Hello!
Though Christmas is well behind us, I managed to pick up a few last little Christmas bits and bobs from Lush while in the city at the start of the month. All the Christmas stock was 50% off which is amazing, however stock was fairly limited.
The first thing I grabbed when I walked in the store was the Luxury Lush Pud "For a soothing and calming bath, this year Lush Pud has gone all luxury with colourful polka dots that float to the surface making pastel islands in the water. A relaxing bath treat made with the comforting lavender and ylang ylang scent of Twilight - perfect for a bath before bedtime." it's so pretty and I was happy to get one that doesn't look completely mong, a lucky find when sorting through the dregs of Lush Christmas stock.
Secondly I opted for the Santa Baby Lip Tint which is a "Christmassy red tint, with cherries and dates to give you sweet, kissable lips" I've yet to try it but I have to say that the red does look amazing in the pot.
Finally I was lucky that my store had some of the Shooting Stars gift set left, so I was able to get Gold Fun, Rock Star Soap, Shoot for the Stars Bath Ballistic and Mr Punch Soap, all for less than $13.
To be honest I mainly got this gift set for the bath bomb, as I've had not great experiences with Fun in the past and I don't go through soap very quickly, however I'm still excited to try these out.
Have you guys tried any of these products? I'm already looking forward to next Christmas for the Lush stuff, but I suppose we have a few holidays to get through before that!
Talk soon!
xx
Hello Lovelies!
Welcome to my second Palette Profile post. This is a new series I'm doing on my blog so let me know what you think. For Christmas my wonderful big sister indulged my makeup obsession and gifted me Too Faced Cosmetic's Limited Edition Holiday palette Joy to the Girls.
This book-style palette is that gorgeous turquoise-blue colour with gold spots and a magnetic closure. As with all Too Faced products, the packaging is classy and girly, a big tick in my book. The palette opens up to showcase not only fifteen beautiful shadows and a lashGASM mascara, but also three eye-maps guiding you to create looks using the shades in this set.
From left to right, starting from the top, the shadows are : Cookie Dough, Cheers!, Prancer, Sugar Plum, Mulberry, Snow Angel, Powdered Sugar, Too-Too, Yule Log, Chestnut, Twinkle, Joy, Spike the punch, Chimney and Coal.
Here we have Spike the Punch a pale peachy-pink with glitter, Chestnut a deep chocolate brown with gold sparkles, Powdered Sugar a very pale vanilla, Sugar Plum a dark purple with lots of sparkle and Cookie Dough a light brown comparable to Urban Decay's Naked. As with most makeup brands, the lighter shades are practically invisible on my pale skin, although they work well as highlights in eye-looks.
This is Chimney a stormy blue-grey, Twinkle a very true antique gold colour, Too-Too a true to name tutu pink, Mulberry a plummy-mushroom shade and Cheers! My favourite shade in the palette which is a pretty rose-gold.
I love the way these swatches look, all in a line in this picture. From the bottom we have Coal an aptly named chalky black, Joy which looks silver in this picture, but in actuality is the most gorgeous pale blue you'll ever see, Yule Log a dark brown with tonnes of gold glitter, Snow Angel another nice pale highlight shade and Prancer a pink-gold shimmer shade.
All in all these are probably some of the highest quality shadows I've ever used and I'm absolutely in love with them. I'm looking forward to next Christmas to see what they come out with.
Apologies if the photo quality is not great, I'm still getting used to taking pictures of swatches and the like.
Talk soon!
xx
Hello Lovelies!
So the other week I posted a picture of all the great stuff I got for Christmas, but what I didn't show you, was all the sneaky presents that I bought for myself both before and after December 25th, so today, I bring to you my December Haul!
So I'll get right into it starting with some make up and beauty bits and bobs
Starting at the left we have the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover, which to be perfectly honest, I hate. I bought this on a whim, thinking that I would need a new make up remover soon with my beloved Bioderma running low, and I now regret it. It feels like trying to remove make up WITH oil, despite its oil free claims, and it doesn't feel at all clean or refreshing, just oily and warm.
