The All Day Matte Lip | Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

The lip product hybrid seems to be all the craze in the beauty world! A while ago I did a post on lip lacquers which have also had their hype and craze in the beautysphere but now the liquid to matte lip seems to be a popular venture from so many beauty brands. Today we're focusing on Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet which I first saw on ViviannaDoesMakeup's YouTube channel/blog and she lurrrrrved them so naturally I took her recommendation as gospel and had my eye out for their launch in Australia. In the meantime I saw many more reviews, swatches and raves so of course my want was even greater. However when they finally landed here maybe two or so months ago now, they retailed for $24.95 each at Priceline which I know is kind of standard for lip products even at the drugstore but seeing as I was hoping to try a few shades the price kind of put me off initially. Fellow beauty instagrammers came to save the day and a gorgeous girl alerted me to Priceline offering these for $10! I hopped to it and picked up two shades to start off with- Hot Pepper and Ole Flamingo, both of which I'd researched and thought looked beautiful and luckily they were in stock!

Hot Pepper

I wore Hot Pepper to work and gave it the work girls test and I honestly had so many compliments and one of the girls even made me take her to Priceline and pick out a colour with her. The colour is beautiful, fades really nicely and doesn't go patchy and even though I talk all. day. at work these are super long lasting and I only reapplied after eating. On arrival back home as usual I took my base off with cleansing water and lips too which took a bit of a scrub to remove so that gives you more of an idea how long lasting these actually are!

I have also spotted these on ASOS for around $13 if you're interested in buying up quite a few (I know I am) After trying them they certainly are worth the hype and the full price because a beautiful matte lip that doesn't dry your lips or feel tight and uncomfortable in my book is worth your while! Absolutely no complaints from me.

Hot Pepper, Ole Flamingo (one swipe)

The Latest | Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

oooh a candle, how beauty blogger of me!

Oh Chanel, you makers of face base magic. The launch of their latest addition- Perfection Lumiere Velvet caused quite a stir in the beauty blogosphere and on YouTube. It could be because of it's chic and sleek packaging, that it makes a beautiful addition to photos let alone it's new type of formula- lightweight, matte but luminous and it's intended to blur and perfect skin's texture. This one is much more liquidy than my HG Mat Lumiere and therefore more lightweight in coverage and feeling on the skin. I visited my local Chanel counter and got a sample in the shade B30 because it was all they had and it was definitely too dark for my pale face but with a little buff and blend down the neck, you could barely tell. On immediate application the texture is sort of similar to that of L'Oreal's Nude Magique/Eau de Teint foundation- fairly liquidy and dries quickly therefore you need to work quite quickly. Coverage for me I would say is medium but definitely buildable, I do like to add a touch more to areas that have a bit more redness or hyper-pigmentation.

I used my tester sachet over two days and really liked it both days, got compliments on my skin and put it on my wishlist. I then went back to a counter a few weeks later and got another sample because I couldn't decide, first of all which shade to get and secondly, whether to try something new or repurchase my beloved Mat Lumiere that I'm coming dangerously close to finishing plus I've heard rumours of it being discontinued. On second visit to a different counter and department store I was recommended PLV and told that no, Mat Lumiere isn't being discontinued and they didn't know why I'd been told that. (Side note/rant: I swear to the makeup Gods if they were wrong about that I will be so unimpressed and annoyed that the staff at different department stores who are all under the Chanel brand are told different things and have misinformed me. Rant over..) The ladies recommended I go lighter than B20 which I have in ML and go for either B10 or B12 in PLV aka the lightest and second lightest shades. This is how pale I've become, serious first world problems but still. B12 had a slightly more pink undertone which she said would also make my skin appear brighter and kind of cancel out redness which I don't necessarily understand but I went with B12 because B10 looked too light and definitely too yellow-based. At $77 a bottle you do expect good things and now that I've been using it for a few weeks and have applied it in various ways I thought a blog post was in order.

