SPOTLIGHT: December Empties...

Hmmm - this series is becoming more embarrassing with every post! I'm only a petite gal, but I seem to go through so much stuff in a month. Oh well, at least the body wash count will be zero for January as the ten bottles (!) I have in my shower are all pretty full ha ha. And of course there will always be four empty boxes of hair colour for as long as I choose NOT to be a white haired lady lol. I don't want to bore you with repeaters, so there's a new section at the bottom where I'm listing all the monthly products that I've already mentioned in previous empties posts...

Palmolive Passionfruit Bodypolish Exfoliating Body Wash

Adore this stuff - reviewed here ♥...
Repurchase? There are already three bottles in the bathroom cupboard...

Imperial Leather Summer Bliss Mango Butter & Frangipani Triple Moisturising Body Wash

Delish - reviewed here.
Repurchase? Won't buy it again for a while, but only because there's no room in the cupboard (see above)... 

Original Source Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel

The fragrance is lovely, but not potent enough for me (reviewed here). Have just bought the Lime one and the Raspberry & Vanilla one, which are much more intensely scented... 

Repurchase? I'll give this one a miss as there are others out there waiting to be discovered ha ha...

Original Source Tropical Pineapple Shower Gel

My favourite of the range so far (reviewed here), but the Lime and Raspberry & Vanilla are new contenders...
Repurchase? Yes, when space permits ♥...

Natura Siberica Nourishing Cream-Soap

Loved this - bought if after reading A Bella Adventure's beaut review (here). Smells divine, nicely moisturising, big fat bottle, I'm mad keen on it because it's different, AND full of goodness♥...

Repurchase? Yes indeedy!

Chi Chi Persimmon Eau De Parfum

This Chi Chi fragrance is gorgeous - fabulously fruity and fresh, I've reviewed it twice already (latest one is here). Doesn't last as long on my skin as my fave Peach & Mango, but I adore it's tarty tang ♥..

Repurchase? If Chi Chi DON'T release the new Tutti Frutti in a large bottle, then definitely. I still have some left in my Travalo, and one of the small vials, but the TF has won my heart...

Alpha-H Liquid Gold

Was ecstatic to find this in my last Marie Claire Ageless Parcel. Haven't used this magical elixir for about two years - just forgot about it in amongst the sea of skincare I seem to immerse myself in constantly. Anyways I've just finished using this every second night for about a month - did the full monty (i.e. stroked it onto my face after cleansing, and then added...NOTHING), and it still amazes me how soft and supple and hydrated my skin is the next morning without the usual additional layers of serums and creams. My complexion looks and feels fabbo - refined and toned, glowing and refreshed, and no irritation or flaking. More please ♥...

Repurchase? For sure - as soon as I see a good deal on the giant bottle. I think I need to apply this all over my bod...

Scentrelle Reverse Time Face Serum

Lovely hyrdating serum - came in my prize from those lovelies at Bloggers United AU. It's basically an unfragranced oil which at first I thought was quite light, but then I started to have major shine issues during the day (mind you the weather didn't help) so I stopped using it in the mornings, and kept it for my overnight replenishment - magnificently moisturising, no obvious improvement in my skin though. Would suit gals with much drier skin than I have - my T-zone still churns out a ton of oil. AND I've said before that fragrance-free products bore me after a while, and that's what happened here, although I was delighted to finish it, and I'm ever so grateful for the opportunity to give it a try.. 

Repurchase? No - there are others that excite and entice (and suit) me more...

Nude Face Scrub

Fell in love with this almost a year ago (review here), and I'm still experiencing the same passion - my #1 fave scrub, and has never been absent from my bathroom shelf. Simply put it has the best consistency, exfoliating power and fragrance (lemon/lime) of anything I've ever used ♥...

Repurchase? Forever and a day...

St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask

Discovered and reviewed at the same time as the Nude one, this is another that is a constant in my life. There's something so yummy and comforting about the oatmealy floral smell, plus I love the fact that I can leave it on as a mask. It's incredibly soothing ♥...

Repurchase? Yes - I always buy a spare before it runs out...

LonVitalite Coconut Milk Hydrating & Nourishing Facial Mask

Another treat that came in my Bloggers United AU prize. For whatever reason, I avoided these cloth type masks for many many moons, but I'm totally sold now. In fact I may NEVER use a regular mask again. The big attraction with this was that I spent 20 minutes on my bed doing absolutely nothing. Unheard of for me, but there you go, I did it, and I'll be doing it again - I reckon it's good for this gal. The mask itself is super easy to apply (although it takes a little untangling), but once on my face, I just laid back and let it cool and calm my skin. When the time was up I lifted off the cloth and splashed a little warm water on my face and patted it dry - talk about glowing, my skin felt (and looked) like new! Love the fresh natural fragrance too - winner ♥...

Repurchase? I have another up my sleeve already, but I need to do a bulk order so I can pamper myself a few times per week...

Swisspers Make-Up Pads

I don't even look at other brands - never ever leaves fluff on my face, soft and gentle, but super strong too. I keep them in a large container on the vanity, which is why the wrapper hasn't appeared in my empties list before...
Repurchase? Constantly - I usually by three or four packs at a time and stash them away...

Ostelin Vitamin D

A few years ago I had a Vitamin D deficiency - too much time in front of the computer, and not enough outdoor activities no doubt. Hazardous at my age as without Vitamin D, calcium isn't absorbed, and my last bone density scan was an epic fail. So I don't take chances any more and have one of these capsules every day, and I think my body can handle the liquid form better...

