Eye cream on the lips?

Laziness and brokeness lead to amazing discoveries.This is a laziness discovery. I was doing my night time routine in my bathroom and was too lazy to take the 10 steps to my bedroom to get my lip balm, so I figured I'd use my eye cream that I have way too much of because you need so little of it per use. Well...

Used twice a day, this eye cream can very easily last two years. You can't use too much in an application because it balls up on itself and you have to wipe it away with a tissue.

I'm not sure if the ingredients are safe to use ON your lips, though. The quick Google search I did uncovered a secret society of women who regularly use eye cream around the perimeter of their lips to fight off wrinkles in that area. And you actually get products that are meant for lips and eyes. Okay, so maybe it's not a secret.

My experience of using Olay Total Effects 7 In One Eye Transforming Cream* on my lips was an unexpectedly pleasant one. My lips are dry and unless I spend a lot of time prepping and priming and constantly reapplying lip balm, I have a problem. What I found the eye cream does is it takes away the feeling of dryness immediately, is easily absorbed into the skin, and it doesn't leave a shine or gloss. It makes for an excellent lip primer because the lipstick or lacquer you use on top of it won't move as it would if you used a lip balm. I haven't tested if it makes lip products last any longer because I mostly use it at night before bed. I'll update here when I have.

I don't know if I'd recommend using eye cream ON your lips as an alternative to lip balm and that's only because I don't know how safe it is. Topical creams are not meant to be taken orally, and if you're using anything on your lips it can be considered to be taken orally. As a once-in-a-while, emergency, quick-fix... maybe. (Just the same as using hairspray to set your makeup. I kid you not!) I'll continue to use it when I'm too lazy to get my lip balm in another room. As with any product, do a patch test first. You wouldn't want your lips to fall off! 

* By the by, used for it's intended purpose it's an excellent eye cream for the price. I usually use the free samples that you get with every Clinique Bonus Time gift (available online until 9 March, btw). When I ran out of samples I was forced to buy an eye cream and couldn't justify spending R400 on one so off to my home away from home (aka Clicks) I trotted. If I'm not mistaken, I think I paid R120 on promotion at the time but it's around R160. Price check online (e.g. Zando, Kalahari). I didn't have high hopes for it but gave it a go, expecting to see results over a few weeks. I didn't expect to see immediate results. Like, on application! That's because of light reflecting particles in the cream that is almost undetectable. I am convinced that over time it has minimised the harshness of my under eye fine lines to the point where I will feel confident enough to not wear any concealer or line my bottom lash or water line because I feel it looks that good. In my opinion, well worth a try!

Please let me know if I should expect an ear to grow from my lips from using eye cream on them or any such dangers. Vanity can be an ugly thing.

What's In My Bag

My blog version of the ever popular "What's In My Bag" videos on YouTube. Although I feel that despite what the "gurus" say about not bragging about the Chanel/Givenchy/Gucci/Louis bags the banks allow them to use, it's ALL about bragging.

I don't know if you'll find this post interesting, but I was certainly fascinated by the contents of my own bag.

My Friis & Company 2-3 year-old bag that I bought at Zando. It's a bottle green bag that goes with maybe one thing in my wardrobe, but because I'm too lazy to change bags with every outfit, it's become my everyday bag.

It's soft and poofy and comfy to carry around. Other that what I emptied out there's usually a phone or 3, an iPad or 3 and water bottles living inside there too.

Who walks around with this many nail polishes in their bag? 3 are now and not been used yet. 

1) Sparitual Lacquer in French Tip Creme

2) essence effect nail polish in 21 Icy Fairy

3) essence colour & go 186 Polka Holga

4) LA Girl Metal in Sterling Silver

5) LA Girl 3D Effects GNL307 Sparkle Ruby

6) LA Girl Matte GNL530 White

7) Passion Nail Lacquer - This is one of those Dischem Bargain Bin special polishes so it doesn't have a colour name or number. It's a dark navy base with emerald/turqoise/gold duo chrome fine, fine glitter.

8) Compact mirror - gift from hubby from China

9) Mr Price Home notebook

10) SuperRubgy tickets for the Blue Bulls vs Stormers match from a couple of weeks ago.

11) El cheapo headphones from Primark

12) Cerruti wallet - gift from hubby from Switzerland

13) Nu Health Food Cafe menu

14) Pen swiped from a hotel.

15) Empty Catrice brush pouch. I don't remember the reason for having this in my bag, if there was a reason at all.

16) Cotton pads. I had a grand plan to do my nails in the car while waiting for the kids at school.

