Just a quick note to say this is my very last post on The Dream Factory. Cue the smallest violin.
But put your tissues away, because we are back and better than ever, with my brand new site Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Beauty. So please, come and visit me over there and update your bookmarks.
I am so excited to finally share this with you!,
Artemis
Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Beauty
OK, here it is, my final holiday haul post! I hope these have been relevant and interesting, I know most of this stuff is available in New Zealand, and also it may be of use to my international readers too.
Next up, I’ll be doing some small Black Friday hauls and I have something up my sleeve to reveal soon, I promise. Being so sick set me back a bit, but hey, I get knocked down, I get back up again – I’m fine now and ready to bounce back better than ever.
Garnier Micellar Wipes 25 pack
$3.95 AUS New Zealand RRP $8.99
After buying those horrible Biore ones (which I confess, I got used to them and have been using them up), I wanted to find something nicer and gentle, without breaking the bank. I’m late to the party with micellar water, its something I’ve wanted to try for a long time, so when I saw these for less than half retail price, I snapped them up. I’m glad I did, they were efficient at removing makeup, but gentle enough for my genuinely sensitive skin. I’d used ‘gentle Garnier wipes’ before and they were horrendous, so I took a bit of a gamble here but it paid off.
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes, and you can get them at places like The Warehouse and supermarkets so they are readily available here.
MODE Lipstick – Daredevil
$2.95 AUS New Zealand RRP $5
I’ve wanted to try this shade before, since its been around in New Zealand for ages, but for some reason it can be really hard to find one in stock thats unopened. I don’t know what it is about that shade! Trust me, I worked in a store with a MODE display stand and it was always that damned colour that people would open and mess up. Or just straight up steal. Australia was no different, they only had two or three, and the one I bought was the only unopened one, lucky me. This is a lovely vampy purple, reminds me of the very old Australis lipstick I just chucked out (‘Xpose’), or their current shade ‘Grunge’.
The formula is pretty average, and if you’re able to spare the extra money to buy Australis or another brand, I’d say do it.
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes, as long as you know what to expect, you aren’t going to get a M.A.C performance out of a $3 lipstick! This would be a perfect way to try out dark shades if you aren’t used to them. The only thing that pisses me off is these days you wear these colours and people call it your “Lorde look”. It’s like, um not, Lorde wears the “Artemis Look”. 😉 /s
Starfire in action …sorry for the terrible photos
LA Colors Lipsticks in Starfire and Jazzy Red
$2.95 AUS each New Zealand RRP $5
LA Colors are available from The Warehouse, usually from about $5 a piece, but I searched online and they didn’t appear to have either of these colours – I’ve never seen them before! For $2.95, I figured I’d snap them up. Both were pretty average formulas, the Starfire one wasn’t unsimilar to the Jordana Bronze I picked up the other month. I was hoping Jazzy Red, when worn with M.A.C ‘Burgundy’ lip pencil, would be the dark vampy red I’ve been dreaming of. It’s OK but far from being that. In retrospect, I should have saved my money on that one, I have enough ‘average’ reds. I have to admit though, it didn’t ‘bleed’ on me like reds usually do, so that’s a big plus.
Would I buy again or recommend? Both were fine, for $3 lipsticks. I wouldn’t highly recommend, if you have similar ones in your collection, don’t bother. If you find them easily, at a cheap price, and don’t have anything similar, then you may want to consider them.
I also visited Giant Chemist at Harbourtown and purchased Almay Eye Makeup Removing Pads (80 pack) for just $4.99 AUS, and I will be reviewing them on here later for you.
This post contains no sponsored material and I am not affiliated with any brands or stores mentioned.
Here we have yet another holiday haul post, I swear I’m just about finished with these now! This was an exciting haul as I managed to pick up a replacement for one of my all time favourite eyeshadow quads, Revlons ‘Copper Crayon’ (now known as ‘Copper Canyon’), although sadly it has changed a bit in the 8 years or so since I got my last one.