Repurchase? I am never without a bottle...

Listerine Reach Dentotape

This tape is a lot wider than regular floss but I have largish gaps between some of my teeth, and this is the only one that lifts out whatever is well and truly wedged in place, although it is a tight fit. I alternate it with the Glide Pro Health Deep Clean Floss. Between the two of them, my gums are staying healthy - even my Dentist is impressed :-)
Repurchase? Several spares in the drawer because it's hard to find, but Chemist Warehouse always saves the day...

Garnier Nutrisse Permanent Nourishing Hair Colour - Copper Passion & Fiery Red

I'm perfectly happy with my L'Oreal and Schwarzkopf hair colourants, but this was on special and the Copper one was such a fabulous shade on the box lol! Works just as well for me as the others - about the same level of stink, and my hair was nice and soft afterwards. I never have a problem with fading anyway because of my dyeing frequency and the shampoo I use. The Fiery Red is coolish (for the roots), and the Copper Passion is warm (for the ends) - combining the two, I ended up with a gorgeous shade of red that's neither cool nor warm, just rich and bold. Hmm, I might have been converted...
Repurchase? Sure as eggs - I live in fear that the other brand reds will be discontinued, so I'm relieved to know this combo works brilliantly...  

Every Monthers, & already covered...

Dove Original Deodorant Stick
Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover
Colgate Optic White Toothpaste
Schwarzkopf Brilliance Intense Permanent Hair Colour
L'Oreal Preference Premium Fade-Defying Colour

January empties post should be a bit more interesting as I'm experimenting with some new skin products - yep, Little Miss Fickle ♥

Take care of you,
kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: Bloggers United AU Prize!...

A few weeks back I had the amazing good fortune of winning a prize from the fabulous gals at Bloggers United AU. They were celebrating reaching 3000k followers on Instagram, and so generously offered a surprise box of goodies to some lucky gal, and it turned out to be me! If you're an Aussie blogger, and you haven't hooked up with these ladies, you're missing out BIG TIME. You can read all about them here and what they're up to. I can assure you, these lovelies are doing such brilliant things for the Australian blogging community - bringing folks together to share their experiences, provide opportunities for bloggers to expand their friendships and exposure in the blogging world, and they have the support of heaps of major players in the beauty market. They hold regular "events" around the country where bloggers can meet fellow bloggers, enjoy product presentations from top market reps, and from what I can gather from the pics, there's always a fantabulous array of loot to take home. I haven't been able to make it to one of their exciting gatherings as yet, but it's top of my list of priorities whenever my workload permits (oh please make it soon boss!)...

Warning: picture heavy post!

So here's the details of what they so kindly sent to me...

First up is a selection from the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate lipsticks Nude collection - the timing was perfect as I fell in love with them as soon as I read Jasmine's review. Of course I'll write my own review once I've tried them all...

And the perfect partner to the lippies - Rimmel Moisture Renew Universal Transparent Lipliner.  Delighted to receive this as I wear lipstick every single day without fail, and often experience the dilemma of not having a matching liner in my kit. I've no doubt this will improve the quality of my lip swatches too...

How about this cute-as-a button Artiste kabuki brush? I only have one - it's years old and looking a little worse for wear, so I'm thrilled to have a brand newie, and especially one of such excellent quality...

Next is an Aloe Vera Cucumber Face Mask from Kmart - keen as mustard (or should I say cucumber) to try this, and will save it for a long hot day when my face needs some loving refreshment...

You can probably imagine how spoilt I'm feeling right now ♥ LOVE these LonVitalite facial masks. Have only tried their eye masks so far (and they are magical) so I'll be taking some much needed time out to enjoy this one on my whole face...

I let out an extra big WHOOP! when I saw these NYX Colour Mascaras - aren't they just the prettiest hues? You'll be seeing these featured in my EOTD posts in the coming days/weeks, once I make the torturous decision which one to use first - actually it's not that hard, can you guess?..

If there's one thing that my lashes need is volume and curl - so it's Rimmel Super Curler Mascara to the rescue! This will also feature in some of my posts - it's supposed to hold the curl for 24 hours, but I'll be chuffed even if it's only 12. And with the tube being such a stunningly virbrant purple, I'll always be able to find it in a flash...

And here's something that's been in my kit for many moons, and will be for as long as they keep making it - Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. Can't live without this in my cleansing routine - it's so gentle AND effective...

And this pretty little fabric pouch contained a very glamorous Shower Cap. Also from Kmart, it's lined with plastic, which means it's waterproof - perfect...

And to my delight there was a bottle of Rosehip Plus Organic Cold Pressed Rosehip Oil - well two actually, the one on the right is a roll-on! How clever is that? Already in my makeup bag...

And this last one has me both intrigued and excited. I'm not familiar with this brand at all but the name has my heart pounding - Scentrelle Reverse Time Face Serum. Sounds like just the ticket for my ageing face...

I haven't pictured the Cadbury choccies because they melted a bit, but still tasted delish (yes, already demolished). And if all this wasn't enough, they included a lovely card, with the sweetest message...

They're having another Sydney event next Sunday, and although I can't make it, I'll be there in spirit - sending my warmest wishes to the Team, and all who attend. Betcha it's a blast! Thank you again Bloggers United AU - may you continue to grow and prosper ♥

You'll find more info on Bloggers United AU at NJT Bloggers, Sweetaholic Beauty, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Take care of you,

kats xxx