NOTD - Zoya Charla

When the Zoya Sparkle collection first came out I purchased all the colours - the "glass-flecked" finish is one of my favourite nail polish finishes.  Shiny and sparkly without the brushstrokes of a metallic or the difficult removal process of a glitter.  

Some swatches:

Charla is a gorgeous sparkly turquoise colour, and the best description I've heard is that the colour is very "mermaidy".  I couldn't get a good picture in sunlight, but these pictures don't do the shine and gorgeous colour justice.  The formula is great, I used two coats and Seche Vite as a top coat.  So far it has lasted four days with only minimal tip wear, and I still find myself looking at my nails admiring the colour constantly!

I would definitely recommend this colour to anyone who loves blues! I usually purchase Zoya polishes from reputable eBay sellers.

Project 50 Pan

Every now and then I have a mini-crisis when I really I can't fit anymore into my beauty cabinet/makeup box/etc and find myself really stressed because I feel like I belong on an episode of Hoarders! I've been going through one of those stages lately, and not only do I want to save money but cutting back on the clutter in the bathroom would decrease my stress levels significantly.  

Because of this stress, I've decided it's time to embark on a Project 50 Pan! I've only ever been truly successful with a Project 20 Pan before, I usually cave and buy something new before I use up 50 products.  However now I have a blog where I'm going to document my progress regularly to hopefully keep me accountable.  

Stay tuned for updates!

Product Review: Becca Dusty Rose Anniversary Palette

Clockwise, from top-left: Creme Blush in Turkish Rose, Lip Gloss in Cassini, Creme Highlighter in Narcissus and Lip and Cheek Creme in Tuberose.

 

In the new year one of my favourite makeup brands Becca had a 50% off sale, so naturally I couldn't resist temptation and picked up a few items! The product I have used the most has definitely been the Dusty Rose Anniversary Palette - a compact containing a creme blush, a lip and cheek creme, a lip gloss and a highlighter.

Swatches from top to bottom: Turkish Rose, Cassini, Narcissus and Tuberose.

I already owned the Creme Blush in Turkish Rose before purchasing this palette, but that certainly didn't put me off - it's such a great, wearable pinkish-nude colour that would suit most skin tones, and works great on my NC15 skin.  The wear time is very good for a creme blush, and the texture isn't too thick or sticky.

The Lip Gloss in Cassini is probably my least used product simply because I don't have a lip brush in the handbag I've been keeping this palette and hate getting lip gloss all over my fingers! Aside from that, it's a lovely neutral and very wearable sheer pink lipgloss.

Cassini is a warm-toned goldy-peach creme highlighter, but still works very well on my fair skin.  A small amount of this on top of Tuberose gave my skin a nice glow without looking too shimmery or over the top.  

My favourite product in the palette is the Lip and Cheek Creme in Tuberose.  This is described by Becca as a "watermelon pink" but it definitely has some peachy tones.   It's swatched a bit too heavily (still getting used to this blogging thing!) but a little goes a long way and when blended out on fair skin it's very wearable.  I imagine it would suit most skin tones.  The texture of Tuberose is a bit thicker than Turkish Rose but it also has a longer wear time.  I haven't tried it on my lips but love it as a blush, and I'm seriously considering purchasing the full-size version of this shade.

Overall I was really impressed with the quality and colours of the products in this palette.  Becca rarely disappoint and this palette has become a staple in my everyday handbag.  I think this palette is limited edition but is still available on the Becca site for $75, and the two cheek colours can be purchased separately from Adore Beauty.

November Empties

You'd assume that in early January I'd be posting my December empties, wouldn't you? But I was away for a few weeks in December so didn't get a chance to collect empties, and my November empties are most certainly overdue!

Bath and Body Works Carried Away Body Lotion - this was a limited edition scent that isn't available anymore, and while it was nice enough, it wasn't special enough for me to want to repurchase anyway.  

LUSH Vanilla Dee-Lite Body Lotion - I really loved this body lotion! It had a nice lightweight-yet-moisturising texture and helped soothe my itchy legs after showering.  The scent was lovely too, a musky vanilla.  I definitely plan on repurchasing at some stage, but I have too many other products to use up first!

Alpha-H Liquid Gold - This is definitely in HG territory for me.  I try to use it on my skin after cleansing every other night, and my skin is definitely smoother and clearer when I'm using it. I've already repurchased in bulk!

Philosophy Mint Cookie Milkshake 3-in-1 - Like the vast majority of Philosophy shower gels, this smelt amazing - exactly as the name describes! Sadly it was part of a limited edition set, but at least Philosophy are always coming out with delicious smelling new shower gels for me to use!

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask - This was a really nice charcoal mask that helped clear my pores (although it is a charcoal colour so I did look very confronting when wearing it!).  I'd consider repurchasing it at some stage but, like most beauty products, I have too many other similar products to get through first!