Shade B12

Initially I went straight for the products I know best and I know work well for me so surprise surprise.. Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer was first pick together with the Real Techniques Buffing brush. I wore this to work, asked all my gal pals to analyse my face and they said what I was thinking.. it's ok but my skin/face base usually looks better. Unimpressed the next day I persevered and used Body Shop's Instablur as my base instead and we had improvements. I used my buffing brush again and I saw more of the skin blurring/perfecting qualities that Chanel talks about but still wasn't 100% with how it was sitting. Super disappointed seeing as I'd tried it twice, loved it then spent the money purchasing the full size. Anyway I gave it a rest for a few days and never fear I think I've found the answer! My faithful Hourglass primer does actually work well under this foundation as does the Body Shop Instablur together with the Real Techniques Stippling brush instead (which I prefer with L'Oreal Nude Magique as well) + last tip, as they do recommend- give the bottle a good shake up before you squeeze out your pea size amount. The Chanel site recommends using this foundation with your fingertips but I'm just not the hugest fan of doing that but now I understand why a buffing brush hasn't worked well with it. Lesson learnt! 

What they say:

PERFECTION LUMIÈRE VELVET is a lightweight second-skin foundation. It naturally smoothes and evens out the complexion for a velvety matte makeup result.
The lightweight texture of PLV makes it perfect for normal and combination to oily skin. This ultra-soft emulsion instantly becomes one with the skin, transforming into a natural powdery matte finish that disappears onto the skin.

Review | L'Oreal Ever Sleek Shampoo & Conditioner

In my time I have gone through a hell of a lot of shampoo and conditioner, both supermarket as well as salon brands. When I was younger my mum always used to say she swore I just poured it down the plughole because I went through it so quickly but I stand by the fact it's because I have quite thick and at the moment, long hair. For that reason when I was younger I never bothered with expensive haircare and it wasn't until recent years when I started buying my own that I experimented a bit more with salon brands and highend shampoos and conditioners. Some were good, some meh and some really bad. Like highend makeup, I hate spending a lot of money on a product to use it and find out I hate it but unfortunately with haircare there's no samples, it works differently for everyone so it can be seriously hit and miss! 

I think it was madam Estee (essiebutton) who I first saw rave about L'Oreal's Hair Expertise sulfate-free ranges. With a quick google search, I read more positive reviews and at $15 a bottle I thought I'd give it a go. In terms of a better than basic supermarket range shampoo and conditioner the price isn't too unreasonable and of course Priceline always has amazing offers on. The first of these ranges I tried was EverCreme shampoo, conditioner and deep repair masque. Used it, loved it, repurchased it. I was very impressed with the way it left my hair and the masque did a great job as a more intensive repair. If you follow me on instagram (@beautylocale) you may have seen that when I was on a short getaway with my Mum I realised I'd forgotten to bring any type of hair serum or oil so I dashed to Priceline and after much pacing the aisle and weighing up all my options (as I am a devoted MorrocanOil-er and hadn't tried many of the products) I bought the EverSleek Frizz Taming Creme Serum. Once again I was impressed with the way this left my hair so during Priceline's most recent 40% off haircare offer I stocked up and purchased both the EverSleek and EverCreme shampoo and conditioners. 

Ok so onto the duo of the hour! I'm almost through the bottles so I feel it's time to review and share my thoughts. I'm sure you can guess..? I'm impressed. No surprises here, the EverSleek range is another nail on the head by L'Oreal and I will definitely be repurchasing it. My hair is thick, I wouldn't say wiry but most definitely frizzy. As a youngin I was that girl with the low pony and a halo of frizz around the frame of my face. With age it has definitely calmed down but I do still straighten my front frizzies as I call them, on the daily. Using this combination has left my hair on the whole a lot more sleek as it intends and nice and soft. The smell, like all the products is super yummy and does stay in your hair so when you flick it you can smell it which I really like. As I briefly mentioned before these are sulfate and silicone free and don't leave any kind of build up nor do I feel they weigh my hair down. 

The verdict:

What they say - Fully and weightlessly smoothed , your hair becomes incredibly soft, with exceptional 
body and a silky feel. Intensely nourished and repaired, your hair reveals a new kind of beauty.

