CHRISTMAS GIFTS 2015: Beauty Edition

CHRISTMAS, was quite festive for me this year!

My family and friends have never really celebrated Christmas, or not the gifting tradition of Christmas at least. But this year, everyone started gifting and all.

Makes me feel bad, because this year, I didn't put in enough effort in comparison to them. You know, too broke to really afford anything, lol. Sorry frenz.

But wanted to post about the beauty products I've received this year! *happy dance*

MARC JACOBS Dream Daisy Forever, was from my sister. This year, I started getting into fragrances! Been lovin' Marc Jacobs, for not only their packaging, but scents tooo~ I really really loved Daisy that I received for my birthday this year, so this was perfff!

THE BALM The Manizer Sisters. Lemme get this straight -- I LOVE my Mary-Lou Manizer. Since seeing this little set, I've always wanted it. It's smaller (probably half the full-size), but it's perfect. Considering that a little goes a long way, this will probably last me until I get married and have kids (lol, which is a long-ass way to go, according to mama).

These three CHARLOTTE TILBURY lipsticks were from my boyfriend (thanks boi!). They're from the Matte Revolution collection. Although they retail for $48 a pop, we thrifted them from the markets for only $15 each! Yay!!

Birkin Brown, Bond Girl, Walk Of Shame

I know these shades look real ugly as a bullet, and in my photo (lighting error) but I promise they don't look that bad! Showcase them to ya soon!

TONY MOLY Shocking Lip in 01, was from a good friend. I'm pretty sure this is the lipstick that she almost always wear. The one that I see on her, which NEVER ever rubs off. Lasts damn well. Quite excited to see what this one's about.

Same friend also purchased for me, LUSH Peeping Santa Bubble Bar! Smells amaaaaazing!

(poor disfigured Santa)

Aaaaaand my highschool girlfriends, got me so many things. Amongst them were OPI's Romancing the Frog Duo Pack and MY BEAUTY DIARY face masks (not pictured).

My boyfriend's sister also got me a lil gifty!! (ノ*゜▽゜*) She got me my first BOBBI BROWN products: Luxe Lip Color in Atomic Orange, and Lip Pencil in Tangerine.

These two are PERFECT for me. Atomic Orange is a lovely addition to the lipstick-fam since I don't own any true-orange lippies (that lasts, at least). And Tangerine is exactly what I'd wear as a peachy-coral, the colour is right up my alley!


LAST GIFT!


...was from a friend, I haven't seen in yonks. And all I can say is... she knows me. Quite well (lol).

This Nail Care Bag, a minty lip balm, RIMMEL LONDON Provocalips in I'll Call You swatches of whole collection here >, and LUSH Ultrabalm.

Love everything minty, yellow or grey! Can't wait to transform that minty pouch to a coin-pouch or make-up pouch! ヽ(ﾟ∇ﾟ)ﾉ

#Eggcited


That's a wrap of my Xmas presents~

What did everyone receive for Christmas? 

Whether it's beauty or not, let me know!


THE VLOG VERSION:




Thanks for checking,

Tram xx

Priceline 40% OFF: Recommendations, Wishlist, Misses

Hi peepos~ If you follow me on Insta, or Priceline and/or other bloggers, you would've seen these cute pink ads poppin' up everywhere...

What a wonderful sale to follow Australia Day, right? XD

I wanted to quickly whip up a post sharing with you my top fewer picks, what's on my wishlist AND recommendations!! I may not be the best skincare-guru (not that I am a guru of any sort), but I have been through a quite a few drugstore skincare products (the budget-range, that is) ~ XD


RECOMMENDATIONS

St Ives Naturally Clear Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub ($9.99 - $6.00 after sale)
I know, I know... the scrubby bits in this product may not be the best for the environment, but when it comes down to picking the best exfoliator... this may just be it for me! Extremely scrubby!

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleansers* ($10.99 - $6.60 after sale)
I've used these, reviewed one here. The scent of all 3 are amazing (they are supposed to wake you up in the morning). My pick would have to be between the yellow and orange, but formula-wise, I don't think there are too much differences between the three.

Sukin Purely Ageless Botanical Hydration Booster ($23.95 - $14.35 after sale)
Perfect for the upcoming colder seasons, especially if you're a dry skin babe. Substitutes in as a night cream, and you only need 2 drops maximum!

Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser* ($9.95 - $6.00 after sale)
I don't usually do "foaming" cleansers, but this is a gentle one that doesn't strip the moisture of the skin. Also removes leftover make-up. Highly recommended! P.S. You may need time to adjust to scents of Sukin's products~

EcoTools Intensive Hand Cream* (???)
Ah!! I tried to find details about this product, but there's barely any~ I'm not too sure if it's discontinued, but if you happen to find this, then do peek at it. It's a really good hand cream. The scent may be odd at first, but I just love moisturising formula and non-sticky, non-slippery feel altogether!