The New Copper Canyon quad
The old ‘Copper Crayon’ quad
Copper Crayon vs Copper Canyon comparision
Copper Crayon vs Copper Canyon (back of quad)
Top = Old ‘Copper Crayon’ swatches Bottom = New ‘Copper Canyon’ swatches
Revlon Illuminance Cream Eyeshadow Quad – Copper Canyon $9.95 AUS
As I’ve said many times on here, I very rarely buy the same thing twice. However ‘Copper Canyon’ has been my go-to shadow for a long time, I find it flattering, easy to wear and apply, and always makes me look good even when I’m in a massive hurry. I’ve owned my original palette for close to 8 years now, so I’m scraping the bottom of the pan on two colours, and I think it’s time for a replacement now.
Unfortunately this was discontinued long ago, so I was delighted to find a replacement at Cosmetics Plus, and $9.95 wasn’t a bad price to pay. I’m not sure how fresh their stock will be, given that it hasn’t been manufactured in years, but its unopened and seems OK.
Would I buy again/recommend? YES! YES! YES! I also picked up ‘Eternal Summer’ for $3 at a different store, and I’ve been wearing the crap out of it lately, love it to bits.
BYS Nail Polish Remover 50 Pads (Peach) $2.95 AUS
I needed cheap nail polish removing pads while on holiday, and these were nicer than I expected with a light peach fragrance. Being a thin material, I needed to use quite a few to remove layers of dark polish but I was happy with them.
Would I buy again/recommend? Yeah if you just want a cheap, basic nail polish remover, they’re nothing special or amazing.
Fantasy Makers R.I.P Nail Polish “Once Upon A Time” $3.95 AUS
While I’m a sucker for admiring quirky or cool packaging, I’m strict on myself to not buy things just for the packaging appeal. I’ve eyed up the Fantasy Makers (by Wet n Wild) range online for quite a few years now, and I was lucky enough to find them while on holiday. I promised myself I wouldn’t buy one unless I genuinely loved it, but managed to find a shade I liked that’s also a bit unique to my collection (how often do you walk out of a shop with yet another dupe of colours you already own?!). I’ve always loved red glitter layered over black, so this ticked my boxes, offering two in one. The polish contains small and large red glitter particles, in a sheer black base. To be honest, it’s too sheer for my liking, and I strongly recommend a black base coat first. Even with three layers, you can still clearly see the nail underneath.
Would I buy again/recommend? Yes, and I wish I’d bought others in the range but I already had similar colours.
Fantasy Makers Lip Gloss “Wicked Witch” $2.95 AUS
This is a pretty, sheer black lipgloss with lots of glitter that is wearable all year round (depending on your style, of course). Now that ‘weird’ lip colours are becoming more common, theres no need to leave this just for Halloween. Looks great layered over lipstick!
Would I buy again/recommend? Yes. They had a red and a clear one too, but this was the stand-out one for me.
Ciate Nail Polish “Heirloom” $9.95 AUS
This colour is so unusual and gorgeous! Its a duochrome, red and gold with a lot going on in it, very complex and different. I needed three coats to achieve a good opacity, as it is very sheer, but the colour is incredible once you manage to build it up.
Would I buy again/recommend? Yes, if you can find it and especially if you get a good deal.
Just about caught up on my holiday purchases now, then hopefully I’ll have some Black Friday hauls in the not too distant future…plus hopefully can reveal something I’ve been working on!
I am not affiliated with any brands or stores mentioned in this post, and did not receive any compensation for writing this piece.
For a long time now, I’ve been hearing about the brand Essence, which is still fairly new to New Zealand. With the entire range costing between $2.25 NZ – $10, this affordable brand has won the hearts of bloggers and beauty lovers alike – who can’t resist trying new products when they cost less than a cup of coffee?!
I first tried an Essence mascara from Price Wise Direct and reviewed it in August on here. Since then, I’ve been itching to try the rest of the range, and was lucky enough to be gifted a haul. Now, when I say gifted on here, please note I do mean a gift and not a PR sample, I believe in completely honest disclosure. My mum happened to have a Farmers Beauty Club voucher that was expiring, and very kindly picked up a few items for me since we don’t have Essence here yet. Recently I’ve seen atleast one popular blogger claim obvious PR samples as “gifts” and I think this is a very dishonest practice. A gift wants and expects nothing in return, and is not done for commercial purpose.