What I say- Agreed! As you can probably gather, I really like this range and I will continue to use it and the EverCreme range on rotation. 

Review | Maybelline Colour Elixirs

If you follow me on Instagram you'll already know I was pretty excited when these hit our shelves in recent weeks! After reading/seeing all the raves from the Northern Hemisphere beauties, namely Estee (essiebutton) who raaaaved about these and what Estee says, goes. I generally like her recommendations and trust them which really seems a bit strange to trust a complete stranger's opinions on products but whatever trevor.

These popped up in Priceline last week and they've been priced at $17.95 RRP but they had a $4 off lips deal when I bought these so I saved a few pretty pennies. I had a few minutes to spare on my way to work this said morning so I made my way to Priceline and there they stood in all their glory. This same week Bourjois launched their Rouge Edition Velvet which I'd seen on my Instagram feed and already they'd received mixed reviews and at $24.95 I wasn't overly impressed with that. Anna, of Vivianna Does Makeup, another blogger who I trust with my makeup spendings absolutely loves the Bourjois offering but I'm definitely going to wait for some kind of offer on them. In my mind I can't justify that much for a drugstore product regardless of how good it is. Anyway! Back to Maybelline.. So I stood at the stand doin' my swatches and found myself commenting on how pretty they were. out loud. in public. Didn't even realise I was doing it but luckily it was early morning so only a few other people were in the store. After swatching all the shades and ooohing and aahhhing I restrained myself to just two shades for the time being, I wanted to see how they actually went on the lips before shopping up a storm.

The low down:
I bought Caramel Infused and Raspberry Rhapsody, both super wearable for everyday and great for the  cooler months cos y'all know I like my deep lip shades if you've read my Autumn/Winter trends post. These wear beautifully on the lips, aren't overly sticky or tacky and you can build up the colour or have it as more of a sheer wash. They are lightly fragranced and it took me a few wears to realise what it was but to me it seriously smells like Armani Code perfume which I love so it doesn't bother me.

I'm loving these at the moment especially with their Dior-esque packaging of the acrylic with a lipstick outline inside- super cute and high end looking!

Caramel Infused, Raspberry Rhapsody

How To | Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

The one thing that a lot of beauties dread most would have the be.. the deep clean. Deep cleaning your brushes is super important but it's boring, time consuming and makes your hands pruney. I generally like to aim for every 2-3 weeks and more regularly for my main foundation brushes if I have the time just because the bacteria and build up of makeup creeps me out and I don't need any more excuses for my skin to misbehave! I alternate between my foundation brushes throughout the week and then if I'm super good I'll try wash them weekly or week and a half-ly. (If I'm good, being key..)

People do this whole process a bunch of different ways but I've always stuck to baby shampoo of any brand or any kind of gentle shampoo would do the job and of course specific brush cleaners are a popular choice as well. For years I've used baby shampoo but recently I bought a new product which I put to use last night and OH MA GAWD life. changing. I know this seems trivial and bla bla but for something like brush cleaning, I'll take whatever I can get to help me fasten the process. This product sent from the angels is the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser! This little round pot of magic made cleaning my heap of brushes speedier, easier and my hands didn't get as pruney!

A few simple bits and a some time is all you need for this. (To do all these brushes probably took me around 40-45 mins)

1. Take your heap of brushes to the sink and get some flannels ready to lay everything down once they're washed.

2. Put some music on so you can have a dance/sing sesh while you wash to pass the time, cos girl you goin' be here a while.

3. I like to do my face brushes first then my eye brushes so gather your face brushes and just stare at the huge job that's in front of you..

4. Soldier on sista! It's super important to hold your brushes under the tap downwards so that the water doesn't run into the handle of the brush and get into the glue which overtime will lead to the hairs shedding and your brushes falling apart, so be cautious!

5. After running your brushes under warm water for a sec or two, take your cleaner of choice (BB solid cleanser pictured) and swirl your brush around until it lathers. If shampoo is your product of choice, pop a pea size into your palm and do the same- just swirl your brush around until it lathers up and the soap turns a lovely shade of foundation.