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion with Vitamin E* ($9.29 - $5.60 after sale)
The scent of this is amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing. It's one of my top favourites! The formula is a tad heavy, so only suitable for those with very dry skin, or night-use. For day use, I find it waaay too heavy, but the scent is really... amazing.

Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash* ($9.95 - $6.00 after sale)
If you're looking for a body wash that'll make a difference -- this is it! Body washes all feels the same for me, besides this one. It actually leaves the skin feeling moisturised! My top pick for body washes.


WISHLIST

St. Ives Triple Butters Creamy Vanilla Body Wash ($5.49 - $3.20 after sale)
Haven't tried this, but its name (and packaging!) is pretty catchy! I love vanilla-scented products, and the price of this is fairly cheap!


PRODUCTS TO SKIP

St. Ives Timeless Skin Apricot Scrub ($9.99 - $6.00 after sale)
I held onto this product for looong time, and I still think it's sitting around in my bathroom. It's just not scrubby enough for my liking. It's more creamy and gentle, so would work much better as a cleanser. Absolutely a miss for me.

Sukin Cream Cleanser ($9.95 - $6.00 after sale)
Gentle cleansers are ideally what we'd like for our skin, right? But this cleanser is just..... too gentle. As a cream cleanser, it surely does pack back moisture into the skin, but cleansing-wise... not really. Way too gentle to cleanse off any make-up residue. Such a shame~

Beauty Essentials (also known as BE)
Priceline's own brand, I believe. I've purchased two products from this range, and I've only ever touched them once. I can't remember much about the make-up remover, but the scrub I bought was just watery and barely made my skin feel any better~ Skipping this whole range, forever.


That's all for my recommendations, wishlist and misses~

Feel free to share with us YOUR recs/wishlist/misses!

Disclosure: Products marked with (*) were provided for trialling purposes, and review consideration only.

10 [Beauty] Stocking Stuffers UNDER $3!

I've just finished my friends' Christmas gifts a few days ago, and it took me yonks to figure out what to fill the jars with.

Here are a few snaps of what they look like...

 

Some of the products are from the Models Prefer Lip Pack that I've mentioned in my previous Priceline 40% haul. I've also slipped in the wrong pencil case in this jar.. （*/∇＼*）

One of the other jars...

❶ JARS: I've purchased these for $3 each, you can find them at your local Hot Dollar stores, Reject Shops, and other dollar stores [I believe]..

❷ SNOW: Yes! Fake snow! I thrifted them for $1 at the markets, but I think you should be able to find them at your local craft stores, OR you can just simply replace it with cotton balls!

❸ NAMES: Purchase letter-stickers at your local dollar store, and stick em on! Eaasy!

❹ PRODUCTS: Some I have thrifted at the markets (brand new though), some I've spotted from deals and saved em from months ago for this (yes, I'm bothered).

At the end of the day, the hardest for me was to figure of what products to include! They had to be awesome, but at the same time pocket-friendly!

I've figured a few, so I thought I'd put out the list for those whom are broke and struggling with the same issue. Heh.. Thank me later! (flicks hair)

Credits >

Daiso is a great store to shop at for stocking stuffers. They have soooooooooo many different items, and the good thing about the store is that all items are $2.80.

Their Liquid Eyeliner ($2.80) is highly raved about, so check that out. OR their Detergent Cleansing Lotion for Puff & Sponge ($2.80), a favourite by many.

I', sure you've all heard of Ulta3 nail polishes ($2.00), Australia's top-selling [and cheapest] nail polish brand. Locate their stockists via their Facebook. I'm sure you'll be pleased with their shade range!
( ⋂‿⋂’)

Also, don't forget their Moisturising Lipsticks ($2.95)!

Priceline, I think have their very own cosmetics line to go with their BE skincare range. Beauty Essentials (BE) lipsticks are exactly $3. I've purchased one.. Yet to try out their quality, but either way, it makes a great stocking stuffer! They also have other items for $3.00 too!

I've mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again. Models Prefer READ MY LIPS pack ($20.00) is a great value pack if you have many stockings to fill, or great to even distribute between friends as small gifts. Ten lippies for $20 equates to $2 per shade!

essence is a good brand to scout if you're after cheap stocking fillers. Their French Glam Nail Tattoo Stickers ($2.55) and lip liners ($2.00) are right in the $3 zone!

Slip in a sachet of Nivea Aqua Effect Refreshing Moisturising Mask ($2.99) for them skincare junkies.

Or Formula 10.0.6's mask sachets ($1.99)..

Well, that's all! 

I hope this helps you get through your Christmas shopping! :P

Priceline 40% OFF Haul + [INT] GIVEAWAY!

It's a late, late haul, I know. But nay, I did not go all-out-hoarder like most other beauty fanatics! Besides the fact that I barely had any moola on hand, it was also because I've finally came down to the conclusion that I have soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to finish off. Urgh.

Just the idea of that, stresses me out!

So for this time's 40% off sale (I was in Melbourne), I've only picked up a handful of things.


Da-da-dum-dum!

BE lipstick ($1.80/$3 RRP)
Not that I needed another pink lippy, but hey! They'd never have sales on these, and it was only $1.80! Yap, that's my justification.

