Sample stash

As a result of frequenting numerous cosmetics counters (and befriending many of the sales associates) over the years, I have amassed a hoard of gift with purchases (gwp), cosmetics samples, and Sephora VIB points redemption items; everything from face creams, to makeup removers, to mini lipsticks and mini mascaras.

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My sample drawer. So many samples, so little time!

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PUFU: Stella by Stella McCartney

Instead of another lip product for Project Use it the F*%@ Up!, or PUFU, my next candidate is a perfume.  Behold, my seemingly bottomless 30ml bottle of Stella by Stella McCartney eau de parfum:
Stella1
I bought this in 2009 and it been on rotation with a handful of other perfumes since then.  Judging by the bottle, I keep thinking it will get used up soon, “maybe another month”, I’ll think, but it just never seems to get used up!

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What alchemy is this?

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Winter scalp rescue

My hair and scalp are normally low maintenance – my primary concern is finding products that don’t weigh my hair down.  Generally, I like using clarifying shampoos and light styling products.  I don’t even use a conditioner on a daily basis.  But come winter season, all bets are off.  My scalp becomes severely irritated, dry, and itchy – especially around the temples and crown area.  It gets so bad that the area becomes visibly red with white scaly flaky patches – it’s quite unsightly.  I only started battling this problem 2 winters ago, and have experimented with several products since then to help manage the condition.
winterscalp1

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Pretty funny

I’ve been gathering some funny beauty-related comics / images online and I thought I would share:

I laugh every time I see this. Courtesy of imgur / reddit (click to enlarge)

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C.O. Bigelow Supreme 2X Lip Shine

I declare this: C.O. Bigelow Supreme 2X Lip Shine is the best night time lip balm. Ever. Period.

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One balm to rule them all!

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Empties: January 2015

My first ever empties post, how exciting!  This may not be a monthly occurrence since it takes some time to finish full sized products.  I’ll try to save up enough items to warrant an entry devoted to showcasing empty bottles and jars (before they go into the recycling bin!)  Likely, my empties will predominantly feature skincare, hair care, mascaras and maybe face makeup – it’ll be a unicorn sighting when I do finish up a colour makeup item (but it has been known to happen!) Personally I find empties videos / posts to be valuable because the reviewer has used up an entire product, so they have a comprehensive experience of the product’s performance

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Trash stash.

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Night time skincare: winter edition

Here’s a quick rundown and mini-reviews of some of the current skincare items that I’m using to specifically cater to my skin’s needs at night during the winter months:
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Product photography

Taking good photos for this blog has been a challenge for me since day one. There just isn’t enough space to set up big elaborate backdrops and we don’t receive adequate natural light in our condo.   I set out to investigate my options for a mini photo studio and came across some DIY lightboxes like this:

Image courtesy of photojojo

My main issue with this type of set up is that the box isn’t collapsible so it would occupy precious space in the condo.  Also, I didn’t want to be restricted by the dimension of a box if I wanted to spread out the products for a photo.

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