6. Repeat until the brush looks clean and/or the soap doesn't change colour (aka stays white) and it runs clear. Make sure you squeeze all the soap out (if more product comes out, then repeat) Rinse the brush to make sure all the soap is out completely .

7. For face brushes I swirl them on a flannel before I stand them to dry just to make sure there's no excess water. Again, standing your brushes up to dry avoids water heading into the handle of the brush and weakening it.

Eye brushes I do a little differently, don't ask me why because I have no answer but I've just always done it this way. So instead of using just soap, I first pour some olive oil onto a paper towel and then swirl each brush in the olive oil until majority of the product is off the brush. Then I give them a quick run under water and swirl in either the shampoo or solid cleanser and voila, eye brushes are done!

Before I lay the brushes down, any of the fluffy eye brushes or even fluffier face brushes like my Sigma  and Real Techniques contour brushes and Setting brushes, I cover in a brush guard to maintain the shape of the bristles. When you pay so much for brushes (I'm looking at you MAC 217) the difference a brush guard makes for drying is huge and it's well worth the effort to maintain it for longer. I bought a pack off eBay for under $2 which came with varied sizes, best $2 i ever spent!

Overall this looks like a lengthy process but it's not especially if you have some music going and entertain yourself while you do it! Cleaning your brushes properly is super important so that you're not spreading bacteria over your face everyday from built-up makeup in your brush as well as anything that latches on while your brushes are sitting on your vanity or wherever you store them.

The Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser  ($16US) made my brush cleaning a serious dream. Brushes that I found more difficult to clean -ahem Real Techniques Buffing brush- were so much easier with the solid cleanser and really dense brushes that I could never get 100% clean with shampoo and my palm just rinsed out the product. I was literally standing at my sink astounded by the amount of product coming off the brush from the quickest swirl of cleaner. Super impressed and now I think I'll look forward to cleaning my brushes slightly more. I definitely recommend the small investment to save you time and your hands!

The Review | Chanel Mat Lumière

A Classic For A Classic

Foundation, I love the stuff but I hate the stuff. All the promises that these companies make, the tag lines that pull me in to buy them and believe that I'll look airbrushed in real life if I spend all my pretty pennies on this 'holy grail product'.. I could cry at the amount of money I've wasted on foundations, but rather I choose to ignore it and push it to a deep corner in the back of my mind.

I used to do dancing so I was using foundation from an early-ish age but only once or twice a year and my Mum would always be the one to choose it for me and match my colour (even she knew to match to the neck) so I think my first foundation that I didn't borrow from her was a Bloom cosmetics one. I loved it, I felt so grown up and sophisticated wearing my foundation (a maximum five times a year) and thought I'll love this product forever! Despite the fact that it became discontinued as a brand, I grew up and realised it wasn't actually that great for my changing skin type. From I'd say 16 years old, give or take, I started experimenting with more foundations which for the most part were just 'drugstore' so from Priceline or Target. I have tried more foundations that I could even remember and nothing I've ever loved enough to dub a HG- holy grail product. Until now.

Ooh Chanel you are so beauty-fell (see my rhyme there) but really, I could sing this to my bottle of Mat Lumière every morning if I woke up feeling strange enough. I've been using this for I think almost two months now pretty much everyday and there hasn't been a day yet when I've looked at my reflection and thought 'ew this isn't sitting well on my face or I look cakey, patchy, nothing'. As I mentioned in my 'Best of the Minis' blogpost, the lovely lady at the David Jones Chanel counter matched me to either B20 or B30 in this formula and gave me samples to try in natural lighting and to see how they both oxidised on my skin. I used both for a week or so and was going to go with B30 but decided that as I will get paler in the coming months, to go for B20 so I can just warm it up with powder, bronzer or the like. A $72 dent in my wallet and five minutes later I was the proud owner of my first Chanel foundation. As the name would suggest it leaves the skin with a matte but also luminous finish, definitely not dull or flat looking and I would say it is a medium but buildable coverage great for both day and night. I have taken a few flash photos whilst wearing this and no obvious stark white face has appeared which is a bonus. It doesn't feel thick or heavy on the skin and it's not one of those foundations that I'm itching to get home and wash off my face. I wear this to a full day at work, maybe blot once or twice throughout the day and reapply powder but I can comfortably wear this for a long day.

