Disappointing Products!

Oh deary me....

I really wish I could like any of these items...but...eh...

I've decided that instead of making a list of products I love and recommend, I'd jazz it up and let you guys know about some things that I haven't liked. Regrettable purchases that I will never be making again.

First off is the Formula 10.0.6 One Smooth Operator - pore clearing face scrub with zinc, oat and pumice. It smells alright, I'll give it that...but it is way way waay too runny. I find that most of it runs off my hands and face before I have any time to use it. And the amount of exfoliating beads in the product is just not enough to do anything. 

Not happy with this.

Next is the Australis Lip Treatment Duo. I did rave about this when I first got it, but after using it a few more times, I found it to be not very effective. After recently purchasing a LUSH lip scrub (keep your eyes peeled for an up-coming haul post!), I realised how awful this product really is. The green exfoliant is too thick and hard massage in. (Plus I really didn't enjoy the peppermint smell - but that's just my opinion) 

The white lip butter was good, but the pink gloss seemed like wasted space. To me, lip gloss isn't part of a lip treatment. Lip gloss is usually how my lips get dry and icky in the first place.

Now, don't even get me started on the V05 Plump Me Up dry shampoo. The first dry shampoo I've ever tried. I had high hopes (she had hiiiigh hopes!), and I was thoroughly let down. My hair was oily - a typical story really - and along came the V05 dry shampoo to make my hair EVEN MORE oily than before! What?! 

Terrible terrible terrible. I do NOT recommend this. It just make my hair so much worse!

The Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion was a bit of a let down. Not much of a scent, seems quite watery once you start rubbing it in, and my legs and arms looked just as dry as they did before after I'd used it. Nope, don't like this one either.

After having some skin trouble, I stumbled upon the Clean and Clear advantage spot treatment gel. It supposedly reduces spot size in four hours. LIES! It actually made me break out even more! 

As for the Clearasil Ultra Overnight Defence Lotion, I used this a few times, and I never noticed any difference, so I ditched this one straight away and went straight back to my Innoxa night clarifying cream.

One day I decided to buy some bath salts... 

Bad decision. I bought some NP Set Shanghai Ginger Bath Salts. They smell absolutely horrid. It's like putting washing machine powder in your bath, and it makes no difference to the water at all. Ugh, put these back down the laundry aisle please!

It's safe to say that these products really just don't float my boat. But hey, that doesn't mean you won't like them! 

This is just my opinion, but I will never be repurchasing these again. In fact I'll be trying to get rid of these to friends and family, because I'm so sick of them taking up space in my room!

Stay tuned for my Haul post! Nyx, Benefit, Sally Hansen, Lush, Eco Tools, Physicians Formula, plus clothing! 

Stay sassy 

xx

My Current Haircare Routine!

Aren't I just so festive? My $5 tree from Big W and $3 decorations? (Bargain much?)

Anyway, so I tend to pride myself on my hair

It's healthy,

An okay colour (it's lighter now),

And it's long.

I mean, look at me trying to be artistic. Wow.

So seeing as my hair is one of my favourite features, I like to look after the stuff. This means I only ever blow dry around once a month (only if I'm desperate for my hair to dry in time) and I only heat style it for special occassions (probably less than once a month).

But besides not burning the poop out of my long strands, I also use particular products and treatments to help keep it smooth, shiny, and healthy.

I wash my hair every second day; and 90% of the time I will use my Redken All Soft shampoo and conditioner. I love this stuff so much. I'm on my second bottles of both the shampoo and conditioner and I just can't stop using it. It leaves my hair clean, soft and easy to brush. I like to use a treatment afterwards too most of the time as I find the conditioner doesn't quite hydrate the ends of my hair enough. 

This shampoo and condition isn't cheap, by all means, but it's definitely worth the money. I usually wait until it comes out in a duo pack for about $32, but individually they retail for $22.95 (Hairhouse Warehouse) each. The shampoo is a larger size, which I find annoying, because I always use more conditioner than shampoo, but ANYWAY....

The treatments I always reach for is the Redken Extreme Anti-Snap treatment. Again, pricey at $29 for a 250mL bottle, but a little bit goes a long way, and it never leaves my hair feeling heavy or oily.

The other is an Edward Beale Moroccan Oil Leave In Treatment. This is a lot heavier than the Anti-Snap, but great for a once-to-twice a week treatment. It's very hydrating, and much cheaper than the Redken treatment at $12.99 (Priceline). It just leaves my hair feeling soft and nourished; perfect for those times where your hair is unruly, dry and brittle.

The last - only now - regular item I use for my hair is the Batiste dry shampoo. I am so very late on the bandwagon with this, but I'm so glad I finally tried it out. The first ever dry shampoo I used was a V05 one, which was just plain awful. The thing made my hair MORE oily than before (say whaaat?). This one is just the best thing ever invented. Like seriously, I take my hair out of the ugly bun I slept with, spray this in sections over my roots, massage it in a little, disperse the white residue a bit.....ta-da! 

It's truly amazing. My hair looks like it has been washed.

Absolutely in love with this product!

Just as an added bonus, if you happen to have oily roots, or a build up of product or any irritation on your scalp....read on!

