Post and Shame Challenge

If you hadn't already guessed, this is the shame part of the challenge. 

Behold all of my eyeliners: 

Music, I see your fifteen eyeliners and present to you my forty six eyeliners.

And now for the lip balms:

I really don't know what to say about the lip balms. They speak for themselves. Although I have to admit that's not all of them. I have them stashed all over the house, in my handbag and at work. I couldn't be bothered gathering them all up though. I'd say I have at least another twenty stashed around the place.

Atfer I'd written this post, this is what arrived in the mail:

And now the torture begins.

NeoStrata Daytime Protection Cream SPF 15

I originally started using this in winter and wasn't happy with it as I found that it wasn't hydrating enough. I put it aside and got it out again when the weather warmed up. Now that the weather is warmer and my skin is oilier, this is a great moisturiser. 

NeoStrata says: Daytime use multiple antioxidant anti-aging cream. Formulated with poly-hydroxy acids, gluconolactone and lactobionic acid, plus vitamin e and broad spectrum sunscreens to hydrate and smooth the skin for a more youthful appearance. Provides protection against the harmful effects of the sun which contribute to premature aging. Repeated use may reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Since I've been using this I haven't noticed any difference in the condition of my fine lines, however I'm still happy with this moisturiser. It keeps my skin feeling soft and smooth, it sinks in quickly and it's great for use in the warmer weather. The other things I really like about Daytime Protection Cream are that it's lightweight and fragrance free.

Would I buy it again? Yes, it's a great summer moisturiser.

Active ingredients: octyl methoxycinnamate 7.5%, titanium dioxide 2.10%.

Preserved with: methyl hydroxybenzoate 0.08%, chlorphenesin 0.08%.

Other ingredients: water, gluconolactone, propylene glycol, capric/caprylic triglyceride, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, octyldodecyl neopentanoate, lactobionic acid, sorbitan stearate, glycerol, isopropyl palmitate, cyclomethicone, cetostearyl alcohol, glyceryl monostearate, peg-100 stearate, dimethicone, ammonium hydroxide, 1, 3-butylene glycol, alpha tocopheryl acetate, diethylene clycol monoethyl ether, polyacrylamide, polyhydroxystearic acid, aluminum stearate, aluminium oxide, c13-14 isoparaffin, hydroxyethylcellulose, xanthan gum, arginine, sodium sulfite anhydrous, sodium bisulfite, disodium edeatate, laureth-7.

Post and Shame Challenge

My dear friend Music (who will be know from now on as Nasty Music, hehe) has issued a challenge which I have very reluctantly agreed to join. It's called the Post and Shame Challenge and it even has it's own logo.

Here are the rules:

1. Choose two types of products that you already have very much in excess. Be honest

2. Take a picture of them, show everyone what you already have.

3. You are not allowed to buy anything from those two categories, not even from "it's-cheaper-than-chocolates-I-can't-afford-not-to-buy-it-now" sales, until you have finished at least four products from each category.

Exceptions: products received as gifts and swaps are allowed

You can read about the challenge here.

For information on why Music started this challenge click here.

I will be starting the challenge in a few days. I was originally going to do this challenge with lip gloss and lip balm but after taking stock of my collection I decided that I really need to use up eyeliner, so I'll be doing the challenge with eyeliners and lip balms.

Dove Sensitive Skin Nourishing Body Wash with NutriumMoisture

I was lucky enough to receive some body washes from Dove to review. This is the first of the three body washes they sent me, and I have to tell you I'm loving it! I intended to use it for a few weeks and then try one of the other ones so that I could do the reviews, but I love this body wash so much that I'm still using it and haven't tried the others yet.

This arrived at the perfect time as my skin is really dry, sensitive and itchy at the moment. Usually when it's like this I have to be really careful with shower gels, but using the sensitive skin body wash has really helped the condition of my skin.

Here's what Dove have to say about Body Wash with NutriumMoisture: Breakthrough Formula Cares for Surface Skin Ten Layers Deep.

The “Dirty Little Secret” of Body Washes: All regular body washes cause dry skin damage.
Until now, all regular body washes caused dry skin damage. Current body washes actually damage proteins and lipids in the skin’s outer layer (called the stratum corneum) during the cleansing process, which can lead to the loss of critical moisture. When skin lacks proper moisture, dryness, tightness and irritation/redness can all occur. Some existing body wash technologies are focused on minimizing protein damage and alleviating visual symptoms of moisture loss by adding heavy moisturizing ingredients (occlusives) that sit on top of skin. While these additives help mask dry skin damage, they do not address the deeper problem of lipid damage.

