The Bin Diaries Part XI: Products I'm Throwing Away

My bin overfloweth once again, hence we shall peek into the pages of The Bin Diaries forthwith.

Now that Samuel Pepys has left the room, let's contuniue. I've got a boatload of stuff to chuck out so let's rattle through them.

Sportsgirl Starry Eyed Glitter Eyeliner ¦¦ Ok this was fun for a hot second and then I realised I'm a grown ass woman pushing thirty, and glitter eyeliner has no place on my face. Also it's really old and gloopy and dried up.

Repurchase? Only if they invent time machines.

Sportsgirl Outline Metallic Eyeliner ¦¦ I was really keen on bright eyeliners back in the day, wasn't I? This one was never great quality and tended to peel off after a couple of hours so I'm not sad about binning it. Also it's ooo-old.

Repurchase? No.

Ducray Ictyane ¦¦ I picked this up in a French pharmacy and it was fantastic for my dry skin. Even though it's a thick cream, you use it in the shower to wash with and even though it foams up, it moisturises your skin at the same time. It's amazing stuff.

Repurchase? Yes!

a;t fox Tea Creams in Whitening Capsule Cream Jasoyup Herb Tea (purple), Lifting Cream Black Tea (pink), and Gel Cream Gyoolpy Tea (yellow) ¦¦ These were lovely creams, and who doesn't want to use cupcake cosmetics?! These sample sized creams came in a Memebox and I desperately wanted to track down some more when I visited Korea earlier this year. Sadly, time was not on my side but one day I would love to go and visit an a;t fox shop, which just happen to be tea rooms that also sell cosmetics. How cute?!

Repurchase? I wish!

NoTS 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser ¦¦ I don't really get acne so this was a little strong for me, but I got it in a Memebox so I used it up anyway. It was fine. I don't miss it.

Repurchase? Nope.

Atopalm Moisturizing Eye Repair Serum ¦¦ This one I do miss. It's an eye cream with a fairly high silicone content, so it really filled in any fine lines and gave a great base for concealer. 

Repurchase? I wish!

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel ¦¦ This is a variation on the usual Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising cream. It's a gel so it sinks in quicker but besides that does basically the same job. It's great if you live somewhere hot, but aside from that it's a fairly decent moisturiser. It's quite expensive and I've found others that do just as good a job, so...

Repurchase? Probably not.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon ¦¦ This was a really lovely summery peachy coral shade with some shimmer in it. I really enjoyed wearing it; I think the lip chubby sticks are one of Clinique's best products.

Repurchase? Yes, if I were feeling rich enough...!

Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll-On ¦¦ These were all the rage a little while ago but sadly did nothing for me. I gave this a good go but noticed very little difference, unfortunately. In the bin it goes.

Repurchase? No.

That's all for this binful of a blogpost. What have you used up recently? Anything worth recommending?

-Rachel

IMATS London 2015

Are you heading to IMATS in London? It's on 10th-12th June 2015, and is at the Olympia exhibition centre in Kensington. Having attended last year, I thought I'd pass on a few tips that I found helpful myself...

Arrive early ¦¦ I arrived at 8am. This was a good time to arrive as the queue was present but manageable. Any earlier would have been ridiculously early (as it was, I left the house at 6am) and from 8am onwards the queue grew rapidly. 

Arrive via the overground train ¦¦ I hate, hate hate that little district line spur that goes up to Olympia. It’s infrequent, confusing, hot and stuffy and full of people all going the same way as you. As far as I’m concerned, the only sane way to reach the convention centre is via the overground. It often makes more sense if you’re coming from out of town, anyway.

Bring food and water ¦¦ The convention centre has got a couple of food venues but they are small and expensive. Also, if you have a special diet like me (gluten free), forget about them being able to cater for you. Unless you want to go big for lunch and opt for the Pizza Express just outside the convention centre, it’s best to bring your own packed lunch. There are a couple of places to sit down around the edges and eat, plus there's always the floor. And obviously, bring plenty of water. 

