MOR Cosmetics Summer 2010

MOR Cosmetics is one of my favourite “pretty” brands. By pretty, I mean, OMG-the-packaging-is-to-die-for. My favourite products from MOR are their lipgloss, body butters and best of all, scented candles. LOVE.

A sneak peek selection of the new MOR Essentials:

MOR Black Currant Iris
Black Currant Iris

MOR Sugar Rose Tiger Lily
Sugar Rose Tiger Lily

MOR Neroli Clementine
Neroli Clementine

Here are some of my favourite gift ideas from MOR:

MOR Ooh La Lychee
Ooh La Lychee (RRP AU$19.95)

MOR Soap Opera
Soap Opera (RRP AU$39.95)

MOR Dear Mr Partridge
Dear Mr Partridge (RRP AU$49.95)

The new MOR Essentials collection will be available at the end of October. All other products are available now.

These would make great Christmas pressies, don’t you think? Wouldn’t mind receiving these as gifts either *hint hint* 😛

7 comments

Spend Wisely On The Strong Aussie Dollar

Woman Shopping Online

It’s been a heck of a week. The Australian dollar hitting parity (experts say it may surpass and come up to AU$1.10 to US$1 this week), and tweets and blogs have been going crazy about shopping online from US stores. No prizes for guessing who else just had to jump on board and buy from the US.

*wave frantically* ME!

Thanks to the strong Aussie dollar, my budget for September has blown wide open, with purchases from Skinstore.com (a Clarisonic. Whee!), Shopbop (a Tory Burch wallet. Okay I needed one, since I’ve been reusing my old wallets. I can’t ever get expensive designer ones because they get so beaten up in my bag), Feelunique.com (Steam Cream, and free worldwide shipping), and other sites for other knick-knacks. I wasn’t the only one. My husband’s been going nuts shopping online too.

Hello? What about our mortgage?!

September budget. Way, way overboard.

After scouring Sephora.com for hours over the weekend for something to buy, just so I get free shipping (orders must be over US$50) and have them sent over here via HopShopGo, I realised something. I wasn’t actually buying something I needed. The feeling of “Oooh that’s nice, I want that one!” didn’t even reach me. I was simply throwing items into the shopping cart just because I thought it was cheap. The idea of shopping just because I simply HAD to keep taking advantage of the strong AUD, not because it was actually something I wanted, alarmed me. I immediately closed the webpage and stayed away from the computer since.

Sure, I could buy stuff from the US, ‘cos they sure as heck are a lot cheaper than getting them in Australia. But if I don’t need it, never really wanted it in the first place, aren’t I just spending frivilously, regardless of how cheap it is?

Case in point, my trip with Beetrice to Bangkok. Oh my goodness, things were so cheap there. Clothes, beauty products, etc. I shopped, I hoarded. I came home with an extra duffle bag just for my shopping. In the end, I hardly wore most of the shoes or clothes I bought because in the end, I found that they fit badly. My recent purchase from Victoria’s Secret? I found out that the so-called cashmere blend sweaters were 15% cashmere (instead of more), didn’t fit as well (even though I was meticulous and checked the sizing charts), and were made in China.

Here’s my point. Set a budget and stick to it. I know that the Aussie dollar is doing very well against the USD, but know what you want to buy, and stick to it. Don’t be like me and simply shop for the heck of it. Even if it’s Sephora. Because in the end, you’re the one who has to open that credit card statement and gasp at the huge bill (and the international transaction fees that go with each purchase).

Just like me.

PS: I bet you were hoping to find websites on where to shop when you read this, huh? Nah, my friends at Lilpil, Indulgent Reviews and The Plastic Diaries have already done such a good job at that. Go check them out, especially Lilpil‘s very informative post. Again, spend wisely!

7 comments

Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream

Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream

Description:

There’s no better way to resurrect your skin than with the deeply nourishing properties of pure 100% Avocado Pear Oil, full of antioxidants and vitamins E, A, B1, B2, C and D. Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream also features Calendula; oil from the petals of the marigold flower which is highly regarded throughout history for its healing and repairing properties. Manuka honey serves to soothe and moisten your skin and the warm and mystical aroma of sandalwood both purifies and uplifts your skin.