Next is Katy Perry's Killer Queen perfume which I would describe as sweet and ever so slightly spicy and vanilla-y. Basically everything I love in a perfume!
In a quick trip to Lush to buy a few last Christmas bits (haul coming soon) I picked up the Honey I Washed the Kids Soap, one of Lush's classic products that I've yet to try, I'll keep you posted on what I think.
I've heard lots of good things about these Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes and I got them on deal, two packs for about 6 dollars from Priceline, so hopefully they work well.
In the small tube we have a Covergirl Lipstick Smoochies in #sweet tweet. This lipbalm smells amazing, like old school Lip Smackers, and is pretty moisturising as well as being a bargain at around four dollars.
The last few items include Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer in shade 15 Fair. I haven't tried it yet but hopefully it'll be a good replacement for my quickly dwindling Collection Concealer.
The last two things are a Napoleon Perdis Set Contour and Highlight Palette, which I'll talk about in a future post as a part of the Palette Profile Series. The second is Maybelline's Master Precise Liquid Liner which is absolutely amazing, as I said in my previous post.
Next I may have gone a little bit crazy on nail polishes...
Target had some great sales on make up, including nail polishes, and I bought all of these on sale.
The first two on the left are from Max Factor and are perfect Autumn shades in my eyes. The first one is 160 Raspberry Blush and the second is 135 Royal Blue and they're part of the Glossfinity range.
The next two with the gold lids are from Loreal, the coral one is 208 So Chic Pink and the mint one is 602 Perle De Jade. These apply nicely but do chip after a couple of days, even with high quality under coats and top coats.
These Nicole by O.P.I polishes were also on sale at Target, 2 for twenty dollars which is awesome considering one usually costs that much. These apply well, and last for around a week. The red is Deeply In Love and the blue is Poised in Turquoise.
I thought the Revlon Nail Art Chalkboard was an interesting concept, it's a matte black polish, and the white has a thinner brush, so basically your nails act as a chalkboard to draw designs on with the white polish. This one is in the colour Straight A's.
Finally the two mini polishes from Max Factor's Max Effect range are in the shades Fantasy Fire and Elegant Mauve. These cost around two dollars each, a great deal.
Next up is a few random beauty bits and bobs and accessories
This First Aid Beauty Fab Essentials Kit was an absolute steal at $13. It includes their Daily Face Cream, Face Cleanser, Gentle Body Was and Body Moisturiser. I'm excited to try these guys out, I've already tried the face moisturiser which I loved the feel of but I think it may have broken me out which sucks.
Next are accessories so the first is a set of Lady Jayne combs, basically my comb was getting a bit old and ratty. Next is a Blush Brush from Manicare's Artiste Professional line, although I can't say I'm that impressed with it. There's also the Manicare Eyeshadow Blending Brush which is a decent shadow brush. Finally my new babies, the Napoleon Perdis Regal Brush Collection, I won't say anything about these brushes, except that I got them at half-price in the sales, I have a post coming on them soon!
Finally there's just a few other random things I picked up throughout the month
Me and my boyfriend Matt are absolutely addicted to Friends so I picked up the box set for us to watch through.
Next up I got these funky socks from Myer, they're from the brand Pulp Kitchen. I also picked up this really pretty coin necklace from Tree of Life, I'm in love with it and it makes me sound like a fairy because it jingles whenever I move.
Finally, my favourite new purchase is this gorgeous brown leather and antique gold Mimco purse. It was a splurge, but I've been working so much that I thought I deserved a little treat and forked out for this gorgeous purse, that is exactly the right size to fit all the necessities. I love it so much.
That's it from me and this post. Sorry if it seems a little rushed, I just watched The Conjuring with my brothers and I'm positive one of them is going to pop out and scare me any second now. Let me know if you enjoy these monthly hauls, I know I do! I hope you're having a perfect start to 2014 and I'll talk to you really soon.
xx
Happy New Year Everyone!