What they say- 'Mat Lumière, the perfect balance between softness, radiance and a matte finish. The fluid formula blends delicately into the skin. It contains silica in the form of fine porous and spherical particles to help ensure a matte complexion. Shiny areas are mattified and the radiance of the face is revealed. At the same time, coated pigments help conceal imperfections with an optical effect. They even out and light up the complexion for beautiful glowing skin. The polymers in the formula help to optimise the hold and matte finish of the foundation.' 
(I feel like this is a direct translation from French because the grammar and structure is not great but that is what the leaflet tells me!)

What I say- Over the top of the Hourglass mineral veil primer, I buff this in using my Real Techniques buffing brush and am given the finish that they describe. A evened out, matte but luminous complexion that is long lasting (they say 12 hours) and feels nice on the skin. Definitely recommend this to my fellow combination skin gals looking for a flattering matte finish to their foundation.

Quick Bits-
Cost- $72 (RRP for Australia)
Availability- Department Stores
SPF- 15
Lasting time- They say 12 hours and I would agree
Finish- Matte but luminous
Application- They recommend just using your fingers in circular movements but I prefer the Real Techniques buffing or Stippling brushes.

Follow me on Instagram- @beautylocale for regular posts of beauty, life and extras

Summer Face Savers

With Summer leaving us Aussies and heading for the North, I thought I'd share a few products that I've dubbed 'summer savers' for those icky humid days where everything tends to slide south on your face the minute you step out the door. In saying that our weather has been so up and down, I can't be sure I won't be needing these well into Autumn!

To start off- an SPF, essential for 30 degree + days in Sydney and everyday in general really. I like the Kiehl's SPF 50+++ that I've spoken about previously in a post or one that was recommended to me by my dermatologist- Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 50+ . This leaves, as the name would suggest, a dry touch to the face not that tacky, creamy feeling that most general sunscreens leave which makes it perfect to apply makeup over the top of. 

Next essential for me would be a primer, no surprise I'm going to suggest the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer for an amazing all rounder that will help your makeup to adhere to your face longer. In warmer weather I want the least amount of makeup on my actual face, I don't want anything that's going to feel heavy and like it's blocking every single pore on my face so I like the Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation in Opal which has added SPF 35, it's hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic and fragrance-free. It is quick a thick fluid but you can easily sheer it out with your fingers. It doesn't have the best lasting power for me, especially when it's really hot and humid so I always set it using either the Clinique Blended Face Powder or Makeup Store Translucent Setting Powder . 

Not the nicest of thoughts/visuals but blotting is a must for me especially in hot weather, so Blotting Papers are a necessity for quick touch ups throughout the day. I picked up these Paul & Joe ones from ASOS but you can find them online or in Priceline type stores. A product that is definitely not a necessity but more a luxury that I still don't fully understand the purpose of- Avene Thermal Spring Water, I also have tried the La Roche Posay which is equally good at being purified water in a can, this product is just nice to spray over your face and body when it all just gets a bit too overwhelmingly hot. 

To finish off, a spritz of Urban Decay 'Chill' makeup setting spray all over the face which promises to regulate your temperature in some fancy scientific way, to lock everything in. A good lipbalm that protects your lips from the sun because burnt lips are not fun at all and voila, these are my summer face savers that I always turn to when I know it's going to be a warm day.  

Again, this seems a bit useless now that we're officially in Autumn but it's Summer in the North and really these products are great all year round for maintaining your makeup throughout the day.

Instagram- @beautylocale. Follow me for regular beauty, life and bits posts!