17) Happy Valley menu. We've been going to this little Chinese takaway since we moved to Joburg. 

18) Receipts that should have been thrown away.

19) School AGM agenda.

20) Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me (Can be bought here online.)

21) Tear drop hoop earrings from Woolworths. (Not available online but check out others here.)

22) Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Gloss sample in Currant

23) Catrice Ultimate Shine in 060 Teddy Brown

24) essence studio nails sweet mini file

25) Sheraton Hotel nail file 

26) essence kajal pencil in 04 white

27) smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner in Raven

28) Clinique even better dark spot correcting hand cream SPF 15 sample

29) Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in 899 HD Snapdragon (Just been released. I don't think it's available online yet. It's not even on the Revlon SA website yet.)

30) LA Colours Chunky Lip Pencil in CCL588 Wine - Don't bother with this. It's horrible. I bought it because I thought it was LA Girl which I much rather prefer. Bought at Dischem.

31) Botanical Collection Tropical Hand & Nail Cream with Vitamin E Oil. Excellent! Buy this!

32) Elastic hair tie from a pack of a lot form Clicks. I don't like the type with the metal piece. I think I bought this because it was all that was in stock at the time.

33) UVLAB High Performance Sport Screen SPF 50.

34) essence crystal eyeliner in 07 Blue Heaven

unlabelled - Clicks Sensitive Baby Wipes (10 pack) Very, very necessary if you have kids. And a husband.

The reason there's not a lot of lippies is because I was looking for a few lipsticks and glosses so I dug around all of my bags, took them all out and put them where they belong. Then these made an escape and found their way back into this bag. The Revlon HD lipstick in Snapdragon was bought on yesterday and it still has the seal on. Review up soon.

Hope you found this voyeurism somewhat interesting. I like watching these types of videos, even though I'm convinced that it's done more to show off the bag than anything else.

Anything else you'd like to see...?

Clinique Minis

I was browsing the Clinique website to restock my holy-grain-3-step-essentials when I spotted a new category... 

Find it here.

This is just all sorts of awesome. The ladies at the Clinique counters aren't the friendliest (I've had horrible experiences at the Edgars Sandton City, Eastgate Mall and Fourways counters), so it was a godsend when Clinique became available online. And being the borderline agoraphobe that I am I'd prefer to test samples of products and then purchase than to have some pancake-faced snob do me a favour telling me what products to use. This is an excellent way to try out samples before forking out truck-loads for a product that may not agree with your skin.

From the Clinique website.

The other plus of having minis online is the price. Clinique offers free delivery on purchases over R500 and if I'm buying 2 out of my 3-step it's usually less than R500. So having the option to buy a sample of a R700+ product to bump up your shopping cart to qualify for free delivery is kinda hitting 2 birds with one stone. 

Bonus Time

I only buy Clinique at Bonus Time (which is available online now until 9 March, btw) when you get a free gift with the purchase of 2 treatment products. Usually the free gift will include a treatment product but it may not be what you would like to try. Having the minis available to purchase means you can try what you like, at a reduced price for a deluxe sample. I'd say that's a win!

I'm not sure how long these minis were available but I'm excited that it is and I hope that it remains a permanent category online.

The Body Shop sale shopping

I popped into The Body Shop during their January sale on two separate occasions to stock up on body butters and try the body sorbet. I didn't like the body butters that they had, mostly the nutty varieties which is not my thing, so I opted for a bunch of body sorbets. 

Then I spotted the limited edition Christmas body lotions that were marked down to R50 from R110, so I grabbed two of those. Set for the next 6 months!

L-R: Frosted Cranberry Shimmer Lotion, Satsuma Body Sorbet, Moringa Body Sorbet, Strawberry Body Sorbet, Vanilla Brulee Shimmer Lotion

The sorbets are interesting. It's main claim to fame is a cooling effect on application. It is a thickish gel formula that is cooling on the skin and loaded with the iconic Body Shop scents that lingers very subtly throughout the day, which is awesome for on-the-go women who could do with multi-tasking products. I don't have very dry skin, so I could get away with moderate moisturisation, which these sorbets provide. It absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn't leave any traces of product or a sticky or greasy feeling like the body butters or some lotions do. 

The Satsuma scent is the strongest of the three, which I don't have a problem with because it's uplifting and refreshing. And it holds a special place in my heart because it's the scent that traveled to Paris with me in the form of the body butter.

It's a good summer body moisturiser that I would repurchase next Summer. I prefer the body butters in Winter because it's thicker and more nourishing and so necessary for the colder months.