Write a hit list and prioritise ¦¦ Check online before you arrive and make a list of the stands you want to visit. Now put them in order of priority, bearing in mind which stands will be most popular. I’d go for NARS first, as their small stand quickly became a scrum, and then NYX where the queue was quite reasonable when we joined, but obscene later (although at least there was a system, unlike at NARS). 

Appreciate the art ¦¦ IMATS is not just for shopping. It’s a place for creative people to come and show off their skills – so take some time to appreciate them! Look at the demonstrations going on at all the stands, and take some time to watch one of the talks. There is some astounding skill going on, and everyone is super friendly and keen to talk if you have any questions.

Budget in cash ¦¦ Decide on a budget before you arrive, and bring that amount in cash with you. There is one ATM inside the hall and, as you can imagine, there’s a big queue for it unless you go there at 8.30am. This way, you can only spend what you have with you and tada, you've stuck to your budget. If you prefer to work on cards, then most stands will accept cards but it may take longer to wait for a machine to become free/process the transaction/etc, by which point people around you may have started to tut. 

Pace yourself ¦¦ If you need to sit down, sit down. If you need some caffeine, visit a coffee stand. Be sensible and recognise if your body needs a break, and then take one. It's not worth ruining yourself or getting grumpy about things. It's supposed to be a fun day out! Similarly, pace yourself with your budget, too. Don’t get overexcited and spend too much in the first stall you see, meaning you can’t buy other products later.

Pack light ¦¦ Now is not the time to flaunt your Michael Kors gigantobag. Bring as little as you can possibly manage, thereby avoiding shoulderache and glares from others when you constantly barge them with your statement handbag.

Bring make up remover wipes ¦¦ Your hands will probably end up covered in swatches. Don’t be That Girl who asks the harassed looking staff of a stand for some makeup remover and cotton wool – bring some wipes yourself. It’s the only sensible way to do it.

Be nice ¦¦ We’re all makeupaholics together; enjoy it! This is the one place where almost everyone shares your love/passion/obsession for makeup so take full advantage of it. Get chatting to people in the queues next to you, share recommendations and tips, help each other out, and be friendly. There’s no need for elbows at dawn. It’s not that serious. Have fun and remember to enjoy your day!

Have you ever been to IMATS or any other convention/trade show before? What would be your top tips to share?

-Rachel

K-Beauty Shopping in Seoul

This was the product of a few short hours in Seoul, a product of a layover on our recent trip back from Australia. I was able to do a very short spell of shopping in the Myeongdong district  whilst we were staying overnight at the Seoul Royal Hotel. With temperatures of around -7C and no coats, we didn’t stay out long – although we wished we could have. We dived between shops to keep warm and I picked up a couple of bits, but we mostly enjoyed the sights and sounds of Seoul at night.

The next day we did have a few hours before our flight left to peruse the duty free offerings around Incheon airport. The cosmetics here were slightly more competitively priced, although there was a smaller range available (hardly any makeup, for example, largely skincare).

Tonymoly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in 06 (furious bunny) ¦¦ This is one of Tonymoly’s iconic products, I think.  This is a orangey peach colour which is brightening and flattering to most skin tones. This has an amazing sherbet scent and lasts really well on the lips, leaving a stain behind once the gloss has worn off. It does also leave some glitter behind too, so if you're not a fan of that then beware.

Tonymoly Panda’s Dream Eye Patch ¦¦ This patch is designed to vitalize the skin around eyes that appear dark and dull due to various elements – basically I'm hoping this will help my dark undereye circles and/or bags. I know nothing is going to fix them, really, but I thought if anything is going to come close, it will be a Korean skincare product. I've got a pack of 10 and have used a pair already

Tonymoly Nutra Energy Mask Sheet ¦¦ I got this freeee when I shopped in Tonymoly. On the particular street on which I found myself, which was lined with beauty shops, freezing salesgirls stood outside waving free samples to entice shoppers. This one worked a charm and hooked me right in! I also got two smaller samples with my purchase; a sachet of Ferment Snail Cream and Whitening Capsule Essence. Both of which I look forward to using with joy.