Tea tree oil, my friends, is the Holy Grail for all your issues.

I get an awfully itchy, oily scalp/roots. I purchased a 20% solution bottle of Tea tree oil, put it in a spray bottle with some extra water, and every fortnight-month I'll spritz my roots with it, leave it overnight and wash my hair the next morning. 

(You can also just do it before you hop into the shower in the morning, but I like to leave it)

It helps wash out the build up of hair product and can be good for oil control. It also has antiseptic properties that could help with irritations or itchiness!

Personally, it worked fantastically on my hair. You only need to use a tiny tiny bit, but I could feel how refreshingly clean my hair felt after I washed it the next morning. It was fabulous!

And so my cherubs, these lovely products are my everyday, regular routine for my hair. And I must not be doing too bad if my hair is as long as it is and looking healthy and shiny!

Keep a look out for my next post on disappointing products! 

Catch ya!

November Favourites!

November Favourites time!

I've recently added a few - what I regard as - luxury items to my collection lately, and I've been very impressed so far!

After having a nice chat and my brows done (courtesy of the November Lust Have It! box) at the Benefit counter in Chadstone, I ended up leaving with a tin that had the Porefessional Primer, High Beam highlighter, a lip gloss and a They're Real mascara. 

The Porefessional is $53 on its own, and so you'd hope that it does what it says. I'm not exactly sure how much is supposed to be used, but I only use a tiny amount. I have larger pores around my nose and my forehead, and I've noticed a great difference when I use this. It just seems to mattify and fill all those pesky divots and make your skin look so much more flawless.

As for the mascara, it is fantastic! I've been loving the Covergirl Clump Crusher, but since getting this, I've been hooked. The only downfall is that I find it takes a lot of effort to get off, so it's best to use an eye makeup remover.

The High Beam Highlighter is lovely too. Only a tiny bit is needed, and just blended in on the cheek bones gives a perfectly dewy, glowy look.

A product I've had for a while is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I have in the shade "Fair", and it's the best concealer I've ever used. I have constant redness on my lower cheek area, and this covers it perfectly. Not new, but I can't not mention this little beauty. Everyone needs one of these!

A new product next. Mecca Maxima has just opened up at Southland Shopping Centre, and I was straight there to spend my $65 dollars to get a free gift (woo!). To get to $65 I bought a Soap & Glory Clean, Girls body wash, a mini Bare Minerals finishing veil, and this Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Sepia Ink - a nice dark brown. Since using this, I've begun to wonder how I ever stuck to pencils. They can be so harsh! It is beautiful and subtle and really easy to use. Perfect! Definitely worth $35!

Part of the free gift from Mecca Maxima was a Bobbi Brown mini lip gloss in a lovely nudey berry colour. It is a little bit sticky, but it lasts really well, and is a great travel/pocket sized one for on the go!

Next is a bit of a pamper product and a gift from my boyfriend. The Body Shop's Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask. It smells fairly potently like their Seaweed face wash, which isn't bad - fresh, bittersweet....clean?

Anyway, it is a great mask. It it cooling and relaxing. It contains a small amount of exfoliating bead things so that when you wash it off, you are also exfoliating. All in all, this mask is best for oily/combination skin, and is probably not a good option for sensitive skin types. I would recommend a good moisturiser for afterwards, too.

This wraps up my favourites for this month! It's been a while since I've posted, but I'm going to try to post once a week, so I'm thinking every Monday/Tuesday. :)

I'm thinking a Haul post? What do you think?

Let me know your favourites for the month! I love looking up and trying new things!

Have a great week! Christmas is approaching!! AAHHH!

October Favourites!

I know I'm eight days overdue for the October favourites rif-raf but I've been ill, so I'm doing it late, ok? 

Over the month of October, I actually found myself not wearing makeup as often as usual, which means that picking my favourites was tricky, and I had to cheat a little bit.

But, moving on!

Face Favourites:

 This month I've really been loving a few new additions to my collection. The Collection Lasting Perfection concealer (Fair 1) has become one of my staples. It is fantastic. It has great coverage, it lasts really well and it's so easy to blend!
Another newbie is my Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light. I'd seen many YouTube beauty gurus use this, and found it on eBay for $15, so I bought it and it is fabulous.
If, like me, you're new to contouring, then this is a great way to start, because in the box it gives the usual places to put the darker and lighter powders :)

The last new product in my face faves is the Benefit Dandelion blusher. Now, to be honest, I'm starting to wonder whether it could be a fake (I bought it at a market, thinking it was an awesome bargain) but either way it's a lovely light pinky peach colour and looks lovely.

The next two are my Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in light and the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in Vanilla. The BB cream was great for days where I was feeling lazy, and I'd just use a bit of this and mascara and head out. The healthy mix foundation is great for days when you want lighter coverage, but still want that healthy glow. It is a tad too dark for my skin, but after putting powder on top it blends fine!

Eye Favourites:

As I mentioned earlier, I have been pretty lazy with makeup the last month, so for eyes, I've pretty much kept it at a bare minimum. 

This is also where I cheat a little, because the Essence Eye brow stylist set was purchased at the start of November, but it was so close to October and I fell in love straight away, so I couldn't wait to brag!

