The 'Blogger Made Me Buy It' Tag

I first saw this idea on Sophie's (Born to Buy) blog; a dedication to those products that you've been influenced to purchase by beauty bloggers, vloggers and the like. I've been reading blogs and watching beauty gurus/obsessives for years now and can definitely say that my purchases are very much influenced by other peoples' reviews. From years of experience of buying products for the sake of it, for their pretty packaging or because they were on offer instore or online, I have gone through my fair share of disappointing products. Most of which have ended up elsewhere in good homes with my gal pals but a small portion have just been tossed in the bin. In more recent times I've made the conscious effort to review my products (for the most part) before actually making the purchase. Of course most products work differently for people so I've still ended up with some disappointing products and ones that have been more than disappointing but the failure margin is definitely much smaller.

So when I saw Sophie's tag I wanted to take part, even if I haven't officially been tagged I just loved the idea! On initial thought I was like errr but 99% of your purchases are blogger endorsed or influenced but there are definitely a fair few- favourites and less than, that have been purchased purely on so and so's recommendation. Here are my picks!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

First and foremost, the palettes that can be found in almost every beauty obsessives' stash. I waited to buy one of the Naked palettes when I was overseas so I could see them in person and decide instore. I went for Naked 2 but now I think I'd prefer the original. I'm not sure if it's because my taste has changed or whatever the reason, I just always feel these colours look better on other people when I've done their eyes. Don't get me wrong the quality is there so I don't regret buying this palette I'm just not sure about all the shades for me. In saying that there are a couple that I often reach for.

Make Up Store Matt Foundation in Ivory

I'd seen Chloe Morello using this in quite a few tutorials and from what she'd said, I thought we had a similar combination skin type. I went to their Paddington store, got colour matched and the lovely lady (Maria if I'm not wrong) did say that this would be good for me as someone with combination/oily skin. I bought it mainly for my 21st party because I didn't feel like I had a good matching foundation at the time. I don't love the finish it left especially in photos but it's an ok foundation. Light-medium coverage, buildable, colour match is perfect but I don't particularly like how this wears on my skin. I did wear it quite regularly when I bought it and since then but it's not one of my go-to favourites.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 103 True Ivory

A combination of British bloggers are to blame for this one I think however as I mentioned before, I used to be extremely easily swayed by these beauty gurus. A foundation said to make your skin look fresh and 'awake' I was keen! In the uni days when sleep was scarce I thought this would be a good one for faking that I'd had a solid night's sleep. I did like the finish on my skin but one day I wore it and one of my friends remarked at how shimmery my face looked.. when someone tells you that you stop wearing it. My mind immediately went to disco ball shimmer and I was like nooooo thank you. This foundation does have a slight shimmer to it which is what brightens the complexion but the fact that it was that noticeable I wasn't a big fan of; much prefer the Wake Me Up concealer. 

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N2 Vanilla

First bought this on holiday in the UK when I realised I'd gone over without a good base product, anticipating that I'd buy one fairly soon after arriving apparently. So I popped to the nearest Boots chemist and went for something I'd heard good things about; so of course I opted for True Match. Matched myself as best I could which was actually a shade or two darker than Vanilla but perfect for summer holiday skin. I wore this all through my holiday and when I was home. I only stopped when my tan wore off so it no longer matched me but a repurchase in the shade Vanilla fixed that dilemma! I don't tend to wear this on super hot days because I don't find it lasts amazingly well on my combination skin but otherwise I really like the finish.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara

Lauren Curtis. Do I have to say anymore? The girl has lashes to envy so I bought this mascara that she swears by. I ordered it online and may have even ordered a backup hoping I would love it plus at under $5 you haven't got too much to lose. The wand is simple and straight, doesn't curve, doesn't flare out at the end which I prefer because I use my right hand to do both eyes so sometimes things can look a little uneven. I've heard mixed reviews on this mascara and the only thing I can say is have patience and let it dry out after a few days use; it will become a lot more user friendly and not such a wet formula as horrible as that sounds. I recently just opened another tube and remembered why people would struggle with it but trust me once it's a bit drier it works a treat!

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick Number 3 

If these lipsticks are anything to go by, I'm definitely not the only sucker for beautiful makeup packaging. The casing of these lipsticks is enough to charge what they do for them (almost) but the lipsticks themselves definitely match in standard. I can't pin point one blogger or vlogger who influenced me to join the Volupte fam but more like the cohort as a whole. So many people have and adore at least one of these lipsticks and I'm no different. A beautiful shade range and texture, if you haven't at least swatched one of these then I recommend you do!

NARS Eyeshadow Primer
This among maaaaaaaany other products is the result of Anna's (ViviannaDoesMakeup) raving review. She'd said she much preferred it to the Urban Decay Primer Potion which funnily enough I had just finished but I did like it. I had no reason not to repurchase it other than I wanted to try something new plus NARS is slightly more accessible for us Aussies. Not much to say about this one but it well and truly does it's job; my eyeshadow is still looking crease-free and fairly in tact by the time I'm ready to go to bed and fully remove my makeup.

MAC Lipstick in Brave
Or really just MAC lipsticks in general however Brave was much raved about by Sammi from thebeautycrush who is the complete opposite to me in terms of colouring but I thought it's not too nude so I can't go wrong.. right? RIGHT! Brave quickly became my absolute favourite for day or night, it's just a perfect your lips but better shade, super flattering, goes with all kinds of makeup looks and I just love it. On it's own or with a gloss over the top I can see myself repurchasing this lipstick many a time.

