Going through my HTC gallery yesterday, I realized how I had all those photos of recent beauty buys ready for their relevant posts – but had yet to actually publish any of them (mainly due to the fact that I meant to try the products first…then got slightly side-tracked). It was most definitely time for some of them to ‘feel the love’, so here’s my ‘Clinique & Body Shop Haul’ (aka.Haul no.1).

Above, from left to right: Lancome – ‘La Vie Est Belle’ & YSL – ‘La Nuit De L’Homme’ perfume samples (free with purchase), The Body Shop Lip Scuff, Clinique Chubby Sticks (from top to bottom: Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 01. Curviest Caramel, Shadow Tint for Eyes in 11. Portly Plum & 06. Mighty Moss), The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Lip Balm

The two free samples are unfortunately not to my liking – ‘La Vie Est Belle’ especially so, since it’s very sweet (a quality which I hate in a scent). I’m more of a warm/woody/spicy smell fan, myself – so I’ll be passing this on to my mum or a friend. As for YSL’s ‘La Nuit De L’Homme’, I’m not hugely keen on it either but think I might not totally hate it on a man… It is also on the sweet side of the perfume spectrum, but has slightly more potential. All in all, though, these are two scents I’d never really spend money on…

The Body Shop Lip Scuff is something I picked up in place of what I actually wanted (which was the Sara Happ Lip Scrub -preferably in Cinnamon Sugar or Creme Brulee). Poor choice of substitute I know but sometimes you have to settle for what you can actually afford (without selling a kidney, that is). In any case, this proved ok. The packaging is sleek, the texture buttery enough for a scrub and the smell (& feeling on the lips) peppermint-y and refreshing. Dry and rough bits are effectively removed and, if you combine this with a quality balm afterwards, what you are left with is baby smooth lips. Only drawback is, you seem to consume a stupid amount of product with every use (the buttery texture & circular application motion make a bit of a mess which you need to clean up when done -wasting quite a bit of the product in the process).

In what was my (ridiculously late) introduction to Clinique’s Chubby Sticks (Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm & Chubby Stick Shadow Tint For Eyes), I opted for the much talked about Curviest Caramel lip balm and the purple (Portly Plum) & green (Mighty Moss) eye tints. I have since used the former almost everyday, either alone or in combination with 06. Roomiest Rose (see here) and have to say: a. it is one of the most flattering nudes I have ever come across b. it compliments  my usual bold eye perfectly and c. I am head over heels in love with it. The texture is extra smooth and the product glides on effortlessly leaving you with a shiny (but not sticky) result that last for a good 3 to 4 hours (then leaves a cool looking stain in its wake). I think the latter are hit & miss for me, though… Color-wise I find the green to be absolutely amazing, but I’m not too crazy about the purple (which, as it transpires, makes my eyes look tired and brings out my dark circles). I do love the ‘shadow in a stick’ concept and the ease of use it provides. That said, I’m finding effective application to be a bit of a task. As I recently mentioned (in my ‘Seven Deadly Sins of Makeup Tag’ post) one or two swipes give a very sheer result, then adding more just streaks and messes the color consistency up. Blending, as instructed, also doesn’t seem to work for me. I will keep experimenting & let you know if I figure out a better way to use these. I am thinking a good primer might help. Meanwhile any suggestions from savvier owners would be appreciated…

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Lip Balm was a bit of an impulse buy. I’d seen it featured in magazines and thought it looked quite cute – plus a(nother) lip balm never hurt anyone, did it? I can’t really say it’s the most moisturizing product I have ever tried, so it’s definitely not the one for you if you get really dry lips. That said, the novel sphere packaging proves very handy and the balm itself smells divine. It also has a very slight sheen and red tint to it, making your pout look shiny and healthy. I recently realised it was a limited edition, Christmas holiday thing though – so don’t go looking for it in stores…

How about you guys? Have you been on any beauty, shopping sprees lately? Tried any of the products above? Got feedback? You know I’m a sucker for comments…