Only a stock image of the product this time (I don’t normally use stock images in product reviews) because I was given sample sachets of this cream to try out. Lucky me, I was given a very generous amount of samples which came up to 25ml of the night cream. And that’s a lot!

Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream Depotted
I depotted all the sachets into one jar

I had mixed feelings about this night cream. On one hand, I’ve read rave reviews about Antipodes, and this was a great opportunity to try it out. On the other hand, the night cream looked and felt really rich on the skin. I was impressed by the ingredients in the cream; manuka honey, 100% avocado oil, sandalwood and marigold flower, the smell of aromatherapy herbs … I mean, doesn’t that just scream spa and zen to you? No? It did to me 😛 So I bit the bullet.

Sigh. I should learn to listen to my gut more. And not be carried away by thoughts of spas.

Unfortunately, after just a week of using this only at night, and very sparingly too, it started giving me skin issues. First of all, it was obviously too rich for my oily skin, and the T-zone was shiny the whole time I was asleep. In the mornings, when I swipe the sides of my nose, I would get a LOT of oil on my finger.

Worst of all, it gave me lots of tiny bumps just above both cheeks, and I started to get them on the forehead too. It was a sure sign of clogged pores. After I stopped using it, and went back to my regular moisturiser, the bumps disappeared. Process of elimination brought out the culprit, all right.

Oh well, never try, never know.

Still, I wouldnt’ slam this night cream down altogether. Despite the excess sebum secretion and tiny bumps on the skin, it did moisturise the dry sections of my skin (e.g. lower cheeks). I would still recommend this for dry skin. For those with oily skin, I think you’d be better off with a lighter moisturiser.

Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream retails at AU$54 for 60ml and is available at David Jones.

What I like about it: Moisturises dry skin well.

What I did not like about it: Not suitable for oily skin, as it clogged my pores and made the oily skin even oilier.

3 comments

Clarins Toning Lotion With Camomile

Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile 200ml

Description:

Alcohol-free plant based lotion to refresh dry or normal skin and gently complete the perfect cleansing program.
Gently removes any traces of Cleansing Milk.
Tones skin and clarifies complexion.
Promotes soft, comfortable, radiant skin.
Moisturises and softens.
Facilitates smooth make-up application and enhances long-lasting wear.
Enhances the action of products applied afterwards.

Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile 50ml

This toner (50ml) was a gift-with-purchase of the Moroccanoil from Adore Beauty, and is meant for dry or normal skin.

Have you had one of those days when you realised at the last minute that you had completely run out of your favourite skincare product but had no time to rush out to restock? So you ran to your drawer of samples and used whatever you could find? Well, I had one of those days a couple of months ago. I figured since the toner was free, and I was fresh out of facial toner, I didn’t think twice on using it. Took it on good faith that it might just work on my skin. Yes, I reeked of desperation that day 😛

The toning lotion contains camomile, which is anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory and calming on the skin. I’ve used products which contain camomile and roughly know what they smell like. And they don’t smell like this. This toner smelled heavily of powder. I’m not usually fussed about the smell of powder, but even I found this a little cloying.

I’ve stopped relying on toners to remove all traces of dirt and makeup on the face. A good cleanser and cleansing routine should take care of that. I like toners that refreshes the skin, and softens it after a wash.

My skin felt dry and tight after application, despite the fact that it’s alcohol-free. With the smell and dryness on the skin, especially around the mouth, this just did not work for me. And I still used it for almost two months. Tsk tsk.

Time to shop for a new toner. And a skintype-appropriate one too.

Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile retails at AU$38 for 200ml, and is available at leading departmental stores (Myer, David Jones), and selected pharmacies.

What I like about it: Sadly, nothing

What I do not like about it: Strong powdery scent, skin was dry and tight after application.

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