So yesterday I went on a lovely shopping trip up in Auckland, and I came back with a nice little haul of beauty goodies from Lush and MAC, plus my favourite foundation and a perfume I have been lusting after for ages.
 | |||
| Back row: Sympathy for the Skin body cream, Sweet Lips lip scrub and Turkish Delight shower smoothie. Front row: The Godmother, Chox Away and Honey I Washed The Kids soaps |
First of all, I went to the Lush store in Queen Street and I kinda went overboard, but that's OK. Anyway, I ended up purchasing a body cream, a shower smoothie, a lip scrub and three soaps. I have heard good things about the Chox Away and Godmother soaps (they certainly smell good, and The Godmother apparently smells like Lush's limited Christmas edition shower gel Snow Fairy, so I will be in line to get some this year!), but I think Honey I Washed The Kids is my absolute favourite. It smells like honey and caramel, it produces a rich, creamy lather and it makes my skin super soft. I used up my last bar of it not long ago, so I simply had to get another.
I already have Lush's Bubblegum lip scrub, but the lovely vanilla chocolate scent of Sweet Lips sucked me in and I had to buy some. These make your lips super smooth and soft, and, if applied before some lip balm, are the perfect lipstick primers.
Finally, I intend to try Sympathy for the Skin and Turkish Delight in the shower tonight. I had tested the body cream on the back of my hand before, and it made my skin super soft and smelling of a yummy custard dessert. Turkish Delight sounds heavenly, and I can't wait to give my body a good scrub with it. It also smells like genuine roses, not like the synthetic rose scents you get in some products.
 |
| Left to right: Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50, Eyeshadow in Honesty and Lipstick in Faux |
Secondly, I got a mini MAC haul (once I could get the attention of the staff) consisting of an SPF 50 primer, eyeshadow and lipstick. I had the chance to try out the primer today, and it's lovely and light and stops the oils from my skin from coming through and making my skin all shiny, giving my foundation an extra silky and satiny finish. I especially like the fact that it's SPF 50, as I fail when it comes to remembering to put sunscreen on my face in summer.
I haven't had a chance to try the eyeshadow yet, but it's a gorgeous bronze with a little bit of shimmer without making it look too gaudy. I can't wait to give it a try.
Finally, the lipstick in Faux is a lovely pinkish nude with no shimmer and a beautiful satin finish. I am addicted to nude lipsticks like this, and I prefer satin textured lipsticks to matte and glossy ones. As a bonus, it smells like vanilla. It may replace my current favourite lipstick!
Thirdly, I roamed around the Revlon counters of several stores before I found a bottle of my favourite foundation (Colorstay for combination/oily skin in Ivory), which I am almost out of (thanks to me spilling half of what was left on the bathroom floor). In my opinion, this is the best drugstore foundation, and it's the only foundation I have found that actually suits me. I have very pale, pinkish skin, and not even a MAC NW15 foundation is light enough.
Finally, I purchased a perfume I have wanted for ages; Estee Lauder's Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia. I first sniffed it last year, and I have wanted a bottle of it ever since. It's an utterly lovely white floral, dominated by gardenia. While some perfumes claim to have gardenia as the main note, they don't end up smelling like gardenia at all. Not this time; stick your nose in a gardenia and compare it to this, and I am sure that you will find that they smell almost exactly the same. This perfume is rather expensive (NZ$196 for a 50mL bottle of Eau de Parfum), but as it is sold at only a select few Estee Lauder counters, there is a good chance that it will be your exclusive signature scent.
I guess that's all for now. See you later! ♥