I have been looking for a good eyebrow powder for so long. I'd been using an eyeshadow (which had shimmer in it, oh dear!) for ages, but I found this in Priceline for $3.50 and couldn't leave it. It matches my brows well, isn't too hard to blend and I'm just so happy I found one!

Mascara is always a must-have, and I've been absolutely loving the Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions lash blast mascara. It honestly makes it look like I'm wearing false eye lashes. It definitely tops the Maybelline Falsies (sorry to all the Falsies lovers out there). 

Last but not least is one of the Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo thingos. I've got it in the colour 'Tough as Taupe' which is a lovely nude browny bronze colour. I use this either as a shadow or an eyeliner. I've used it more as a liner - it looks soft and natural.

Lip Favourites:

Only one lip fave this month. I know what you're thinking: how can you - lip product hoarder - only have one favourite?

Well, you see, I was so absolutely taken away by how good this actually looks on my lips, I couldn't even think of anything else to put next to it, in it's shadow.

This is my Rimmel Kate Moss lip stick in 'Kiss of Life'. A beautiful deep fiery red. 

I never used bright lip sticks, usually sticking to a sheer lip gloss or balm, but one night I thought "sod it" and I put my red lippy on. Oh boy!

I love it! It smells nice, it feels nice, it looks nice. Mmmm! The joys of feeling good in a bright red lip!

So anyway, there's my rant about loving red lipstick... Either way, I think I'll be wearing this more often!

Other Favourites:

I made my first purchase of a Real Techniques brush set not that long ago, but I just fell in love. I ended up splurging on the Expert Face Brush as well, and now I have a small collection of Real Techniques brushes happening, and  it just feels so good...

These two have been my favourites so far. The Expert Face Brush, which I use for foundation, and the Domed Shadow Brush, which I use for concealer and sometimes eyeshadow.

They bristles are hard but soft so you get even coverage without the streaks. They're easy to wash too - the white tipped bristles make it easy to see if they are clean of all the makeup.

I'm definitely going to be investing in more of these brushes, they are fantastic. I'm still in love with my Eco Tools brushes too, though. They have done me very well.

Do you have any good brushes that you can recommend? I don't even know where to start!

Happy November (Movember to all you fellas)! 

xx

Lust Have It! October box review!

So, funny story actually, I wasn't supposed to get the October box at all. After I had placed the order, I got an e-mail a week or so later saying that the box had sold out, which was a bummer, but that they would hold the payment and send me the next month's one instead.

That was fine with me, but what was interesting was that I got home about two days later and saw two packages at the front door. 

They had, instead of not sending me a box, sent me two of them. Two free ones? I'm not complaining!

(My mum ended up with one of them!)

Anyway, so I thought I'd give my thoughts on what was in it...

The first thing I tried was the Evo Ritual Salvation shampoo and conditioner. I found them all a bit strange. The messages on the bottles were...odd, to say the least, and left me a bit baffled and actually a bit annoyed. But I used them anyway, and I found that my hair was silky and soft, but it weighed it down too much, and by the next morning my hair was oily again.

I'll give it another shot, but there's no way I'll be buying this for myself, especially not for $25 for a 300mL bottle!

The next thing I tried was the Inika Vegan Lip Whip in Melon. It's a lovely berry purple colour - not very fitting to the season, but nice either way - and is vegan, which for some reason makes me feel better...? Well anyway, as far as lip glosses go it is nice. Not very tacky and only a little bit sticky, but it also doesn't last too well. But overall, a nice one to keep in the handbag.

Next one is one I'm using as I write this now actually - and it's the Princesse Skincare Hyaluronic Acid Mask. It is supposed to help put more moisture back into the skin, refresh and help maintain the skin's youthfulness basically.

When I first put it on it felt quite cooling and nice. It then started to make my skin feel like it was burning, and now is okay again.

Hold on...I should probably take this off now...

Oh dear. You know that disgusting residue left from cloth face masks? And it makes you look like your skin isn't your skin? Yeah.... ew.

Anyway, my face feels good and if I'm not mistaken I think it looks more refreshed and healthy!

$25 for 110mL? Wait, is that for one mask, or do you get a bottle of it? What?

The other two I haven't technically tried yet, but I sprayed a little bit of the Le Tan Wash Off spray tan before and it look pretty good. The more I rubbed it in, the better it blended into my skin. So I'm really looking forward to trying this all over my legs and body!

As for the ModelCo colourbox lip pencil with in-built sharpener, it looks like a nice colour, but I'm not big on lip liner for some reason. But it's in the colour pomegranate which sounds yummy. I'll give it a shot but if I use a lip liner, which isn't often, I use a nude coloured one. 

So that's it for this month's Lust Have It! box! Can't wait for next month's!

Did you find anything in this one you really enjoyed? 

Will you go and buy any of these?

I'm thinking that Hyaluronic Acid maks was pretty nifty...

Ciao bella!

Sickness and Exhaustion

Update on my absence...

I feel so terrible about not making a post for the last week or so, and I've been really wanting to, but unfortunately I've had the bad luck of health and was in hospital for a few nights with suspected pancreatitus.