The SAEM Green Pig Collagen Gella Pack ¦¦ This is a sleeping pack, which means you layer it on your face last thing at night, sleep in it, and then rinse it off in the morning. This actually contains 50% pig collagen which I personally don’t find skeevy, but I can see how others might. This has quite an oddly thick, half jelly-ish texture. Almost like blancmange. It’s quite hard to describe… The scent is pleasant though, and I've only had the chance to test this out for one night but so far I'm pleased with the results.

The SAEM Gem Miracle Black Pearl O2 Bubble Mask ¦¦ My face must have been a picture when the sales assistant showed me this product. First it goes on like a black gel. Standard. But after you've waited for a minute, it begins to turn white. This is because it’s producing teeny tiny oxygen bubbles! You keep rubbing it in and letting it bubble for a while, and then you rinse it off. The idea is that the bubbles help to deep cleanse your skin – I don’t know how true that is, but I thought it was such a cool idea that I was going to buy it anyway.

The SAEM Global Eco Peach Hand Cream ¦¦ As soon as the sales assistant put this on my hand I did a little swoon. It is so peachy! This is a thick hand cream that sinks in quite quickly and delivers decent results. The packaging is super cute (if a little dodgy looking at the wrong angle) and the rest of my bumper pack of 5 is going in my present drawer. Except for this one… this one I'm keeping.

Tonymoly Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream ¦¦ I've had a sample of this before and absolutely loved it. It gives decent coverage but somehow still looks really natural, contains a good SPF (37 precisely, as it happens) and is almost waterproof. This stuff just doesn't budge. Also, it doesn't stick to my dry patches or oxidise or anything like that. So I decided I may as well just buy the full size. Hurrah!

The SAEM Global Eco Mask Sheet (Bulgarian Complex) ¦¦ The kind sales assistant threw in three of these sheet masks with my purchase. I'm always happy to add new sheet masks to my collection. The back of the pack tells me that this mask “provides soothing rest to tired skin with its Bulgarian Complex developed by the SAEM, reflecting communion with all things natural”. Well!

Tonymoly Floria Nutra-Energy Mask Sheet ¦¦ I got this free with my BB cream purchase. I just love all the freebies I got handed out - and it seems to be quite normal. I wish shops here in the UK would start doing that, too.

Airstar Avenue wipes ¦¦ I entered a contest in the airport which was quite exciting and utterly unfathomable, and my prize was these wipes. I figured they'd come in handy on the plane, and so glady accepted them (although I was a bit sad I didn't win the car).

So those are all the things I bought from Seoul and Incheon Duty Free. I had an absolutely excellent time and even though I was in Korea for less than a day, I am keen to go back already. Everyone was so friendly, the sights were so interesting and the place was buzzing. When can I go back?

-Rachel

Linking up with Caity, Marcella, Michelle, Amanda & Bonnie for Travel Tuesday

Incoming: Cargo

Apparently, I stress shop. Therefore, the beauty halls of Debenhams were the last place I should have gone - but what's that they say about hindsight?

So in I went, stressed. Out I came, still stressed but slightly more cheerful and quite a bit poorer. My target was the Cargo counter, where I'd spied a new palette release. I'd been keeping an eye out for it after I spied it on Instagram, and as a new convert to the world of Cargo eyeshadow palettes, I was really quite keen to try it.

As luck would have it, they had it in stock on the counter. And, there was a gift with purchase running! So these little lovelies came home with me.

Cargo The Essentials Eye Palette ¦¦ Oh look, a neutrals palette. Do I need another of these? Moving on... This contains 7 mattes and 4 of their lovely multi-dimensional shimmery shades, plus one with a more modest shimmer, plus a black kohl eyeliner and a semi decent dual-ended brush. At first glance it appears there are a lot of very similar shades in this palette, but I've found there's definitely enough variety to work with and as always I love the colours, quality and assortment of these shadows. Another great job by Cargo - although I have to say, if I could only have one Cargo palette it would still be the Vintage Escapes palette. This only seems to be in stock on the counter (I can't find it online anywhere, and its name is very close to another of their products so I keep getting results for that instead) so if you're after this, you'll have to go in person.

