wish to swatch it and see if it's fab. If not, Benefit Fine One One?
15. Shiseido Shimmering Rouge: It'll be either this or the lacquer rouge mentioned above, depending on which one has greater staying power.
16. Rimmel Waterproof Liquid Liner: A couple of my liquid liners are nearing the end of the bottle, especially deep blue and brown, so....
17. China Glaze Transitions, in any shade, really.
18. L'Occitane hand cream
19. Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose Eau de Parfum: I've finished a sample and I know I'm buying this soon :)

Now for my empties this month:

Lush Blousey Banana shampoo: Loved this - the smell, the feel, everything! Contains ALS, though.
Olay Body Wash: Whew, took forever for that to get over.
Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly: Bought this only in January, but I was rushing through it to get five empties!
The Body Shop Satsuma Body Lotion: A February favourite. Loved the smell and the soft feel it gave my skin.
Lush Curly Wurly shampoo: While it is a non-drying yet cleansing shampoo, the coconut bits kept clogging my drain.
Shiseido Sun Protection Compact Foundation: I've had this for a while - very little is enough, and no white residue/shine. Besides, this is great for those days you're too lazy to wear SPF.
Max Factor Lipfinity 180: They changed the formula so that Lipfinity is now quite flaky and sticky. This is pre-change. I saved it for a long time because I love the shade and finally decided to finish it off.

February (and January) favourites

February (and January) favourites

YSL Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, March 02, 2013

Since I didn't do a favourites post for January, this list incorporates both Jan and Feb favourites. I've segregated them into make-up favourites and skin/hair/body care favourites. Make-up (and perfume) first:

So here are the items (top to bottom, left to right). Whatever I've mentioned in this blog has been linked:
1. Dior J'adore Eau de Parfum: My current favourite perfume, since mid-2012
2. Smith's Lip Balm: Will talk about them soon
3. Lancome Hypnose mascara: Gives my eyes decent shape
4. Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact: My HG compact foundation
5. O.P.I. Ski Teal We Drop
6. Rimmel Glam' Eyes quad - State of Grace 
7. M.A.C. Liquid Eyeliner in Treat Me Nice 
8. Bourjois Blush in Rose d'Or
9. Dior Addict Extreme in Avenue 
10. O.P.I. Mrs O'Leary's BBQ 
11. Rimmel Glam' Eyes quad - Sun Safari: a bit summery, but I wore it anyway :)
12. Chanel Rouge Double Intensite in Rose Garnet: this is my absolute favourite lippy ever, ever!
13. YSL Matt Touche Compact: Fell in love with it after buying at the airport

Now for skincare:
1. TIGI Rockaholic sulphate-free shampoo
2. LUSH Snake oil bar
3. Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover: My HG nail polish remover. Click to read review.
4. The Body Shop Moringa soap
5. Clinique All About Eyes Rich
6. The Body Shop Satsuma Puree Lotion: This is also in my list of empties in February
7. The Body Shop Cuticle Oil
8. Figs and Rouge lip balm in Aloe and Mint
9. Lancome Genefique Youth Activator Serum
10. Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion
11. The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Shampoo

I'll do a post on February empties and my loooong March wishlist soon :)