Today I bring to you my favourite products of 2013 from a bunch of categories. This post promises to be a long one so let's get straight into it!
Best Hair Care
Favourite Shampoo and Conditioner
This one goes to Pantene Pro-V Classic Clean Shampoo & Conditioner. I've used this combo for years on and off and it has always worked well for my thick frizzy hair. It leaves my hair feeling smooth for days after it has been washed, and has a pleasant, if a little generic, fragrance.
Favourite Dry Shampoo
Despite the completely trashy name Girlz Only Haircare Dry Shampoo in the fragrance "Party Nights" is great both as a quick maintenance between washes and to add volume to flat hair. Add the fact that it has a really yummy scent and it costs around $2 a can and you have a winner in my books
Best Make up
Favourite Foundation
Though I don't wear foundation every day, or even once a week, I still have a definite favourite for when I do wear it, Covergirl's Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation + in the shade "buff beige". This foundation gives great coverage but is not at all cakey and blends really nicely, as well as being at the lower end of the price spectrum for foundations in Australia.
Favourite Concealer
It could be considered cheating but I have two favourites for this category. For concealing blemishes my go-to, holy grail product is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in "Shade 1 - Fair". I bought this while I was in London in May and just to get across how much I love this concealer, I wish I'd bought 10 more tubes of it. While I love this concealer, for under my eyes, I much prefer the Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer in the shade "040 Soft Beige. This concealer goes on creamy, blends beautifully and sets completely matte and flawless. Because it is a 2-in-1 concealer and highlighter, it brightens the under-eye area really well, hiding any dark circles left by late nights.
Favourite Mascara
If you'd asked me a couple of months ago, I, like many other beauty bloggers, would have answered Maybelline's Falsies, however for the last few months my definite favourite mascara has been Covergirl Clump Crusher and after going back and trying the falsies mascara just the other day, I can absolutely say I prefer Clump Crusher now. It delivers what it promises, clump-free lashes. After 2 coats this mascara is perfection without being spidery and fake-looking.
Favourite Eyeliner
Again for this one I have two answers, one liquid and one crayon/kohl. However, both are made by the same company, in the same range and that is Maybelline's Eye Studio with the two products being the Master Precision Liquid Eyeliner and the Master Liner 24HR Cream Pencil. I've been a long time lover of the cream pencil, ever since my fourteen year old self's slightly rocker/goth stage, now I just love it for its lasting power and added definition. The liquid liner is a new addition to my make up collection but I can already tell it lives up to its good reputation and has excellent lasting power with no smudges.
Favourite Eyeshadow
Urban Decay's Naked Palette 'nuff said.
Favourite Powder
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder is hard to beat in eliminating shine, plus it doesn't cake. I wear the shade "003 Peach Glow".
Favourite Bronzer
I am pale. Like, we're talking translucent here, so lots of bronzers look very muddy and dirty on me. For this reason, my pick for best bronzer is in fact a blush. The Maybelline Fit Me Blush in "Light Nude" is basically a browny pink, very sheer and easily blended, making it ideal for a subtle contour on my ghostly skin.
Favourite Blush
I don't wear blush very often as I have very rosy cheeks without any help, and I can only really wear blush when I'm wearing foundation, otherwise it just disappears into my cheeks. When I do wear blush, my pick for 2013 is the NYX Powder Blush in "Peach". It's a matte blush which I tend to prefer to shimmery ones. Very pigmented, a little goes a long way and it's a bargain at $9.95.
Favourite Illuminator
Without a shadow of a doubt (see what I did there?) my favourite illuminator/highlighter is the NYX Illuminator in Narcissistic this is an absolutely gorgeous champagne highlighter with gold sheen and looks so natural and lovely dusted on cheek bones. It has quickly become an absolute favourite in my make up bag.