Cargo Eye Shadow in Shanghai ¦¦ I wanted something a bit more exciting after all those nudes, so I picked up a single eyeshadow to go with the palette (and qualify me for the gift with purchase...). Shanghai is a beautiful purple with, I don't know, almost a brown undertone? It means it's not an obnoxious 80's purple and it co-ordinates with all the shades in the palette beautifully. 

Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos (GWP) ¦¦ I already have the full size version of this product, but it's what I wear on my cheeks every day during the summer so it will be handy to have a travel sized version of this. That's my rationale and I'm sticking to it!

Some dodgy swatches for your delectation - left, Shanghai eye shadow; right, Los Cabos blush.

Clarins HydraQuench Cream ¦¦ I got this as a free sample when I signed up to the Debenhams beauty loyalty card scheme. There was also a bonus points offer on at the time so I did quite well out of the whole deal, I think! I have dry skin and I'm always on the lookout for decent moisturisers. I've had the chance to use up this sample and I can say that it's decent, but I'm not sure I'd spend the money on it. A full size goes for £35 for 50ml and I've got to really love something to want to pay that much for it. As it is, I didn't.

Lancôme Advanced Génifique ¦¦ Another sample. However, a completely different story with this one - despite the high price point of the full size product (£59 for 30ml!!!) I'm genuinely impressed with this product. It made a noticeable difference to my skin (brighter, more even toned, smoother, clearer) in just a few days and there are very, very few products that do that. I'm saving up already.

Do you stress-shop? What's been your most outrageous stress shopping purchase?

-Rachel

A Mystery Parcel from Boots

An unexpected parcel plopped onto my doormat this morning. I love unexpected parcels, especially when they're from places like Boots where I seem to spend most of my money these days.

Excitedly, I tore into the parcel to find a full size No7 Midnight Lash Mascara in black and a little note from the team at Boots which sweetly says, "We thought you'd like to try a little something on us. Hope you like it!".

I don't know whether it's because I have a ridiculous amount of points on my Advantage card at the moment (almost £90... yikes) or there's a big marketing push going on at No7, but whatever it is, I'm not complaining.

To whoever at Boots sent me the lovely mascara - thank you very much! You cheered up my day no end.

-Rachel

Incoming: Boots II

It happened again! The siren call of Boots is just too strong for me to resist.

This time I made it away with a mere 5 products, making good use of the ubiquitous 3-for-2 and No7 vouchers. I've had these for a little while now, so I can tell you what I think of each of these products. Let's go!

Bourjois Healthy Balance Compact Powder in 52 Vanille ¦¦ I've been searching for ages for a decent replacement for my beloved Une mineral powder foundation which is now no longer available in the UK. The parent company of Une is Bourjois, so it stands to reason that that's the first place I should look for a replacement. I've read lots of good things about this powder and I can report they're basically all true. This gives a beautiful finish, it doesn't stick to my dry patches and doesn't look cakey or old ladyish. I'm so glad I found this, it's a gorgeous product. It's £8.99 and available here

Bourjois Colorband 2-in-1 Eyeshadow & Liner in Mauve ¦¦ I was really expecting to love this. It was basically a done deal in my head. I thought this would be better than my No7 Shade and Define eyeshadow sticks, which I've raved about a lot. Well, it wasn't. It wasn't as long lasting as the No7 version, and it was too sparkly. The glitter transferred to above my eyes and looked messy, and after a while (to be fair, about 10 hours or so) any remaining colour had transferred into creases in my eyelid. The eyeliner part stayed put, though. This wasn't too expensive so I'm not mad about it, but I'm a little sad as I'd expected to love it so much. It's available here for £5.99.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque liquid lipstick in Viens si tu roses ¦¦ This is the newest iteration from Bourjois, following on from the very successful Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks (which I didn't actually love that much). I decided to give this new range a go, as it's the gloss version and I figured that may work better for me. And it did! This shade is beautiful, very wearable, and I love it. It applies beautifully and wears well - it's not particularly long lasting, but crucially for me it wears evenly and leaves a very slight tint behind afterwards. This means I don't have to worry about the colour fading patchily or leaving the dreaded ring of colour, it just looks nice until it's not there any more. I can't wait for more colours of this, I'll be all over it. It's available here for £8.99.