It turns out it wasn't that but just an abnormality of my pancreas.

Either way the night I went into hospital was scary, painful and I was terrified. It's not often I vomit or have any type of illness that goes beyond a sniffle and a sore throat, so I'm sure you can understand my terror.

I was out after two nights, and in that time I ate one meal. One meal out of the six I should have had.

So after leaving I found myself extremely weak and unable to do much except sleep and eat and drink a lot of water.

I'm finally okay now! Still tired, but my body was in such shock from what happened, I'm not surprised how long it's taken.

So, I'll be trying my very hardest to write something up tonight or tomorrow, and hopefully life gets back to normal!


Talk soon! xx

Max Factor Pan Cake foundation review!

Remembering once when a friend of mine decided to do my makeup at school one day sparked me to buy this. 

She used this on my skin and I remembered that it had excellent coverage, and seeing as it was only $7.95, I thought "why the hell not?"

I decided to do a little reading up on how to use it etc (because it has to be moistened before you can use it - it's not a powder foundation people!) and found out that it used to be used on theatre actors because of the coverage level. It said that it is still made now for people who have very uneven skin tone. So basically, coverage should be top notch.

It did give great coverage, but I'm still a bit confused about how to use it. On the website I found it said to give the pan a "spritz" with water and also moisten the sponge. To let the water "absorb" into the pan before using it, and to wring out excess water from the sponge. 

Okay.

Why can't it come with a water spraying bottle for use then? It's not going to be very handy on the go, unfortunately, and I don't think I got the fullest coverage I could have (but that could be because I'm using it wrong - why do they make it so confusing!). 

It gave a nice effect though. Very soft looking, porcelain like matte finish. Like a china doll. Soft and supple looking. Very beautiful. 

But seeing as I couldn't get the coverage to the maximum, and I was going to a club, I put another light cover of foundation over the top where I have redness or blemishes.

When buying this, don't be fooled by the colour in the pan. The colour comes out two shades lighter once moistened, so don't fret like I did when I grabbed the lightest one "fair", and saw how dark it was! 

If you've got the time to experiment and fiddle around with moistening a powder, or you are desperate to cover some uneven skin, why not get this? It's pretty cheap - even cheaper if you're lucky to find it on sale - and it does give a lovely finish. It does also say you can apply more layers, so the more you go over it, the higher coverage you can get from it. 

I just didn't have the time or patience to be fiddle-farting around with a powder-to-liquid type of thing with moistening of this that and the other and blah blah.

I just wanted to be able to slap it on and go.

Nevertheless, I'll no doubt play around with this some more, and if I come across any holy grail way of using this little baby, I'll be right here to tell you all!

Stay tuned for an online haul! From eBay and Strawberry net!

Hopefully this week (if everything arrives when it should - you know how online shopping is).

See you then!

xx

What's In My Bag? | Beauty Tag

This is my bag...

Not much I supposed, but I love it. I had been looking for a bag like this for ages and I found this one in a Kate Hill store, reduced to clear, for $50. It's my favourite colour (teal - but this is a muted teal), and it has the very vintage style opening with the two ball-type things. That's exactly what I wanted, and I'm still in love with it. 

It has short straps and a long chained strap as well, with a shoulder bit that is material so it's not uncomfortable.

But anyway, so I thought I'd do this "what's in my bag" post because I honestly LOVE watching them and reading them. It's so interesting, because basically, what's in your handbag is your 'bare essentials' that you just HAVE to take everywhere with you!

What is in my bag you ask? Well here, let's dive in and take a look!

After pulling out everything (besides some ladies things that I'm sure are an obvious essential), I categorised them into 3 groups. What I like to call "normals", as in, everyone would have these things, "medical", and "beauty".

First off, the "normals"...

My purse, which is a hefty bugger, just the way I like it, is from Colette Hayman for $24.95. It comes with a long chain so it can be used as a bag, but I just use it as my purse. I keep so many cards in there it is ridiculous. I have a card for Woolworths, FlyBuys, Priceline, Colette Hayman, Strandbags, Ray's Outdoors,Village Movie Club, Crown Signature Club.... AAAND all the usual debit, credit, I.D etc.

The front two pockets actually don't have anything in them at the moment, but I used to have two lip balms in the smaller one.

I've gotten into the habit of carrying a bottle of water with me everywhere lately. I find if I do, I drink more water throughout the day which is definitely a good thing!

Keys are pretty essential I'd say. Car key, house key, bedroom door key (yes I know, strange, but trust me, it's essential). The key on the right, attached to a little penguin (from Mario Bros. collection hehe) is the key to my locker at work. I keep that separate because I really don't want to have to carry all my keys around at work.

Sunglasses of course, as it's getting to the warmer months in Australia. These are actually the WORST practical sunnies I've ever had. They look great, but they're not polarised, they don't stop any glare, any sun. anything. Ugh. So I need to get a new pair. But I love my case, courtesy of my grandfather. He used to use them for his glasses, and after he passed away, my grandma gave the glasses and the case to me, which have both become really sentimental to me. :)

So, moving onto my "medical" essentials...