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner ($8.37/$13.95 RRP)
Baddest eyeliner out there (in a good way), this one! Super black, long-lasting, easy to use, doesn't dry out after a few uses AND it's less than $10 after the sale! Mine was running out so this was a necessity.

Australis Velourlips ($5.97/$9.95 RRP)
Been lusting over these for yonks now... Not gonna find a sale better than these, so.. Yap. I reached for the shades that's not too familiar in my collection -- Rio-d & Ho-chee-min. Funky, bright coral and a light, light pink!

essence Lip Liner in Wish Me a Rose ($1.20/$2 RRP)
Posted about this here. Beautiful shade, and formula is extremely creamy.


OK. Important pieces that were "must-haves". THESE:

These Models Prefer packs ($12/$20 RRP) are as is. I've purchased one to split to my group of friends as stocking stuffers, and the OTHER one is for YOU!

Well, not for every one of you'se (sorry, I wish I could), but for the one who wins this giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Simple and easy-af giveaway. I was thinking of hosting it on Instagram, but not everyone follows me there and/or uses Instagram, so here's it!


Good luck folks!

15 EMPTY products n' counting!

I CAN'T believe it! Finally an empties post. It feels like I haven't posted any empties in FOREVER!

I've realised that I haven't been finishing any products in ten thousand years now, so it's time to push myself to get rid of the old ones (and make place for the new ones!). I'd like to make some space in my make-up containers, but seriously.. make-up are just SO hard to finish for me!

So this post contains lotsa skincare products and timed-out make-up (make-up that I've had for too long which I consider are no longer usable).

First off, I have three cleansers! Yes! Three facial cleansers!

Clean&Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser* is nice cleanser with a lovely and refreshing scent! Not for me in this awful Winter though, as it doesn't provide my drier skin enough hydration and moisture. Review here >

Johnson's Daily Essentials Refreshing Gel Wash* is very similar to Clean&Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser, in my opinion. It has a different scent, but serves about the same -- not enough moisture and hydration for my dry skin type. I do personally think both cleansers are better for oily to combination skin.

Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser*, I really love! Although it doesn't provide me any additional hydration and moisture, I love the fact that it removes my leftover make-up. It's also very gentle for a 'foaming' facial cleanser, ya know? And it's affordable! Review here > 


Yeap. Three facial cleansers. I am amazing, ain't I? Not yet, I've also managed to finish some packs of make-up wipes!

Australis 3-in-1 Make-Up Remover Wipes... these may be the worst make-up remover wipes everrr... nuff said. I'll do a review soon, but I've only used these up for when I do swatches and to remover leftover make-up on the back of ma hand..

Priceline Nourishing Make-Up Wipes are actually ain't that bad. They were actually very moist and worked well for removing make-up! I've never seen these at Priceline though..

Also finished my Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturising Cream that was featured in my Winter Essentials post.. finished this allllllll by myself! It's a nice thick and heavy cream that I'd like to apply once every 2-3 days (yes I am laaaaaazy!). I'd like to see how it compares to QV's tub though!

Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Cream*. I do use eye creams for the prevention of wrinkles so I can't tell you exactly how this eye cream performed. I think I'm better sticking with a more affordable option since I didn't really notice any 'radiance' from the eye cream.

Maybelline Baby Lips. I did like it at first. I loved the scent and how moisturising it is, but then soon realised that it doesn't really sink into my lips. It sits on top for such a long time and makes any lipsticks applied feel much more slippery. Won't be repurchasing.

I've had Missha's Glam Look Gloss for yonks now. Ever since I started using make-up. It's a sticky gloss with visible shimmers. I still do have a bit of product left, but it's time to let it go. Won't be repurchasing for the shimmers and stickiness, but I'll look into their lipsticks!

I've also had Australis Perfection Brush-On Mineral Lipgloss for about the same time. It was recommended in combination with Australis' Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Mambo, by a Priceline staff when I was looking for a 'nude lip'. Time to go for this one too..

These two Round Lipglosses by NYX too! Not sure if the formula is naturally slippery and thin or if it's because I've had it for too long. Either way, time-out for these two in Whipped and Ballerina Pink. Lovely shades, but moves around on the lips too much!

0

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Double End Concealer/Highlighter! Although it's a bit pricey, I love this! I love BOTH the concealer (light, and great for undereyes) and the highlighter! I'll wait until Maybelline has the 3 for $30 sale again!

Rimmel Glam Eyes Volume & Lift used to be my favourite! At the moment I'm really loving my Australis mascaras, so not sure if I'd be picking this up. Maybe if there's a nice sale, but I did really love this [wand] once upon a time for my lower lashes!


That's 15 products counting!!! You wait guys! You wait! I'll be adding up to 50 products in no time!

Any products you've finished recently that you'd like to proudly share with us?

I think the I'm most proud for is the Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Cream!

I honestly thought I'd NEVER finish it!

Disclaimer: Products marked with * were provided for review considerations.