Anyway, with that said, onto the haul!
Nail Oil $4.60
The one I bought no longer seems to be on their site, I think its the older version of this.
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes, it was a very reasonable price too. I did find it quite oily (surprise, surprise, an oil being oily) and it took awhile to dry into my nails, but it wasn’t unpleasant to use. If this version isn’t available any more, I’m sure the new one will also be good, I would definitely give that a try next.
Wonderfuel Nail Polish $3.60
Would I buy again or recommend? I would, especially at that price! Two coats gave a decent coverage, a lovely shade of duochromed ‘blurple’ (blue-purple).
Do You Speak Love? Nail Polish $3.60
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes! This is a gorgeous deep red, reminding me of Revlons “Raven Red” which is now discontinued and my bottle is long finished. AND this is only a mere fraction of the price of Revlon!
Nail Correcting Pen $5.90
Would I buy again or recommend? Not too sure, to be honest. I don’t use products like this much and although its useful and seems to work well, it hasn’t quite won me over yet. The fact that it was simple enough for my young nieces to use quite easily is definitely a plus, and I can see this being useful with my lack of co-ordination/rushed manicures. Slightly more expensive than much of the Essence range, but you could hardly call it dear!
Apricotta Eyeshadow $3.60 (no photo, sorry)
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes for that price. The pigmentation wasn’t as great as I expected, but its an easily wearable colour for a low maintenance look.
All I Need Eyeshadow $3.60
Would I buy again or recommend? Same as my opinion of Apricotta, but yes, yes I would.
Bonus shot! Nails of the day featuring “Do You Speak Love?”
This post contains no sponsored material and I am not affiliated with any brands or stores mentioned. Items were purchased using Farmers Beauty Rewards points and gifted to me.
Here’s another post from my Australian trip, finally catching up on things! This is my first ever scheduled post, didn’t want to spam you too much all at once.
One of the malls we went to, Harbourtown, wasn’t the best of the lot, but the Cosmetics Fragrance Direct shop had some good stuff.
Busby (B.O.N) Pure Tissue Oil 15ml travel size spray $2.50 AUS
I haven’t seen this for sale in New Zealand before, but thought it looked good, with a blend of oils nourishing to the skin. This is a 15ml spray, perfect for travel, especially if you are prone to dry skin like I am. It doesn’t have a particularly strong scent, and blends into the skin nicely, doesn’t feel too oily or greasy.
Their official description:
A unique blend of avocado, rose-hip and grape seed oil formulated for the face and body. Clinically proven to improve skin elasticity and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
No parabens, petroleum-based (mineral oil) products, gluten, or animal testing. Just pure goodness.
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes, if you can find it! It might sound small, but its not a bad size for that price.
Evodia Lemon Sorbet Lipbalm $5 AUS
Cosmetics Fragrance Direct claimed this is worth $11.99, so I’m a little disappointed to see it listed on the Evodia Australian site at $5.99. Anyway, I needed a lipbalm and wanted a fairly natural one, while I wait to get a new Coffin Kisser from Notoriously Morbid. This felt soft and smooth to apply, and kept my lips moist from the harsh Gold Coast sun, and had a strong lemon fragrance, a sweet, artificial one.
Would I buy again or recommend? Eh. You could do better, or worse. Personally I wouldn’t repurchase for myself though.
Revlon Illuminance Cream Eyeshadow Quad “Eternal Summer” $3 AUS
I have been a huge fan of these since first using them 14 years ago, and Copper Canyon is my go-to shade. I was pleased to find them here, especially at such a cheap price, and this quad had a lovely range of colours. There are a few different types of Illuminance Quad, and this particular shade had a mirror included…which meant the eyeshadows don’t fill it as deeply as you would think! Really wish I’d picked up two, at this price. The colours are gorgeous, but not as pigmented as I remembered them being, so I tend to gouge pretty deep into mine. I’ve always been a fan of this formula, my all time favourite cream eyeshadow.