Everyone needs minty goodness on the go! Hence my Mentos Pure Fresh gum and Baam mints in Wintergreen Mint flavour (there's a long story behind the taste of these mints dating back to 2009, ahhh the memories). I also have 2 Advil, 4 panadol, 4 Band Aids (or plastic strips) for boo boos and ouchies. Hand sanitiser, because this stuff is SOO handy when using public toilets where it's really icky or unhygienic to wash your hands normally. The little plastic container has some of my Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector (the tube was too big to put the whole thing in my bag), and I also a have a new item in the collection, being the Bach Original Flower Remedies Rescue Pastilles for 'natural stress relief'. I tend to get really anxious, flustered and stressed in certain situations like shopping centres, trains, doctors etc, and I thought these might help (I haven't had to use any yet, thank god).

And last, but not least - in fact, most used - is my "beauty" items...

I don't tend to carry around foundation, concealer, powder or anything like that, as I never really feel the need to touch-up during the day, but as you can see, I do like to hoard lip products...and bobby pins.

From left to right I have: a new purchase of a Calvin Klein sheer plumping lip gloss in bella. I've only used this once so far, but it lasted really well. It was a bit tacky and sticky, but I'm guessing almost all lip glosses are like that.

Next is also fairly new; a Covergirl lip perfection jumbo gloss balm in Coral Twist. Now, these are not glossy. At all. Nope. It's just like using a lipstick. Oh well, it's a nice colour, and is more shiny over a lip balm or under a gloss.

I also have 2 Burt's Bees lip balms; one in the Mango Butter flavour, the other in the Pomegranate flavour. So lovely and yummy and super moisturising.

Next is one of the Covergirl natureluxe gloss balm. Again not all that glossy, though definitely moreso than the jumbo glosses. It's in the colour Tulip which sounds so lovely, and is a really nice pinky nude with a nice shimmer and a hint of gloss. It also smells faintly like a sweet sunscreen. Strange description, but I like it, anyway.

I also have a Boe Beauty Jumbo Windup Lips lipstick in Better Bare. The brand is super cheap, as in $2 from Big W, but they're actually really nice. This colour looks really purple, but comes out as a nice deep berry colour which is great. I love it!

I bought myself one of the Maybelline Color Whisper lipsticks in 'One Size Fits Pearl' (I also got 'Petel Rebel' but I'm not a huge fan of that one), and this one instantly made it into my bag. Perfect nude. It looks like I'm not wearing anything on my lips but it just gives that beautiful pearly shine, and I love it. Perfect for no makeup or minimal makeup days.

Only two mores things guys....take a deep breath, we're almost done!

A Max Factor Vibrant Curve effect lip gloss in Me Me Me. Beautiful pink colour, just the right amount of shimmer and glitter, stays put. What else can I say? This is just great for on the go.

And last but not least, a Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in the colour 103 (it doesn't have a name - how sad!). This lipstick is a lovely muted pink. A nice pinky nude that suits my usual makeup.

The little purse that holds all those lip things (plus my sample size of Marc Jacobs Daisy and some bobby pins) is from Colette Hayman for $4.95 or $5.95...something like that. Cheap, anyway!

Just remember, all this stuff fits into this bag. It looks a bit smallish I suppose, but trust me, its deceptive!

So that is everything I keep in my bag. I know, pretty neat and tidy; no rubbish (surprising to me too).

Down below I'm going to link some of my favourite YouTube "what's in my bag?" videos for you to check out, if you feel the need to now!

My faaavourite "What's in my bag?" videos from YouTube:

• Zoella: 'Whats in my bag? (Winter Edition)' and 'Updated: What's in my bag?'
• Tanya Burr: "Updated What's in my bag?"
• Fleur De Force: 'What's in my bag? (& Chanel Executive Tote Review)'
• Sprinkle Of Glitter: 'What's in my bag? with Fleur De Force' and 'What's in our bags? Feat. Zoella!!'

Alright then, so go check some of those ones out, if you're into these types of things like I am; or not, your choice :)

Have a great Hump Day everyone!

xx

Foundation Collection Review | Rimmel, Covergirl, Bourjois and more!

I've come to love my foundation collection. Which is strange for me considering only 6 months ago I never wore the stuff and just stuck to concealer and powder. There is actually one missing here, but it's missing because I haven't used it yet, and so it wouldn't make sense to review something I haven't actually used!

All of these foundations have good things about them, as well as negatives, but seeing as they will differ from skin-type to skin-type, remember that my skin is oily/combination, and so this is how they are on MY skin; it could be different for your skin type :)

• Rimmel Match Perfection in 100 Ivory: I bought this purely because it was on sale, was really cheap ($13) and I'd heard from a friend that it was really good. The first time I used it I was really impressed. It did match my skin really well (I wouldn't say perfectly, but pretty close). It has a very liquid consistency but gives really good coverage, and is buildable, for those spots of hyper-pigmentation or redness. This is a great every day foundation for medium coverage, but can be heavier with the more you apply. I didn't make my skin extra oily or dry, it sat well, and it lasted all night at work (which can get quite warm and sweaty). I'd give this one a 7/10. Only lowered because I still need to use it some more to make sure that wasn't a one-off experience!

• Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in Vanilla: This was more of a lavish purchase for me at $32, but hold on, because I actually got 3 products for free with it, so actually it was more like $6. Woo! But anyway, this is a GREAT foundation. I love it. It is a little bit of an olive colour, which doesn't match my skin as well as the Rimmel Match Perfection, but with the combination of the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder (also in Vanilla, but it's a tad lighter), or my Rimmel Stay Matte powder, it works well. It blends nicely, doesn't streak, and is good for all skin types. I wouldn't recommend this for REALLY oily skin, because it doesn't give a matte finish, which is what you'd want, but it is moisturising, and gives a nice hint of satin dewyness, without overkilling it.

• Almay Clear Complexion makeup with BlemisHeal Technology in 'buff' 140: This foundation, to start off with, has a god-awful smell. Like paint or glue, you know? That really terrible acrid smell that paint has. Ick. As a foundation though it's pretty good. It's got 0.6% salicylic acid which is supposed to help with blemished skin (such as my own) and leaves a matte finish. It's not great coverage though, very light, almost the same as a tinted moisturiser (minus the moisturising part). Not particularly pleased with this one, but it'd be good for oilier skin on school days or days where you only want light coverage. (Another downside: unlike almost all the others here, except for the airfoam foundation, this doesn't have a pump, which can make it super messy to use!)

• Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 100 Ivory: This is a fantastic foundation for summer, or mornings where you're feeling tired and your skin is really showing it. It has 'anti-fatique effect' and leaves a 'radiant glow' to the skin, which is exactly right. This is a little dewy on my skin, so I always use a matte powder after it, but for drier skin, it would be perfect. The Ivory colour is slightly too dark for my skin, but blends well with a lighter powder over the top.

• Models Prefer liquid foundation in Ivory: Fantastic every day foundation. Gives medium coverage, leaves a matte finish and isn't sticky, gloopy, tacky, smelly or dewy. It lasts well, but use a setting powder/spray of course to help lengthen its face-sitting time. For how cheap I got it I think it's a great product. 

• Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation + in classic ivory: so this is a fairly recent purchase (having been half price), and I've only used it twice, but I've been very impressed. It says 'lasting power of primer, coverage of a concealer, and blendability of a foundation in one. Shine free.' Who doesn't think that sounds awesome? Unlike most liquid foundation, this one is slightly thicker, leaning towards a concealer. Once on the skin it does loosen a bit to help with blending, and it covers redness, dullness and blemishes really well. The colour matches my skin fantastically, and it does last very well. And when I say 'very well' I mean that I went to work with this on, busted my butt until midnight, came home, and it still looked almost exact how I left it (without any touch-ups). This foundation is great for those days when you have more to cover, and less time to get out all the concelaer, primer and cover-ups you have. It's all in the one glass jar!

• Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam foundation in 110 Porcelain Ivory: I can't say I wasn't curious about this when I saw it in the store. When I then saw that it was half price (due to the cap being removed etc) I thought, "why the hell not?". I'd heard it was hard to apply and didn't look great. So I was then surprised to find that I loved it. The foam comes out of the pump really quick, which scared the...well, you know...out of me. It is a little bit hard to blend, as it dries really quick once on the skin, but not impossible. The colour really did make my skin look like porcelain, and the nice matte finish made it look like I had only used a powder. Great luck on my part, I'd say! 

So, I know that was a long one, but I had to do this, especially after my foundation collection has grown exponentially in the last 6 months. I find it really hard to pick out foundations at drug stores, especially when testers aren't given. So hopefully this might help you in some way when finding a nice drug store foundation to buy next, or if you're looking to venture into something different to your usual high-end foundations.

Swatches of the foundations: from bottom to top matches the photo above from left to right (the last one it to the right but is hardly visible)

YouTube Favourites!

YouTube has become a daily dosage allowance lately. As in, I literally have to tell myself off for watching too much, and try to walk away.

I have my favourites, of course, and I thought I'd share them with you, because, hey, maybe you have the same tastes in humour and stuff as I do.

I love my beauty hauls and tutorials, as well as some good old comedy - it always helps lighten an awful day. My list of YouTubers I follow has tripled since last year, but this will only be my absolute favourites. The ones where I will watch every one of their videos...more than once.

So my very very absolute oh my gosh favourite at the moment is Zoe Sugg - a.k.a 'Zoella'.

Zoella does a lot of beauty/life videos. She is English, so has such an awesome accent (I'm huge for English/Irish/Scottish accents). All of her makeup/beauty hauls are awesome and a lot of the products she shows I usually end up getting for myself (except high-end things, because of obvious reasons $$$). She gives great advice, and is funny and sweet, and I'm a sucker for her :) I watch her videos every week (more like every day) and I'm never disappointed.

Another huge favourite of mine (and has been for over a year) is Jenna Maurey - a.k.a 'Jenna Marbles'. So crazy - just like me - and isn't afraid to catch it all on camera. She is absolutely hilarious with her 'Drunk Makeup Tutorial', 'What are this?' and 'Land Shark' as well as her many rants about everyday things. I've even got my mother hooked on her videos!

My favourite so far has to be 'What are this?'. Her dog Kermit is the cutest thing.