Favourite Lip Balm
The Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm. I professed my love for this one in my November favourites, basically its super-moisturising and heals chapped lips quicker than anything else I've ever tried.
Favourite Lipstick/Lip Colour
This was tough as I like a lot of lipsticks but I rarely get the chance to wear most of them. For its versatility and subtlety, I chose the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in Number 16. It's a light peachy pink that goes well with my skin tone and the formula of the Kate Moss lipsticks is undeniably fantastic. Plus they smell really good!
Favourite Brush
My absolute favourite brush is the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush but I absolutely hate it for applying eyeshadow. Instead, I love this brush for applying concealer because it blends flawlessly in like, two seconds. Buy it!
Best Cleansing and Cleaning
Favourite Shower Gel
The smell of Palmolive Naturals Shower Gel Pink Grapefruit Splash is freaking amazing. Could legit sniff it all day. I use the stuff basically as body wash and shaving gel, it works well as both but mostly I just love it for the smell.
Favourite Makeup Remover
Y'all know Bioderma is god's gift to the world. Would never use anything else if I wasn't forced to by the sheer scarcity of this product in Australia.
Favourite Facial Cleanser
Back to things that smell incredible, we have Lush Let the Good Times Roll, a.k.a "the cleanser I want to eat with a spoon". This cleanser smells divine, is crazy moisturising and exfoliating, plus your face smells like a bakery once you've used it.
Favourite Body Scrub
Again with the Lush we have Aqua Mirablis. Best and easiest scrub ever. Maybe I'm just special, but I always seem to lose a lot of product with scrubs that come in a pot, in that little bits always drop onto the floor of the shower, so I find the bar form of this product very handy.
Best Moisturising Products
Favourite Face Moisturiser
This one has to go to Nivea Moisturising Fluid SPF 15 for many reasons. The first one being that it has protected my face incredibly well from the sun, for quite a few years now. Secondly, it doesn't break me out. I recently tried the First Aid Beauty moisturiser which I really loved the feel of, but I'm pretty sure it broke me out. Very faint smell and is quite water in consistency, as the name suggests.
Favourite Body Moisturiser
I guess I'm just a sucker for smells, because my favourite moisturiser the MOR Body Butter in Neroli Clemintine smells incredible. My favourite thing about this isn't its smell, but rather its super moisturising properties, and the best part? It doesn't leave you feeling oily or greasy.
Favourite Hand Cream
I think it's impossible to find a hand cream that doesn't make your hands feel greasy, but this hand cream does make that feeling worth it. I only ever apply Crabtree and Evelyn's La Source Hand Cream just before bed, by the time I wake up, my hands feel so smooth and moisturised, which is a miracle for my dry hands.
Favourite Dry Skin Saviour
The Lanolips brand makes a bunch of really great products but my favourite, and the best thing for super dry patches is their Golden Ointment. Not to get too into detail, but my nose gets super dry in winter, and really flaky as well, so basically every night during the cold months I would apply this stuff to my dry patches and it was really soothing. Plus it smells like carob chocolate!
Best Nail Products
Favourite Nail Polish
I searched for months for a holographic nail polish and finally found it at Topshop in London. I love this, it's like, so nineties and futuristic and fabulous. Plus the formula of the Topshop nail polishes is really really nice.
Favourite Nail Polish Remover
Again, I searched for months for this sort of thing, it's basically a little jar with remover-soaked foam inside, and you stick your finger in and wiggle it around and it removes all your nail polish. It makes me actually want to change my nail polish colour because getting it off isn't such a drag. This one is the Instant Nail Polish Remover from Designer Brands.
Best Perfume
This Zara Perfume in Wild Orchid smells so delicious, and was really cheap as well. What more can you say about a perfume other than it smells good? Nothing, that's what.
So there you go, my favourites for 2013. It was a great year for beauty and a brilliant year in general. I hope all of you had a lovely year as well! Stay tuned for plenty for posts to come.
xx