Would I buy again or recommend? At this price, I’d buy 5! And would highly recommend. I’d even be tempted to pay full price, even though its on my upper end of my price range right now.
This post contains no sponsored material and I am not affiliated with any brands or stores mentioned.
Recently my husband, baby and I took a trip to the Gold Coast with my in-laws, which was pretty cool.
I’ve been very sick lately and haven’t been able to post my hauls and reviews from the trip, so I am slowly catching up on things now, and have much to share. The dollar seemed pretty good, got tons of beauty bargains!
Argan Hair Treatment $2 AUS
When it comes to hair, I tend to splurge more than I would in other areas, due to having difficult, high maintenance hair. However, I can never go past a bargain, and in my recent trip to Australia, I picked up a 200ml pouch of this treatment for just $2. After being sick for ages recently, my hair had turned to crap, so I thought I’d pull this out and give it a try, as my hair was even more knotty, frizzy and dry than usual. I applied it very thickly since I have so much hair, after shampooing, and let it sink then. I then rinsed it out and wow, was I impressed at how much difference one application made. My hair was more manageable, less knotty and smoother, it felt great! The smell is pretty generic, and it is far from being a luxury product, but it does the job.
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes. It’s not a substitute for high end products but offers such good value at that price, I wish I’d bought more.
Vanilla Orchid Perfume Spray $3 AUS
Made especially for KMart Australia, no branding on it. This is stronger than I expected for a cheap perfume, but not unpleasant. Definitely much heavier than the Impulse ‘Vanilla Kisses’ I’m trying to replace, and I wouldn’t say I smell orchid notes either, but for the price it was worth it. I sprayed a small amount on my clothes and another small spray on my skin, and it lasted a few hours before fading away. It isn’t a “cheap and nasty” or an overpowering scent, and if all else fails and you really don’t like it, do what I do with scents I can’t/won’t use and put it in the toilet.
I would say be careful if you do use it as a purse spray as it looks like it would break very easily, and would absolutely ruin your bag. Too much of this perfume would go a loooong way.
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes, I wouldn’t spend a lot on it, but $3 AUS was reasonable.
Peach Body Mist $4 AUS
This is a light, pretty scent, perfect for summer especially if you love fruity smells. You WILL smell like peach! The smell doesn’t last long, but it gives a refreshing spritz which works well on skin or clothing. I might keep this in the fridge in summer and use as a cooling spray too.
Like the vanilla spray, this was manufactured for K-Mart, and not available elsewhere.
Would I buy again or recommend? Yes! 🙂 I liked this better than the Vanilla one, and it was good value for money, getting a huge 200ml bottle for $4 AUS, will last me for ages.
All items were purchased with my own money, and no compensation was given for this post. I am not affiliated with any brands or stores mentioned, and all opinions are honest and my own.
Check out my article on Bloggers Club, my first time using it!
EDIT (9th November 2015) – Fixed it! Article is appearing on NZ Girl now. And I was featured in nzgirl’s Halloween newsletter:
I have been very sick with a viral bug, spent a week in bed and a whole day doing nothing but throwing up, it was awful. I am still in the process of recovering, so please bear with me, I have lots to post but I’m a bit slow right now.
Article contains no affiliate or sponsored/paid content, I do not receive any payment or compensation for publishing through Bloggers Club or nzgirl.
Recently I ventured out to Blenheim Square, which despite its name is not in Blenheim but in Christchurch 😉 (on Blenheim Rd, who would’ve guessed!). I tried to convince myself my main purpose was to go to the Mad Butcher, but lets face it – I just wanted a trip to Kosco! There are quite a few shops out there, it really is worth the quick/cheap bus trip (if you do a return trip within 2 hours, you only need to pay for one way). Apart from the butcher, theres a video store, liquor store, Childrens Bookshop, Couplands Bakery, fruit/veg store, and my favourites – the dollar store/Kosco (they are part of the same shop). I also recently found a Middle Eastern food shop/butchery (Mefco) which I’m quite excited about, given my heritage and my taste for exotic food and decent meat.