They are my main favourites, as in, I'll watch every video they've ever made twice....thrice.... ;)

But there are a few others that I follow too.

Aflie Deyes (pointlessblog)

 

Louise Pentland (Sprinkle of Glitter): "Aloha Sprinklerinos!"

Marcus Butler: so funny, and his intro is always a very exuberant "heelloooo"

 Tanya Burr - fantastic makeup artist! She recreates so many great makeup looks from celebrities!

Grace Helbig (Daily Grace): sarcasm is still so funny haha!

Essie Button: great beauty advice, and she's just so lovely!

Fleur De Force: another great beauty blogger with fantastic advice and reviews.

All of these YouTubers are so talented! I wish I had the guts to make YouTube videos, but for now I'll just stick to watching!

Do you have the same favourites? Different ones? Any suggestions? :) I love finding new YouTubers to follow! 

xx

Beauty Tag: How Much is Your Face Worth?

How much is my face worth?

I would honestly hate to think how much my face is worth. I use so many different products on it!
I thought, seeing as makeup isn't the only thing I use on my face in one day, I would also include the skincare products I use on a day to day basis.

I don't use all my makeup products and skincare products every day, because there are way too many to use, but - with makeup especially - I like to change it up with my foundations and powders almost every day. But the ones I've chosen are the ones I would automatically grab if I couldn't be bothered thinking about it too hard. We all have those days right? 

Ok, so I'll start with my list of makeup products:

• Bourjois Flower Perfection primer: $25
• Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer: $14.95
• Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundaiton: $32
• Bourjois Healthy Balance powder: $20
• Bourjois Blush pot: $20
• Revlon ColorStay finishing powder (used as a bronzer): $10 
• Prestige my longest lashes mascara: $5
• Essence eyeliner: $1.75
• Prestige Eyebrow pencil: $7
• BYS eyeshadow palette: $4.95
• Burt's Bees lip balm: $6.99

Total amount: $167.64

Just thought I would mention, too, that the bronzer and mascara were 'Reduced To Clear' Items, and I couldn't find their original prices online, so that is the amount I actually paid for them.

Also, for the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder and the Bourjois blush AND the primer too, they were all free gifts when I bought the Healthy Mix foundation, so in actually fact, I only paid $82.64 for my daily makeup things :)

As for my skincare routine, it looks a little like this...

• The Body Shop Seaweed Face wash: $17.95
• Garnier 3-in-1 wash/scrub/mask: $10.99 (Only paid $7, woo!)
• LUSH Vanishing Cream: $39.95
• Eureke Tea Tree Oil: $4
• A'kin Orange blossom toner: $19.95 (I only paid $2 for it - chaching!)
• Benzac AC pimple cream 10%: $14.99

Total: $107.83

What I actually paid for it all: $85.89

What to learn from this is that I almost never pay full price for anything. With the exception of Body Shop and LUSH products plus a few other random cheapies or splurges, I always wait until something is on clearance or sale until I buy it, because I'm all about saving money!

The total overall (for full priced products) is $274.87, BUT I hardly got close to paying that amount for it all. Being the bargain-hunter I am, I only paid $168.53. 

BOOM!

Enough said I think!

How much is your face worth? More? Less? 

I urge you to do this tag too, and link your post in the comments below and I'll definitely have a read because, well, who doesn't love getting all the info of someone else's beauty stash?

Have fun!

Magazine of Choice

I'm not a huge mag person, but every-so-often I'll shout myself to one, just for light reading and to see what's on trend.

I picked up a few different ones recently, along with my usual pick - cosmo - to see if there might be any others that tickle my fancy.

Not really. I was a tad disappointed.

Vogue I found was way too high-end and expensive, so all it did was make me feel really sad. So many ads for Dior, Chanel, Armani, Tom Ford, Jo Malone, Elisabeth Arden, Burberry.... All the ones I wish I could afford :(

Shop, however was a bit more up my alley. The products and brands advertised were affordable, with the odd high-end product just for good measure. The layout was easier on the eyes and more interesting to look at. I found the Vogue ads a bit odd. I know it's all fashion - but seriously, who actually wears that stuff in public?!

So I found one new magazine to repurchase, but I think I'll stick to my trusty Cosmo. Perfect for my tastes. Equal amounts of gossip, fashion, beauty and opinion pieces to keep me hooked! 

Thanks Cosmo, you beauty! ;)

New Products To Try!

I've been a bit more adventurous in my spending lately. After sticking to my low-budget, consistent items, I've been adventuring out into different brands and products that I've always wanted to try, but didn't want to waste my money on if I didn't end up liking it.

So these are the items I've compiled lately that I'll be trying this month.