Alpha-H Micro Cleanse - This was a nice facial scrub, although not an all time favourite.  It contains AHAs and smelt amazing (like candy canes!).  The texture was very fine and the peppermint oil left a nice tingle on my skin, but I have other HG facial scrubs I love so I'm in no rush to repurchase.

Haus of Gloi Twice Is Nice Pumpkin Butter - This body butter had a really lovely smooth and moisturising texture, and had a coconut cookie scent that was divine! Would definitely consider repurchasing after finishing other products first.

Scented Luxuries Birthday Cake Body Scrub - This was a fairly nice body scrub I purchased from the Etsy store Scented Luxuries.  It was nice and moisturising with a nice scent, but I already have more body scrubs than I need!

Ultraceuticals Ultra Hydrating Lotion  - An HG moisturiser for me that I'll continue to repurchase again and again! I think this is my fourth bottle/tube, it's so lightweight and soothing and perfect for my oily skin.

Spring Skittle Nails

Being a pale redhead I've never dealt well with summer, but one of my favourite things about the warming weather is getting to wear all my exciting-coloured nail polish! To make myself a bit more excited for spring/summer and jump on the pastel bandwagon I decided to do a "skittle" look with some pastel colours I own.  Please excuse my cuticles/application and photography, I'm still new at this!

Colours from left to right, or thumb to pinkie: Nubar Lemon Sorbet, OPI Mod About You, OPI Rumple's Wiggin, Illamasqua Caress and China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint.

Pastels can be quite streaky and difficult to apply but I found all these colours to have relatively good formulas.  The Nubar is especially good for a yellow, a notoriously difficult nail colour!

I really love the skittle look and I think I'll do a similar look with brighter colours for summer.  
What do you think of the skittle nail look?

September Empties

So I know this blog is a little slow getting started, but I figure it's better late than never! I used up a number of products in the month of September, and I figured that in line with the name of the blog my first post should be an empties one!

Kevyn Aucoin The Mascara (Curling) - This has been my HG mascara for awhile now.  The best thing about it is that it's a "tubing" mascara - it stays put and doesn't smudge until you want to remove it, and to remove it you only need warm water.  It doesn't clump and defines, lengthens and curls my lashes really well.  I'd recommend it to anyone and it can be purchased from Mecca Cosmetica.

Soap & Glory Hand Food - I probably use more hand cream than any other beauty product! I've been through at least a dozen tubes of this, and it's definitely another HG product for me.  It smells amazing (like all S&G products do) and is light and quickly absorbed but still provides enough moisture for me.  It can be purchased from Kit Cosmetics.

Ultraceuticals Gentle Cleansing Gel - This came in an Ultraceuticals pack of travel-sized products.  It was a nice cleanser for oily skin without being over-drying.  I had no problems with it but I have too many other cleansers to use up to repurchase just yet.  This cleanser can be purchased from Ultraceuticals.

Redken Smooth Down Conditioner - I'm a big fan of Redken products and the Smooth Down line has been great for my crazy, dry and frizzy hair (I also recommend the All Soft and Real Control lines).  This is very moisturising which is great for my ridiculous hair.  I'd recommend it to anyone who suffers from dry or frizz-prone hair, and it can be purchased from RY.

Philosophy Cookies & Cream 3-in-1 - Nail polish and Philosophy shower gels are the two types of product of which I have WAY too many.  Philosophy are constantly releasing the most amazing smelling shower gels and I can't help myself, it's an addiction! This product was no exception.  I'm not sure if it's still around but Philosophy products can be purchased from the Philosophy site.

PPS Hot Iron Protector - I've been using this heat protector for a few years now.  I usually also use a styling product like Moroccanoil, but always use a heat protector spray beforehand to avoid damage.  I'd definitely repurchase this after finishing other head protectors and it can be purchased from RY.

Philosophy Caramel Apple 3-in-1 - Not much more to be said about this aside from it's another lovely-scented Philosophy shower gel.

LUSH Dream Cream - This is another HG product for me that I will repurchase again and again.  It's an incredibly soothing body lotion that's perfect for my dry, itchy legs and is also great for eczema.  This can be purchased from Lush Australia.

Bungalow Bath and Body Cake Batter Body Lotion - I love looking through Esty trying to find delicious smelling bath and body products, and Bungalow Bath and Body did not disappoint.  This body lotion smells delicious and I will definitely purchase a full-size bottle from the Bungalow Bath and Body store. 

Alchemic Muse Carnival Body Whip - I definitely need to improve my photos because I only just realised you can only see the top of this product! This is another body lotion from and Etsy store, Alchemic Muse and also smells amazing. The texure is divine as well!

Welcome!

Hi everyone! 

Welcome to Running on Empties.  I'm Georgie, a self-confessed beauty addict living in rural Australia.  I've started this blog as I need an outlet for my beauty obsession, and would love to be able to discuss beauty with other addicts! I hope to review a wide range of products.  In particular, my weaknesses include nail polish, haircare and delicious-smelling body products.  I'm open to suggestions and I hope you all enjoy the blog! 

Feel free to contact me at runningonemptiesblog@gmail.com with any questions.