Gimme Granola!

Seeing as I have this week off work, I thought I would get around to doing a few things that I've been threatening to do for a while now- starting off with making some granola!

Generally at our house we make homemade muesli for our breakfasts but I sometimes find that if I don't soak the oats overnight, it doesn't always sit well so.. enter granola *toasted muesli*.  

I just googled 'granola recipes' and found one from a healthy living blog and loosely went off that. As I said, we make muesli weekly in my household so I just happened to have all these ingredients but I really think you could just throw in whatever your heart desires! 

So how can you jump on the bandwagon and make granola to display in a pretty glass jar? 

Preheat your oven to 160 C and line a  tray with baking paper. 

Add to a large mixing bowl: 

- 2 to 3 cups of rolled oats (depending on the quantity you would like to make)

- 1/2 cup raw nuts (I used almonds and chopped walnuts)

- 1/2 cup sultanas

- 1/4 cup seeds (I used a mix of pumpkin and sunflower)

- a (generous) sprinkling of chia seeds

- 2 tbsp maple syrup

- 2 to 3 tbsp coconut oil or 'healthy oil' of choice (depending on how many cups of oats you used)

- a dash of vanilla essence 

- pinch of fine salt 

Combine well, ensuring no lumps of oil are left if you used solid coconut oil. Spread mixture in an even, thin layer on the baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden (or as toasted as you prefer). 

Leave to cool, store in pretty jar and Instagram! 

Please leave me your recommendations below, I think this could become a firm breakfast favourite. 

One Swipe Wonders

One swipe eye product wonders are a running late girl's bff! Or a girl, like myself, who enjoys a few extra minutes of sleep whenever I can sneak them in. I have a few products that I know I can turn to that will be quick, fuss-free and look like I've put in a lot more effort than I had the time for.

For this kind of purpose, a cream product is often going to be your go-to because these can be applied with your fingers, usually blend out easily and if they set well or you prime your lids, they should stay put and crease-free for the whole day.

Starting off with the Maybelline Colour Tattoos which I don't think anyone won't have heard of- these come in a multitude of colours, both neutral and bold brights as well as some limited edition shades and formulas. I have a range of these and they're just foolproof; they blend beautifully with either your finger or a brush and look great on their own and work well as a base for powder shadows.

Higher end of the spectrum are the Aqua Cream shadows from Make Up For Ever. I saw this beautiful burgundy shade in Sephora and I just couldn't walk away, plus I think I was also going through a bit of a cranberry, burnt red phase. These stay like no other, you need to work quickly because once these have set they will not budge.

Eyeshadow sticks- namely Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet and the Rimmel Scandaleyes shadow stick in Bad Girl Bronze. I've done a comparison of these two on my instagram and although when swatched they look quite different, once applied on the eye they're really quite similar. So if you've been eyeing off the Charlotte Tilbury version but have been hesitant to spend or just can't get your hands on them, hit up Rimmel! I just scribble these (light-handedly) over my lid and blend them in with again, my ring finger or a brush. Both have a shimmer to them that makes them look more dimensional and are beautiful on the lids.

Another stick of sorts is the By Terry Ombre Blackstar cream eyeshadow in Misty Rock; a YouTube endorsed purchase, these are stu-uh-nning. Again, they have a shimmer to them that gives dimension to the eye without having that chunky glitter shimmer look. Misty Rock is a beautiful metallic lilac-pink that I think is especially flattering on green eyes. I like to use this over powder eyeshadow and on its own.

Onto the powder options, in this case they are the weaker team as I think generally you need a couple of shadows to blend together to create dimension and depth. However (!) there are a couple in my collection that I've found are an exception to the rule.

The L'Oreal Infallible Shadows are one product that I'm always checking to see if they've brought out new colours. They're just beautiful! Super pigmented, rich colours that are creamy to apply with either your finger or a brush. You don't need a setting spray or a fixing medium to use them because they're more of a pressed pigment so pack onto the lid really easily.

Another gem from L'Oreal are their more recent, Mono Eyeshadows. I've done a full post on these so I won't say much but this shade especially, 201- Cafe Saint Germain is a great one swipe wonder.

Last but not least is my tried and true, MAC Woodwinked eyeshadow. This is just my go-to gal for those days that I want a brown, bronzey eye that I can rely on, regardless of time. I've actually had people ask how many shadows I've been wearing when I've slapped this on solo and run out the door. Something about it, when blended out looks like you have put a whole lot more effort in and is lovely.

So there we have a few of my bffs for those days that I've slept in a little too long, am feeling uninspired or other. Super simple swipe and out the door!