• Artiste Brush Cleaner: I never used to clean my brushes, but now I've invested in some Real Techniques Brushes (they didn't make it into the picture for some reason), I thought it's best to use a proper brush cleaner rather than soap and warm water - though I'll probably still do that once every now and then for a thorough clean.
• Mecca Nailpolish: This was just a freebie with a Vogue magazine, but it's a lovely pink colour - I think it's called something like vogue blush, but don't quote me on that.
• Pod Liquid Tan: I've wanted to try a face tanner for a while, so I got this one (on clearance from Priceline - hence the sticker) and the one next to it..
• Le Tan Face Tan: Instant face tanner. I've taken the seal off, and it really is a deep brown colour. It's very daunting, but I put a little on my hand and it blended in quite well. It smells a lot better than the Pod one (which smells like an off musky....ummm...market stall smell. I know, worst description ever).
• Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Petal Rose: It looks incredibly bright, but quite sheer. I think it would suit someone who has a naturally pale lip colour. My lips are rosy without anything, so the light pink looks odd over the top.
• LUSH Space Girl bath ballistic: After trying the Rose Queen bath bomb, and loving the Dragon's Egg one more, I decided to get another Dragon's Egg and one of a different one. It's in the shape of a planet and is a glittery purple. I'm looking forward to using this!

Woo, I LOVE getting new things to try, and I think I'll be doing it more often.

I've actually just hopped online tonight and bought an eyeshadow/blush palette, a Real Techniques Expert face brush and the Collection 2000 (now just Collection, apparently) lasting perfection concealer.

$47, well spent. 

Hopefully.

Have you tried any of these products? If you have let me know what you thought! Or link me to your blog review, or a good review you have seen.

Thanks guys for reading, and if you have, and you can put up with my looong posts, then I love you so much, because you're obviously super patient haha!

Keep reading, and link me your blogs, because I love beauty blogs more than oxygen!

September Favourites!

This month, I haven't been doing much except working and shopping. So much shopping.

I am a HUGE bargain hunter, so if I see any sign that says 'clearance' I'm there faster than you can say "cheese on toast". So seeing as I have been shopping often, I have managed to find many new things on sale that I want to try.

Some of my favourites are ones I've had before September, but they still remain favourites of mine, and others are new and I've fallen in love with.

One item is NOT beauty related (I know, SHOCK!) but has definitely been a huge favourite, as I've gone through probably a bag a week of these (if not more :S).

So, heeeeeerreeeee we go!

 The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation has been the one I reach for lately. It gives a really nice medium coverage, is ALMOST the right colour for my skin (a little bit too olive-toned), and smells really sweet like flowers and boiled lollies. Yum!
I have it in shade 52 which is Vanilla. I think this is the lightest is comes in - correct me if I'm wrong. It gives a nice natural finish and isn't too dewy, which is good for my combination/oily skin.

Thank you, Bourjois!




More Bourjois! I'm really loving their products lately. I use the blush between foundation and powder. I find it clings better to the skin and is more subtle because of the powder over the top.
The blush is in 34 Golden Rose, which is a pretty shimmery china doll pink. The little container is so adorable, has a mirror and is magnetic, which is great for my tiny fragile fingers. I hate trying to pry open packaging!
It even smells nice. I've noticed with the Bourjois products I have that they smell like roses and flowers. The foundation is a sweeter smell than the blush and illuminating powder, which both smell lightly of roses.
The powder is in Vanilla too, and seems to actually be a lighter shade than the foundation (that could be on purpose, I'm not sure). And the Universal Illuminating powder is essential! I use it almost every day! It just gives the perfect finish over makeup.

I have been wanting to try these Maybelline Color Whispers for a while, but being around $15 for one, I was hesitant. But luckily in Coles they had a 3 for 2 sale, so I took the plunge and bought two, and the Falsies mascara too (which I was a little disappointed with, sadly).
This one is my favourite, and has even made into my small makeup bag in my hand bag.

It's in the shade 55 'One Size Fits Pearl'; even the name is adorable.
It comes out very translucent on my lips, and gives a lovely pearly shine, which I love, because I'm too scared to use lipstick most of the time.

These three are also big essentials for me.
My Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer I use just on and under my eyes and sometimes around my nose. It really helps me look more awake, which is usually what I am not.. :S
I have it in the shade 010 Ivory, which is the right colour for my skin (a shade lighter; as concealers should be).

Eyeliners. I was never big on eyeliner, but they're growing on me. And thanks to Zoe (known as Zoella) I'm now hooked on brown eyeliner. So much more naturally looking. I thought black was the only colour that would look natural, but brown actually looks better! I've been using this all the time! (This is just a cheap one, so I'm not going to bother with the brand).
The white one is a newer purchase. I'd heard that using white eyeliner in your waterline can help make your eyes look bigger or more awake, or something fabulous, so...I'm aboard. I definitely saw a different, but a good tip is to keep it minimal, otherwise you will look...odd, to say the least.

So, I really this isn't beauty related - in fact the complete opposite, but I LOVE chips. I've heard people say that you're either a sweet tooth or a savoury..tooth?
Well, anyway, I'm a savoury gal, and I will NEVER EVER pass up chips. Ever.

The Smith's brand (my favourite) were on sale for half price...so I bought four bags. As you do.

I only ever eat barbecue, salt and vinegar, and original (I hate chicken and that onion flavour, EW!).









So yeah, they're pretty much my only favourites for the month! Not a lot, but I'm a simple gal.

And I'm pleased to note too, that I have just popped my Real Techniques cherry, and just went and bought a three pack of brushes from Priceline. WOO! Can't wait to try them!