I was baffled as to why I couldn't get good photos of the body lotions. It always had a type of flash back, as if it had a reflective quality. Then the light bulb went off... I read the label... SHIMMER LOTION! I'm not into shimmer lotion for every day. I'd only wear it at night, going out, and on strategic places. I'm not a Barbie Girl! But I'd bought it, so might as well use it. 

I don't like the shimmer!

The residue that sits on your hands after rubbing the lotion into your skin. It actually left a foiled look on my hands. The photo doesn't pick that up.

 

I can't properly capture the glitter on my arm from this lotion. Because of the sparkle this will definitely be a Winter product for me when all that is exposed is my face. Despite the shine, the lotion is beautiful. It's richer than the sorbet, but absorbs completely and leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturised.

I'd heard good things about the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil and because it was on sale so I thought I'd give that a go.

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil normally R150, I think I paid R80 on sale.

I've seen YouTube reviews, blog posts and magazine articles saying this cleansing oil is up there with the best. I don't often were makeup, but on the day that it came home with me I tried it as a pre-cleanse. 

I used just one pump, rubbed it between my hands and massaged it onto my face and neck before I got into the shower. It has a mild camomile scent that I didn't find offensive. Once in the shower I continued to massage it in, letting the steam add some moisture before rinsing it off. Before I continued with my cleansing routine I noticed that my eyes weren't irritated, my skin felt supple and there wasn't a trace of oil left behind. If you're pressed for time this could probably be all you need as a cleanser. On makeup it worked quite well, effortlessly removing even waterproof mascara. But I'd only use this if I knew that I was going to take a shower because my brain won't accept that cleansing with an oil is cleansing sufficiently. I could use a micellar water on its own, but not a cleansing oil.

I used it for a week every time before a shower as a pre-cleanse, but after 5 days I started getting a breakout all over my face that was starting to resemble a rash. On day 6 the I noticed more spots. On day 7 I didn't include it in my cleansing routine and from day 8 onwards the breakout started to clear. I'm not sure if this over-cleansing is what caused the breakout, if my skin was purging because of the extra cleansing step or if the product itself caused the reaction and I'm too vain to try it out like that again to see if the breakout clears on its own, so it's now reserved for makeup removal only. It's not an exceptional product and I doubt I'll repurchase when I eventually finish it because there are so many other cleansing oils out there that I'm eager to try now.

And lastly, what trip out of the house will be complete without a lippie purchase? I was swatching a couple of lipsticks while the staff were trying to get my LYB number when a lipstick that I would normally steer clear of caught my eye. 

I'd run a mile from a lipstick with glitter but this one is beautiful because it's not silver crafting glitter as it appears in the tube. It's more of a blue/purple fine shimmer in a rich creamy raspberry lipstick.

 

The shimmer doesn't even show up on the lips as it does in the tube. It gives a dimension to the lips that's slightly shimmery, but not gaudy. Does that make sense? I have trouble describing it. The colour, by the way, is from the Colour Crush range and is number 120 Raspberry in Love.

I kept looking at it and going back to it, swatching on different parts of my hand and arm. As we were finalising the transaction the impulse to buy it overcame me and I couldn't bear to walk out of the shop without it in my bag. But I had to use a different card to pay for it so that I didn't have to be interrogated should an audit be conducted on purchases. I also had to rough it up a bit and keep it in the bottom of my bag, like it had been living there for ages. Oh, the guilt!!! 

That purchase marked the end of my Body Shop sale expedition. Except for the extreme foil/shimmer of the shimmering lotion (dof, read labels next time!) I'm quite satisfied with my purchases. Until June/July sales...

What items do you stock up on at The Body Shop sales?

Paris Sights - Part 3

Hubby and I spent 3 days together is the most quintessentially romantic city in the world. Unfortunately, all the places we wanted to see together were tourist hotspots which meant we spent a lot of time standing in queues. Our modus operandi for food was to go light during the day and stick to takeaways, not sit down restaurants so that we could save time and money.

This is some of what we got up to...

We thought we were smart by joining the shorter queue on the side of the Notre Dame and not standing in the sun like those idiots to get inside. Little did we know that the queue on the side was for...387 steps (there is no elevator) to the top of the South Tower.It’s best to be in good shape ! I certainly wasn't in good enough shape but I didn't hold anyone up and we got to the top and the views were magnificent. We didn't get to see the inside of the cathedral (who's the idiot!?), so now we have no choice but to make another trip to Paris!

View from the top of the Notre Dame. That's the Montparnasse Tower to the left and that iconic steel structure just right of centre.