The Blending Brush Battle

I'm sure everyone here is at least familiar with the old MAC 217, a favourite amongst beauty bloggers and MUAs alike but there's a new(ish) kid on the block- Wayne Goss' 19 Eye Brush. Before I owned any of the Goss brushes I thought the 217 was the be all and end all, so much so that I bought 2. That's when you know you really love something! It does a great job of blending shadows to make a noob like me be able to fake some sort of application skill. It does most of the work for you so really it's fool proof.

I didn't think anything of the actual make of the brush until I entered the Goss beauty market. I purchased a couple of Wayne's brushes last year, one of which being Number 19- enter the blending brush of dreams. Now these are slightly pricier but let's be real MAC prices are high enough in Australia so it's not really classified as so much of an affordable brand as it is overseas. I know if you want to spend a bit more on your brushes then you look to brands like Hakuhodo and others but Goss is a newer player in the game. 

The 19 does all the things the 217 does but a smidgen better and it feels like you're swiping soft, fluffy clouds on your eyelids. Each of the brushes are handcrafted in Japan if I'm not wrong and you can seriously feel the quality. The brush itself is lightweight and easy to care for; they came with a little note to not wash them more than once a month but to rather wipe off the excess on a tissue so less cleaning = happy me. They don't retain product either like I feel my 217s can. 

Breakdown comparison of the two- 

MAC 217 $37 Available in stores and online. 

Wayne Goss #19 $27USD ($34AUD) Available for Aussies to purchase from Beautylish.

The choice is yours my friends... 

Skincare On The Go

My toiletries and makeup bag/s when I travel most definitely take up at least a quarter of my suitcase weight. For reals. A slight problem when travelling on smaller airlines and they have strict limits cos this gal apparently likes to bring the kitchen sink. 

It seems this trip in particular, I maybe brought more than I needed. More so for makeup- skincare I think I have used everything at least once but I probably could've contained things slightly better. Note to self- buy smaller products and restrict yourself even more. 

One thing I do always do is only bring one main cleanser- at home I alternate morning and evening because I like to use something less harsh in the mornings as I'm only washing off the products from the night before. For the last two trips I've chosen- The Body Shop's Seaweed Cleanser. Amazing for taking off any remaining makeup that's left after my cleansing oil and leaves my skin feeling nice and fresh. I've brought this on the past two trips now as my do it all cleanser but I have a feeling that using it both morning and night does dry my skin out a tad.

Step one in the evening routine comes from The Body Shop's Camomile Oil Cleanser; it removes the majority of my makeup and I feel gives my skin a good clean. One problem I have with this is that it leaks ev-er-ywhere. Last time I transferred it to a smaller bottle and that didn't work so this time I brought it in the original packaging, in a snap lock sandwich bag, locked the pump lid and still it manages to escape. So just be aware if you plan to travel with this one. 

A staple at home and on the go has to be Lush's Tea Tree Water, a spray toner that I have spoken about many a time before so won't bore you again. 

I have two newer additions to the evening regime, the first being Antipdoes Kiwi Seed Eye Cream. As with a lot eye creams, you can't tell if it's doing it's job at this stage, it's more of a preventative measure. Although I do think I have noticed a reduction in the colour of my under eye circles. 

The second product being Sunday Riley's Artemis Facial Oil. This was a purchase made semi out of desperation but boy am I glad I did. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my palava with trying to find Sunday Riley's Good Genes after I ran out; it was sold out nationally in Mecca stores. FML was my immediate reaction. So I went home, did some research, found it would cost me my organs to buy one from overseas so researched alternatives and came across old mate, Artemis. This is slightly pricier than GG which I already had a little gasp at but as I said, desperado situation. This is lasting me a lot better than GG did as an oil will always go further than a cream product. A couple of drops in the evening does me well and I have noticed an improvement in my skin. Think I'll do a full post on this so I'll spare you the details for now. 

Origins Super Spot Remover in collaboration with Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion- again both products I've sung the praises of entire so I won't go into detail. Probably didn't need to bring Mario as well though. 

Flying, transporting, travelling and the elements aren't always kind to your skin, especially your lips so to combat that I brought a deluxe sample of By Terry's Baume de Rose. A cult favourite and I get why. Not usually a fan of Rose scented products but this isn't too strong so I'm not bothered. Does a lovely job and that's all I really have to say I think. 

Moisturisation station- evenings started with Kiehl's Oil Free Ultra Facial Cream, which I finished off the remains in just over a week and I liked it but not sure I'd say I loved it. I think I preferred the original cream formula. So we've moved onto the cult classic, Embryolisse which I purchased in Paris. It feels very nourishing and hasn't got any strong fragrance as it's suitable for sensitive skins. 