Groundbreaking Skin Care Advance
With its fifty-year heritage in cleansing and caring for skin, Dove discovered how to restore skin’s natural moisture while cleansing with body wash. A breakthrough in the body wash category, only the new Dove Body Wash collection contains NutriumMoisture™ technology that cares for surface skin ten layers deep. Unlike other body washes, this first-of-its-kind body wash technology takes a dual approach to healthy, nourished skin by preserving both proteins and lipids during cleansing.

Can your body wash nourish this deeply?
Other moisturizing body washes use a moisturiser that sits on top of the skin.  Only Dove contains NutriumMoisture™, a breakthrough formula of soybean oil and natural lipids that can nourish deep down.

NEW Dove Body Wash with NutriumMoisture™:
Repairs and maintains skin’s protective layer during cleansing.
Unlike moisturizers in other body washes, Dove Body Wash with NutriumMoisture™ penetrates surface skin deep down to replenish and nourish.
Clinically proven to significantly reduce dryness and improve moisturisation.

And here's what I have to say:
This is a great body wash. It's gentle and non irritating even when I have skin rashes and irritated skin. It's fragrance free and feels creamy but light at the same time. It lathers lightly and feels soothing and moisturising. I highly recommend this for people with sensitive skin.

One of the other things that I really like about Sensitive Skin Nourishing Body Wash is the bottle and especially the lid. As you can see from the picture at the start of this post, the top is narrow. That means that it's really easy to squeeze out without getting mess everywhere. I often find with body washes with broad tops that I end up with body wash all over the place, but I don't have the problem with this one due to the narrow top.


Would I buy this? Yes, it's a great body wash for sensitive skin.

Ingredients: water, glycine soja oil or helianthus annuus seed oil, sodium lauroyl isethionate, sodium laureth sulfate, lauric acid, cocamidopropyl betaine, stearic acid, glycerin, sodium isethionate, tallow acid or palmitic acid, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, lauryl alcohol, dmdm hydantoin, tetrasodium edta, etidronic acid, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, fragrance, pentaerithrityl tetradi-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate, bht.

Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm for Eye and Lip Area

I had really high hopes for this eye cream but unfortunately it hasn't lived up to them. I've been using it twice daily for three months and see no difference in the condition of the skin around my eyes.  

Why I liked it: It has a lovely, soft berry scent and a thick gel texture. It sinks in quickly and is nice to apply. It's very gentle and non irritating. I used this all through hay fever season without any problems. Usually during hay fever season I can't put anything on my eyes as they are so sensitive.

Why I didn't like it: It wasn't hydrating and made no difference to the appearance of my fine lines.

Dermalogica says: Recommended for the smart management and treatment of skin aging. Combat visible lines around the eye area with this powerful firming complex. Vitamin A and antioxidant vitamins C and E improve elasticity and smoothness while scavenging free radicals. Organic silicone's shield vulnerable skin and seaweed extract helps firm skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines.

Would I buy it again? No.

Ingredients: cyclopentasiloxane, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, dimethicone crosspolymer, cetyl ethylhexanoate, polyethylene, tocopheryl acetate, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) extract, corallina officinalis extract, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, flavor, ascorbic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid, boron nitride, retinyl palmitate.

Blog Giveaway Coming Up

I'm so excited to announce that in December I'll be having a giveaway. The people at Perricone MD have generously offered to give one of my readers their Advance Eye Area Therapy which retails at $95 (US).

Unfortunately this giveaway is only open to US readers as Perricone MD can't ship internationally at this time.

The giveaway will be starting in December and is open to followers of my blog.


I'll post more information about the giveaway closer to the starting date.

Australis Mineral Inject Range

I'm so excited about all of the amazing new products that Australis have bought out recently. Their Mineral Inject range is beautiful. Australis were kind enough to send me some of this range to try, so there will be reviews coming up soon. Meanwhile, have a look for yourself by clicking here.

The range consists of:

Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick.
This comes in 10 different colours and costs $12.95.
It contains an SPF of 15 and essential oils such as jojoba, evening primrose and avocado to create the ultimate comfort in wear.

Colour Inject Mineral Lipgloss.

This comes in 10 different shades and costs $11.95.

It has a beautiful lychee scent and provides long lasting shine without stickiness.

Mineral Inject Liquid Foundation (I'm so looking forward to trying this).

This is available in five different shades and costs $17.95.

Mineral Purity Foundation (I can't wait to get my hands on this).

This is available in five different shades and costs $17.95. I haven't seen this in stores yet but it's on their website so I'm assuming it'll be available soon if it's not already.

MAC Satin Taupe Eye Shadow

I can't believe it took me so long to buy MAC's Satin Taupe eye shadow. It's a beautiful colour and one that I should have bought years ago. MAC describe this as a taupe brown with silvery bronze shimmer. It's a Frost formula.

I've been wearing this nearly every day since I bought it. I use it as an all over wash, as a crease colour and as an eye liner. 