Product Reviews | The Best of the Minis

When it comes to things that are miniature in size, I'm a complete sucker. Whether it's deluxe samples or products that come in a small size, I can't resist, they're just too cute! (An advertiser's dream right here..) I've been collecting some of the miniatures that I have either acquired or purchased with a future blogpost in mind to share my thoughts and maybe endorse a few purchases..

Let's start with Benefit's Porefessional ($53AUD) There's no denying this is a serious 'cult' product that receives glowing reviews and I was lucky enough to get this deluxe sample size as a freebie with a magazine I bought when I was in the UK. Surprisingly this size lasted me a good while seeing as you only need a small amount and a year later I purchased the full size, again whilst overseas. This product is great for filling in pores and giving you an all around smoother appearance. Not sure how much this does in terms of mattifying your t-zone though but I do enjoy using it as more of a targeted area primer.

Origin's Super Spot Remover ($19AUD) Not a sample size, just adorably small. This may seem pricey for a spot gel but man oh man is it worth spending a bit extra. This stuff is definitely my go-to when my skin is acting out, I just pop it on before I go to bed and in the morning my spots are definitely reduced in redness and size. This dries it out without making the skin around the area too dry and flakey. I think this may be my second or third bottle..

Kiehl's Ultra Face Cream (from $34AUD) and Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense (from $38USD) Both of these deluxe samples were gift with purchase of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Serum as a little rejuvenating pack I think. For an oily skin gal like me, I think the Ultra Face Cream would be too heavy generally for everyday use but at one point my skin was looking quite dehydrated and flakey and this fixed it right up! Hasn't sold me enough to purchase the full size but a good product nonetheless and I scraped the mini jar dry. Daily UV Defense is still going strong and I put this on underneath my makeup when I know I'll be outdoors rather than inside at work all day. With an SPF of 50+++ it definitely has the tick of approval for Australia's hot, Summer days and I feel well and truly protected when wearing it.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer (from $25AUD) Hourglass, can you do no wrong?! Honestly, every product of theirs that I've tried, I've loved. It is quickly becoming one of my favourite high-end brands and this was no exception. This sample size came with my purchase of the Ambient Lighting Powder Palette and when I bought it the lovely assistant at Mecca Cosmetica slyly pointed out the free gift and told me I'd love it. Yep, she wasn't wrong. This primer is silky, radiant and beautiful and definitely gives my makeup lasting power for a long day at work and keeps my oiliness at bay as well as smoothing out my pores and general textural issues. And yes, I may have treated myself to the full size of this last week but in my defence I did have a voucher from Christmas to ease the blow to the bank account.

The luxury that is Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation ($72AUD) This little tester is in the shade B30 which I was trialling along with B20. I have overcome my anxieties about approaching makeup counters for samples especially when I could be spending my pretty pennies on products that I end up not liking, which has happened all too often in the past! The lovely assistant at the David Jones Chanel counter helped to match me and suggested I try both B20 and B30 in natural light and see how they sat and oxidised on my skin throughout the day and wear. I thought I'd include this cute tester tube in this post purely for how adorable (and as it turned out, quite impractical) it is. Together with the Hourglass Primer, this is a winning duo and I decided to purchase the full size in shade B20 and then I can just use bronzer to warm it up when I need to.

Last but not least, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara ($28AUD) This may seem like a gimmick and a completely unnecessary product but when you've got it, you can definitely see its necessity. I was lucky enough to pick this up at the Estee Lauder and Companies corporate store for a steal so I could justify the purchase. The minuscule wand is the perfect size for separating your bottom lashes without looking unnatural or clumpy. The formula is also non-smudging and long-wearing which is a must in order to avoid the sleepy panda look.

That's my wrap up of some recent minis that I've loved and as you've seen have influenced future purchases. These companies know how to rope you in!

Millie x

The Cult Candle | Slatkin & Co.

Candles.  They're a must. All year round.