While at the dollar store, I found a small selection of Jordana makeup, and managed to scoop up a ‘Semi-Permanent Eyeliner’ for $2, and a lipstick for $3. I’ve previously reviewed the purple eyeliner and wasn’t that thrilled with it, but for $2, I don’t mind. I haven’t used a Jordana lipstick in years, but they’ve recently gained popularity online, and for $3, I figured it would be worth a try. I picked up ‘Bronze’ this time (despite it not being bronze, but more coppery), and am thinking about ‘Cranberry Mix’. They had a limited selection there, so I’ll have to keep an eye out for more.
Putting my new makeup to the test, I didn’t expect too much. I wore them both on the same day as they complement each other well enough, with just simple black eyeliner on the bottom and the ‘semi-permanent’ liner on top. Oh, and did I mention I did my makeup on the bus (the swatches are from the second time I applied it, which was not on the bus)?! I was critical of my previous ‘semi-permanent’ liner being too watery, and the brush is very thin, but on the plus side it makes it quite forgiving and easy to use. If you make a mistake, its easy to wipe it off or blend it in, making it perfect for bus-time application!
The lipstick reminded me very much of Elizabeth Ardens ‘Cabana’, which I got a very, very long time ago. Actually, lets forget how long ago it was, as I should definitely throw it away by now. Oh well. I was surprised how well this wore, lasting through eating and drinking for a few hours, which is very unusual for me. My only two gripes, and they are small one,s is the name ‘Bronze’ when the colour is far more copper, as I stated earlier. I have one by No 7 which really is bronze and there is a huge difference in colour, you can’t compare them! I also think this would be a hard colour to match with lipliner, but luckily I have ‘No Bleeding Lips’, which is a clear lipliner to use with absolutely anything so I can get away with it. The other thing is the packaging – this is one of those lipsticks that will tend to get lost in your handbag and the lid will fall off!
I am definitely happy with my purchases especially for the price I paid, and I would buy again and recommend, especially if you can find them locally and not have to order from overseas. If you desperately want to try the Semi-Permanent Eyeliner, Beauty Joint has green and silver in stock, and they also have a range of Jordana lipsticks, including Bronze.
No affiliate links were used in this post and I did not receive any form of compensation in this post.
If you’re planning a ‘Buffalo Bill’ or Slipknot inspired Halloween costume, look no further than the Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack – it’s pretty creepy looking. Seriously though, I received this as a free sample in a Rose Rose Shop order, and decided to give it a try.
I don’t use masks very often, but when I do, well, I look like this:
This felt strange, partly because I’m simply not used to masks. It felt wet and cold, also a bit slimy, like there was a lot of product on it. It was all in one piece, and not really a great fit on my small face. Some of the whatever-the-hell-is-on-it dripped into my mouth and tasted revolting, in an alcohol kind of way. Not in a Chambord cocktail sense, but in a “if you drank nail polish remover, this is probably what it would taste like” way. Really gross. Please do not drink your mask.
Despite feeling wet and cold, I also felt quite hydrated while wearing the mask, it didn’t feel as unpleasant as I’m making it sound, I promise. Due to it not fitting comfortably, I didn’t think I’d wear it long, but once I sat down and didn’t think about it, I ended up wearing it for around half an hour (I can’t read Korean so made up my own instructions, haha). It was easy to remove, just lifted right off and my skin felt soft and smooth, absolutely lovely.
I enjoyed using this far more than I thought I would (and it was hilariously entertaining for my husband…I think my wee boy would have burst into tears if he saw me though), and I love how my skin felt afterwards. No sensitivity, no tingling or redness, just nice and moist.
If you prefer not to use a mask, the same formula is available as a lotion, serum, essence and steam cream – check them all out here on Rose Rose Shop. W2Beauty also sell some of them, and have free shipping worldwide too! Personally, I’d try something easier to use, like a lotion just because I don’t do masks very often but I’d happily do this again too.
I would definitely recommend giving Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack a go!