I thought I'd be freaked out by being so high up, but the detail on the building is just so awe inspiring that you forget how high up you are.

The Seine, Eiffel Tower and La Defense or the business district of Paris on the horizon in the centre of this shot (the cluster of high rises).

The Seine over the Notre Dame.

Those iconic pyramids.

From inside the pyramid. Before we left for Paris I scanned the web for information that would make the trip less daunting and one of the recommendations that I came across on many sights were to enter the Louvre from the Carrousel du Louvre because it's not as well known (yet it's all over the internet) as the main entrance on the ground level. The Carrousel entrance is accessed from Metro: Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre station (line 1) and there are a lot less people who enter from down there than we saw at the main entrance. There are many user friendly self service terminals from which you purchase entrance tickets. The entire process took less than 5 minutes, including the security check.

Jardin des Tuileries

When Spring has sprung in Paris.

Despite the amount of people passing by, these trees provide serenity.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

Arc de Triomphe

The Palais Garnier is breathtaking, almost ethereal at dusk.

Exploring Paris at night.

Fontaines de la Concorde

Philipp Plein store front Rue de Rivoli

... and then...

Every girl needs a moment to take it in.

Mademoiselle Coco Chanel

Love lock bridge Pont des Arts. I didn't see the intimate inscriptions until this photo uploaded. HAHAHA!

Hubby and I didn't add to the madness, 1) because we're cheap, 2) because why?, 3) because could the bridge withstand that weight?

Pont des Arts or the love lock bridge. A few weeks after we got back home part of the bridge collapsed. Hubby and I just laughed!

How can you not!? It was so surreal to have experienced this beauty with the love of my life!

Looking up the lady's skirt.

Prettiness everywhere!

We spent an entire day at the Louvre. When hubby said that we need to set a day aside for the Louvre I thought he was exaggerating. But after 8 hours of taking in as much as what we could and we still hadn't seen all of the museum, I think I was convinced. So my advice would be to set a day aside and see as much as what you can see, otherwise do it over a few days, or plan more trips to Paris to get it all in! That's my plan now.

How can you go to the Louvre without seeing the lady who could do with some brows and contouring?

Egyptian funerary mask. I spent too much time at looking at this and I can't tell you why. I found it incredibly mesmerising.

A real life mummy! Well... you know what I mean.

"Mummy of a man" is what they call it. Pristinely preserved.

Looks like a pot my mom could use for a family pot-luck!

Our meeting point. Porte Saint-Denis. Our hotel was a couple of metres away. The closest metro was Strasbourg Saint-Denis. This is where we said hello and goodbye to our time in Paris. From here it was a metro to the airport. Until next time...

And those are a few of what our eyeballs experienced. Hubster jokes that I used to say that if I never see these places that it wouldn't be the end of the world. Problem is that now that I've seen it, I long to go back; to see what I've seen and to see what I haven't. It was an amazing holiday from an amazing husband. 

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my Valentine's Day 2014 present. Putting these posts together took me back to that week and made me feel like I was there all over again. 

Next stop...

Paris - Sights - Part 2

Breathtaking vertical garden by Patrick Blanc

The entrances to some of the metros are so charming.

... while others are meh. This one is in the same region as the photo above.

Place de la Republique. There was a campaign happening in the square on the day.

Canal Saint-Martin. We walked all along the canal > Bassin de la Villette > crossed over Boulevards des Marechaux and spent some time at the Cite des Science et de l'Industrie.

Canal Saint-Martin

Um-hm... How do you explain that to your momma?

Dominoes on the canal.

Pétanque, a form of boules. I can't remember the exact location where this was played. I'm almost certain it is along the Bassin de la Villette, around Quai de la Seine.

Quai de l'Oise

Fresh herbs, veggies and what-nots.

The Cité des Sciences et de l’industrie

The entrance to the big silver ball.

 

See the line of people facing the same direction? That's a queue for fallafel. L'As du Fallafel. Must be good.

I found rooibos tea! Lov Organic

The quickest, most convenient and cost effective way to get around the streets of Paris. From as little as 1.70 Euros per day you can hire a Velib bicycle and do your sightseeing using pedal power. Paris is very bicycle friendly and cycling the city is a good counter to all the carbs you'll consume.

They have a bit of a thing for bikes, those Parisians do. Buried Bike sculpture by Claes Oldenburg

By far the ghastliest building I have seen in my life. It's so scary and intimidating that when you first see it, if feels as if you're walking into a nightmare.

The front of the monstrous Centre Pompidou.

... and that was it for sightseeing with the friends. The next and final Paris Sights post will be the sightseeing that hubby and I did together.