Those three sentences could really sum up this post but I will elaborate. You may be able to tell that I'm a big fan of candles and really any other lovely aroma-making things like reed diffusers. I'm very sensitive to smells and honestly if it doesn't smell good or even pleasant; be it a bedroom, physical environment or person, I'm a little hesitant. Some people seem to only like candles in Winter but I definitely don't discriminate. I do prefer particular scents throughout the year though, so now as it's Summer here in Australia I prefer more coconutty, fresh, tropical scents whereas in the cooler months I prefer spicy, rich and warm scents to make my room feel nice and cosy. The other day my friend walked into my room and said "It literally always smells amazing in here" and that was a lovely compliment because I want my room to be a nice, inviting place where my friends can feel comfortable. This may seem a little exaggerated for some but I just really like things to smell nice, ok..

The point of this post is to express my love for Slatkin & Co. candles. The range that every YouTuber and their dog raves about in hauls and burns in the background of their videos for added 'atmosphere'. As I live in Sydney, sadly we have no Bath & Body Works where I can purchase these but I bought my first mini one in Dubai Mall on a stopover and I have been lucky enough to find some on eBay at an elevated price I'm sure. Of the few I've tried, 'Tropical Spice' is my absolute favourite which I have repurchased many times now, is described as "an exotic blend of cinnamon bark, spiced rum and Tahitian vanilla. It's amaze. It's my go-to Summer candle and it is always received well.

Slatkin & Co. candles come in various sizes and at the moment I have the largest 3-wick size of Tropical Spice and it has lasted me well over a month with regular burning. The scent is very powerful and does linger once the candle is blown out and with a suggested 40-65 hour burning time it is pretty good value for money especially if you can buy them instore in the States.  I bought a few new scents last week which have just arrived from eBay and they're Spiced Cider, Coco Lobo and of course a small back up of Tropical Spice. All smaller sizes so not sure how long they'll last but it'll be good for trialling the new scents.

What are your favourite candle/scent brands?

Millie x

Follow me on Instagram! - @beautylocale. 

The Newest MAC Additions

 Humid, Plum Dressing, Swiss Chocolate, Greensmoke

When it comes to eyeshadows, I generally prefer to spend a bit extra to get the quality that (one hopes) comes with the price tag. Don't get me wrong MUA's £4 eyeshadow palettes do have a spot in my collection and I do love their colour ranges and the quality is pretty good for its price. My favourites when it comes to mid-range eyeshadows are the usual - MAC, Inglot and Urban Decay all of which are great in their colour payoff, lasting power and extensive colour ranges. I started my MAC palette I think just over a year ago and I've slowly been building it up with thanks to many recommendations from blogs, youtube ladies and the like. As my dearest Dad was going to the UK, I thought it only right to take advantage and asked him to pick me up a few bits seeing as it is quite a bit cheaper over there. 

I narrowed my (ridiculously long) list down to a few bits but MAC eyeshadows to further fill my palette were always top of the list. I did my research well and noted down a lot of shades that I had heard or read recommendations for, googled swatches and finally narrowed it down to 4 shades - Humid, Greensmoke, Swiss Chocolate and Plum Dressing. I felt like branching out from my usual neutral shades that I always go for and thought some greens and a purple shade would be fun to experiment with. As I have green eyes, Plum Dressing should be quite complimentary as green and purple are opposite on the colour wheel and for some green tone eyeshadow may seem a bit daunting, outdated or slightly 80s but I've seen some gorgeous looks recently and I was sold! 

I have one (ONE?! How on Earth did you fill so quickly, Mr Palette??) spot left in my 15 pan palette so 
I am open to recommendations or maybe I'll just have to buy an insert..

Despite how unloved and unused they look, these shadows most definitely get a lot of attention and love. 
L-R: Soft Brown, Brule, All Races, Swiss Chocolate, Smut
2nd: All That Glitters, Woodwinked, Cranberry, Satin Taupe, Contrast
3rd: (TBC), Plum Dressing, Humid, Greensmoke, Carbon

MAC shadows retail for AUD $26 for shades in the pan or $33 for single shadows.

What are your favourite shadows- colours, brands or whatever else? 

Millie x

Follow me on instagram-  @beautylocale