This was received as a free sample in a Rose Rose Shop order, I am not affiliated with them in any way. I am an affiliate of W2Beauty and if you purchase through them from my link I receive a small percentage, which will go towards purchasing more items to review and giveaway on this blog.
I know the month isn’t over yet but I don’t think I’ll have any more, so here they are!
Australis Curve Eyeliner
Received as GWP…longer ago than I’d like to admit! Not currently available to purchase, as far as I’m aware.
Bit sad that the time has come to let this go! Technically it still works, but the brush is munted and it’s dry. I wish I could replace this, as I liked the unusual curve design and it was a good liner. NYX have their own version of it, so hopefully I can try that in future.
Would I buy again or recommend? : Yes, I think I would. It won’t suit everyone, but I personally found the curve easy to grip, and it helped with my lack of co-ordination. I struggle to draw a straight line, even just pen on paper, so liquid eyeliner is a real challenge for me, but this makes it a little easier.
Lipidol After Shower Oil
$9.95 at Farmers, they sometimes have 10-20% off beauty products, and you get your beauty club points on it too 😉
I love my nearly-1-year-old son to bits, so I say this with the deepest love and respect, but gosh, kids can be weird at that age! C’s favourite things right now are empty yogurt pottles, and this oil. He LOVES shaking up the bottle and watching the bubbles and oil move round. It’s a weird obsession, seriously he’s had hours of entertainment just watching it bubble up and settle down again.
Anyway, I mentioned in December I bought the face oil and didn’t like it “because it was too oily” (yes, really, I know that sounds silly). As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve had my usual winter eczema this year, and I started using this oil all over my body, mostly after showers. It is fantastic! It feels less oily and greasy than the face oil did, and dries quickly. It’s made a difference to my dry skin (although obviously if you have a skin condition, please seek medical advice before using), and right now I’m looking and feeling really good, although this is also partly due to the warmer weather too.
Would I buy again or recommend? : Yes, definitely! Will be repurchasing soon.
Impulse Vanilla Kisses body spray
$3 from Uncle Bills – if anyone knows where I can source this, please get in touch and I will be eternally grateful!
I know you’re probably thinking I must be like, 10 years old, to have a bottle of Impulse in my empties, but hear me out. I get migraines from so many other fragrances, and one of the few things I can wear are some of the varieties of Impulse and Cool Charm. And I like them, and they’re cheap, Mmmkay?
Vanilla Kisses is a very nostalgic smell for me. I got my first bottle at age 10, yes that’s nearly 20 years ago! I felt so grown up, I barely even knew the basics of puberty but I knew this was “big girls stuff” (atleast, that’s what my 10 year old mind thought). I loved that scent and made it last, adding many other Impulses to my collection in the years to come (I.D, Goddess, Tease, Alive, my all-time favourite Devotion…anyone else remember these?). Sadly, Impulse have gone a bit more ‘fancy’ and their recent blends just make me feel ill.
So, I was ecstatic to find Vanilla Kisses at Uncle Bills in Kilbirnie last year and bought two bottles, which is unusual for me – I hardly buy the same thing twice. I wish I’d bought 20. I can’t get any more and I am so sad to have finally used the last of it. I love it as much aged almost 30 as I did as a 10 year old.
Would I buy again or recommend? : HELL YEAH! I would give ANYTHING! I need, need, need this in my life and I won’t sleep til I find another one.
Ecostore Baby Sleepytime Bath
$7.99 at supermarket, sometimes a bit cheaper on special
I reviewed this in my August Empties post – it did last longer than a month, we had two open at the same time for awhile.
Would I buy again or recommend? : No, we’re just going to stick to using Ecostore Body Wash on my son. It does have a lovely, relaxing scent though.
I also had a few more empty sample sachets of Too Cool for School Fresh Gore and Pumpkin Sleeping Packs again, and Benton Snail Mask which I will review very soon.
No affiliate links have been used in this post, and I did not receive any form of compensation for writing this. I am not a medical professional, and any readers with skin/health conditions are encouraged to seek medical advice before using any skin or makeup product.
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