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Mono Eyeshadow in Lumiere 502 Quartz Fume ¦¦ I previously picked up the single shade in a mid-brown, 106 Breaking Nude, which I absolutely adore so I got this to go with it. I actually think this isn't quite as good as the matte shade - it applies a little patchily and takes some working in to get it looking nice. However, it's an absolutely beautiful shade and with just a tiny bit of effort it looks stunning. Other shades in the range are available here, but this particular shade doesn't appear to be listed. It's still in stores, though, for a bargainous £5.49.

No7 Protect and Perfect Eye Cream ¦¦ Does it make me sound like an old lady if I keep going on about how much I love eye cream? Probably. Well, this is supposed to protect young skin, boost radiance and visibly improve fine lines. It comes out of the tube slightly tinted but that doesn't translate to anything noticeable on the skin, so it's not something you need to be particularly careful with applying or anything. So far I've thoroughly enjoyed it and it's my personal opinion that No7 skincare is vastly underrated. See also: their Hot Cloth Cleanser, and Protect and Perfect Day Cream.

Swatches L-R: Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder (you can't really see this, as funnily enough it's the same colour as my skin), L'Oreal Color Riche eyeshadow in 502 Quartz Fume, Bourjois Colorband eyeshadow and liner in Mauve, and Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in Viens si tu roses

I am officially banned from entering any more Boots stores for a significant length of time. I really am such a liability. Are there any shops you simply can't walk past?

-Rachel

L'Oréal La Palette Nude Review & Giveaway

So I've been stalking these palettes in my local Boots for what seems like forever, and they're always out of stock. I'd just about given up hope of laying my hands on the lovely looking La Palette Nude in Rosé, and then I heard that L'Oréal were releasing a new palette. It was called La Palette Nude in Beige, and seemed right up my alley. I own no Naked palettes as I just can't bring myself to spend the money on them, so I thought a drugstore alternative would be fantastic.

I called into my local Boots on the offchance that they might have this new Beige palette in stock. To my shock, they did (!) and there were even a couple that hadn't already been opened and fingered (!!) (seriously though, why do people do that? That's what the tester is for. Ugh) and even more unbelievably, they'd restocked the Rosé edition as well. So I grabbed one each, and then thought I'd get one of the new ones to give away as well.

L'Oréal La Palette Nude in Beige (bottom palette)

I like the sleek and minimalist nature of the packaging, and the shadows applied beautifully. They blended easily and whilst some have said they lack pigmentation, I think that's ok for a drugstore palette because at just £15 vs almost £40 for a Naked palette it represents a much more affordable price bracket and b) it's probably more aimed at novices than pros, which means it's much more foolproof. I'm really enjoying using it, and it works well for my level of competence...

L'Oréal La Palette Nude in Rosé (top palette)

I also really like this palette; it's the same great quality as the shadows above but the shades it contains are a little bit more interesting. What I've particularly loved is using both palettes together, which gives you an excellent range of looks. I particularly like the subtle purple colours which contain some shimmer - they're really, really pretty on the eyes.

I know L'Oréal have released an extremely similar sounding palette in the US, but having looked at some US bloggers posts about it, it seems quite different. I don't have the US version so I can't compare quality, and I can't find anyone else who has either. So it's a bit of a mystery.

And finally, if you'd like to win one of the Beige variants of this palette; no less than the nice unopened one in the picture above, please enter using the widget. It's open internationally, runs for two weeks, and is open to all. The usual giveaway blurb applies. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Rachel