Satin Taupe is a cool, shimmer taupe. The texture feels soft and creamy. It's lovely to apply, goes on smoothly and doesn't crease. The picture above shows Satin Taupe in natural light and the picture below is with a flash.

Would I buy it again? Yes, it's a beautiful, versatile colour.

Ingredients: talc, zinc stearate, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, isostearyl neopentanoate, tocopheryl acetate, caprylyl clycol, hexylene glycol, phenoxyethanol.

May contain: silica, mica, titanium dioxide (ci 77891), iron oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), bismuth oxychloride (ci 77163), blue 1 lake (ci 42090), carmine (ci 75470), chromium hydroxide green (ci 77289), chromium oxide greens (ci 77288), ferric ferrocyanide (ci 77510), manganese violet (ci 77742), red 40 lake (ci 16035), ultramarines (ci 77007), yellow 5 lake (ci 19140).

Avene Lip Balm with Cold Cream

I need a new lip balm like I need a hole in the head, however I recently went out and bought Avene's Lip Balm in desperation (and because I've been wanting to try it for ages and this was a good excuse). I've got a sore at the corner of my mouth that's driving me crazy. It's due to my vitamin deficiencies which I'm doing my best to remedy, but as my body doesn't absorb things very well this is proving difficult. But enough about that. In the past when I've had these sores they've gone away within a few days, but I've had this one for 5 days now and it's driving me crazy. I read a review on Beauty Heaven that said that Avene's balm had helped heal sores like mine so I went and bought it.


On the first day of using it I found that the sore stopped being painful. It'd hurt every time I opened my mouth, but after I'd been using the balm for half a day it no longer hurt to open my mouth. On the second day the sore had started to disappear and wasn't at all painful. I only applied the balm twice on the second day. By the third day the sore was gone and I was amazed.


Avene says: Eau Thermale Avene Lip Balm with its highly advanced formula provides lips with softness and protection. Contains a unique and exceptional combination of cold cream and sucralfate to help improve dry and chapped lips. Use daily for soft, smooth and beautiful lips. Enriched with soothing Avene Thermal Spring Water. Moisturises, nourishes and protects lip against cracking, chapping and dryness. Provides long lasting comfort. Formulated with the purest of ingredients for sensitive lips.

Strangely enough, as a lip balm I'm not overly impressed. It does a good jobof keeping my lips soft and hydrated but it just feels a little strange on my lips, as if it's slightly irritating.

As you can see from the picture above, Avene Lip Balm looks white in the tube, but goes on clear with a very slight shine. The shine is subtle enough to be barely detectable, making this balm suitable for men to use also.

Would I buy it again? Yes, it's an amazing product.


Ingredients: ricinus communis seed oil, isopropyl palmitate, hydrogenated lanolin, petrolatum, ozokerite, mineral oil, hydrogenated castor oil, squalane, beeswax, cetyl esters, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, hydrogenated polyisobutene, aluminium sucrose octasulfate, glyceryl linoleate, cetearyl ethylhexanoate, mica, avene thermal spring water, butyrospermum parkii, flavour, glyceryl linolenate, isopropyl myristate, propylparaben, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, titanium dioxide, tocopheryl acetate.

NeoStrata Bionic Face Serum

I like to thoroughly test out my skin care products before I review them to ensure that I've given them enough time to see if they really work. As I've finished a whole bottle of Bionic Face Serum I figured it was high time I wrote a review.

NeoStrata says: Intensive anti-aging treatment for stressed and sun-damaged skin. Targets stressed and sun-damaged skin assisting it to feel and look healthier, younger and more radiant. Ideal adjunctive therapy for patients undergoing selected professional skin treatments or topical retinoid treatments that can result in dry, sensitive skin. Highly moisturising and hydrating with antioxidant benefits. Ideal for reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pore size, laxity, sallowness and pigmentation.

This intensive treatment product is formulated with lactobionic acid, a polyhydroxy acid, in addition to Vitamins A, C and E to help provide intense moisturisation and reduce uneven pigmentation. Repeated use may reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

After the great results that I had from NeoStrata's Bionic Eye Cream I had high hopes for the Bionic Face Serum. I don't find the results as amazing as the eye cream but it's still a great product.

I didn't notice any difference in my pigmentation but I did notice that my pores looked smaller and the smile lines around my mouth aren't as noticeable as they used to be. I used this daily before moisturiser and found that it helped to keep my skin hydrated and soft. It's very light and sinks in within seconds of being applied. It only takes a few drops to cover my whole face and with once daily use the bottle lasted me around six months.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Ingredients: aqua, butylene glycol, lactobionic acid, glycerin, polysorbate 80, arginine, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, polyquaternium-10, disodium edetate, chlorphenesin, methyl hydroxybenzoate.