Morning routine starts with a cleanse and then I move to two old pals from La Roche Posay- Effaclar Duo and then moisturise with Effaclar Matte. Pretty sure I've written about both of these before; I've repurchased both god only knows how many times and love what both do for my skin. 

Sneaky extras included Aesop's Parsley Seed Masque, a pre-holiday I feel I need you in my life purchase and boy am I glad I did. I used this 1-3 times a week on the trip and I think it definitely did wonders. Another one I'll go into more depth on in an individual post.

Last but not least, Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. This for me is actually an oboard essential so stays in my handbag as it's great to use as a moisturiser mid-flight or after cleansing at the airport if you're so inclined. Works wonders for tired and dry skin as an overnight mask as intended as well. 

Apologies for the seriously long post! I hope it didn't bore you too much if you made it to the end and feel free to comment with your travel skincare essentials. 

Getting Caught Up In The Hype..

Hello stranger! I have been laying a bit low key on the blog front in recent months but completely unintentionally. 

I had a bit of a lightbulb moment last night as I was scrolling through a few of my favourite bloggers' feeds- I am too guilty of getting caught up in the hype. As much as I have improved in the past few years in terms of buying excess amounts of makeup, I still get reeled in by new launches, packaging and 1000 beauties saying they love a particular product. 

At this stage, blogging for me is a hobby. It's something I love to do, I love makeup, I love communicating on Instagram with beauty obsessives all over the world, I love taking photos of pretty things and slapping them all onto my face; but this is not my full time job. My full time job funds this, at times, pricey habit and I need to remind myself that a lot of bloggers are fortunate to be sent samples of these products. They of course have worked hard to get where they are and continue to work hard producing original content, this is not a post to bag out 'big' beauty bloggers I am definitely not about that. 

This is just a post for me, myself and I really to remind myself that this is my hobby, not my job. I only have one face to apply all these products I buy (aside from the occasional friend's face) I'm not a freelance artist and don't have a kit to fill. I may not actually need every new lip product that is launched, every new product that claims to be revolutionary and unique; i need to be wary of getting caught up in the hype. 

The main reason for this post is to recognise that reading lots of beauty blogs can be entertaining, fun to read and beautiful to look at but you (read: I) don't necessarily need every product that is recommended or mentioned just because so and so said you do. I will be back to blogging properly when I'm home from this trip and back into routine because I do love it and I do love sharing my thoughts. Otherwise I'm always active on my Instagram and often post mini reviews and first impressions there. 

As always, feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below! 

All Eyes on the L'Oreal Mono Shadows

Sometimes (a lot of the time) for more reasons than one, I dislike living in the Southern Hemisphere. As big a first world problem as it is, makeup and beauty launches 6 months behind everyone else is one of my peeves! I get how ridiculous and vain that sounds, don't even worry. It's just those products you see hit the screen from UK & US beauties and you're like :| need. now.

Breaking Nude, Cafe Saint Germain, Quartz Fume

The L'Oreal Mono Shadows were one of those launches. After the success and my love for the Infallible shadows, I was excited for these. They launched with a couple of different finishes- there's the mattes, lumiere and nude. I picked out one of each and love them all. These, like the Infallible shadows, are super creamy and pigmented and are more like a pressed pigment than an eyeshadow. Worn alone or with other shadows, I've been loving these since I bought them. The only negatives I have are that one of them fell out of the pan after a short drop and the darker shades do have a bit of a fall out but I think you kind of just expect that with a product like this.

Breaking Nude, Cafe Saint Germain, Quartz Fume

The Drawer of Makeup Guilt

I like to think of my blog as a kind of sharing circle where anyone can come and join us in celebrating unnecessary addictions to all things makeup and beauty.. right?

Just smile and nod so this post won't make me feel like I'm alone in this, although from instagram sightings I think I can feel pretty secure that I am well and truly not alone.

The backup/new bits drawer. The ghost that haunts all new purchases while I'm perusing the drugstore aisles, the Mecca counters and department store beauty halls. That little voice in my head that says "think of all the new makeup you have sitting at home waiting to be opened and used. You need no more!" Let's be honest though, that pesky voice generally gets the boot and I gladly hand my pennies over in exchange of something new and exciting that's been launched.

It's all about layers- ogres have layers, beauty obsessive's drawers have layers

So this post is to celebrate the new bits/backup drawers that I know a lot of us have and store (read: hoard) new beauty bits! Let me know how out of control yours is getting so I can share the guilt..