NARS Ita Brush
The brush that sculpts out your cheekbones as if you were born with a perfect bone structure. The shape of this brush really does it all, it may almost look like a paint brush but with this you can carve out the hollows of your cheeks seriously easily as well as defining the rest of your face- jawline, nose etc. whatever takes your fancy! I think this purchase was mostly influenced by makeup queen Jaclyn Hill who's makeup is always looking flawless. She's certainly not the only one to use it though, this brush can be seen firmly attached to many a bloggers' hand.

There we have some of my most influenced purchases! What are the products, favourite or not, that you were influenced to purchase? I wasn't tagged to do this so I unofficially tag anyone and everyone to do this, feel free to leave me a link if you do!

Click here to read Sophie's post!

Haircare Do Care

I used to be pretty lax with my hair. I'd wash it, maybe pop a drop or two of MorrocanOil in and then just let it air dry. Those were the days.. the school/uni days; however those are no more. Now I get up with enough time to wash my hair and tame it a bit to make it look like I put in enough effort to turn up to my retail job and look presentable. The lazy days (for the most part) are sadly a thing of the past. So there are three products that I've been reaching for to make my hair dry more quickly, look extra healthy and prevent damage from heat and styling.

In order of application, we first of all have John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine which was bought on Amelia Liana's recommendation. If you know of her, you'll know she has luscious, long locks that would be the envy of many a woman. She posted before & after photos when using this and even though I'm sure camera flash had a bit to do with it, you could tell a difference in shine. Running this through very slightly towel dried hair, it adds a gloss and shine that makes the lengths of my hair appear much healthier especially when it catches the light. I think applying this before properly blow drying your hair would be even more effective but I generally just do a shabby high force, medium heat gust of air all over my head.

While I apply my makeup, I put my hair up into my turby towel which is one of those quick drying towels (side note: honest lifesaver) and this makes a world of difference. For a lady with longish, thick hair, having one of these towels cuts my drying time in at least half, if not thirds. Makeup, lunch prep, outfit decisions etc. usually takes 20-30..40 minutes so my hair is up in my towel for that time; then we spritz through the most recent addition to the Bathroom cabinet which is the Bumble & Bumble Invisible Oil Protective Primer. I bought my Mum the Invisible Oil at the beginning of the year (which may or may not have been one of those gifts that we can "share") but we both really like it. It's more lightweight than other oils I've tried; hence the name 'Invisible' I would presume but it doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down. Sorry got sidetracked there! The Primer is a newer launch for B&B which was released with an accompanying shampoo and conditioner. I was a fan of the oil, saw this launch in the UK, I think I maybe read one review and just bought it. I consulted the MeccaCosmetica assistant, she hadn't tried it, thought yolo and it was mine.  I like to spritz this through the lengths of my hair post towel-dry, as well as the fronts which get a lot of heat. Like the oil, the smell is very nice and because it's a spray, again it isn't heavy or feels like it's building up in my hair. When I use this I do skip a separate heat protectant because this can do it all!

Last but not least, if things are looking a little unloved and dry, I like to apply the Goldwell Elixir* to the ends of my hair which also works well for smoothing and taming after I've blow dried. This again is very lightweight and thinner than other hair oils I've tried. A very pleasant scent and you only need 1-2 pumps to do your entire head; keeping in mind I have longer hair. I do avoid applying oils to the roots of my hair just so it doesn't go greasy super quickly but from the mid-lengths down, this works a treat!

(*kindly sent to me for consideration)

Summer Scrubbin'

Even though Sydney wants to trick us into thinking it's already here, Summer is not here just yet but the shorter hemlines, bare legs and arms are already making their way out! The sun has been seriously shining these past couple of weeks and I can't say I was 100% prepared (my arms and legs are still rocking a ghostly shade of white) however I did have one product on hand to ease myself into this warm weather thing.

If you read my post a couple of weeks ago from the Body Shop summer preview then you would have seen I purchased the Argan Oil Rough Scrub scrub from their new Argan range. The scrub is one of the more jelly type exfoliators that they have, others are a little more creamy which is more similar to what I'd used before so I was very intrigued by this one. The scent had me at first sniff, I love the smell of argan products and this is no different- slightly sweet, fresh and just a pleasant scent. As the name suggests, it is quite a rough scrub and the size of the particles is perfect for a great exfoliation! I like to use this 2-3 times a week to ensure there's no scaly limbs looming in the cold weather's shadows. Especially followed by Lush's Ro's Argan Body Conditioner in the shower or one of my Aesop Body Balms once I'm out of the shower.

This scrub will have your limbs summer ready in no time! What are your favourite products to get your skin summer ready?

The Wild Argan Oil Rough Scrub is available from Body Shop stores and online for $23.95.

The It Cosmetics 'Naturally Pretty' Palette

Ohh matte shadows, how I love thee so. Sometimes I just don't feel like shimmer and crave a matte eye; I don't know what it is but I'm really drawn to matte products and the look of them. I've got quite a few single matte eyeshadows from various brands but I've never found a complete palette with the right shades, right formula and just all round the bomb.com until now. It Cosmetics isn't really a brand that's readily available in Australia but of course I've seen it mentioned on YouTube, blogs and the like. I trawl through Instagram all day, errday (@beautylocale if you were wondering) and when I saw this beauty pop up on Shameless Fripperie's feed I was all over it. Scrolled through the comments and saw she bought it from PM Studio in Waterloo, Sydney and it was mine. I didn't physically go to the store, I decided to just buy it online and pay a small shipping fee but they also stock some other hard to find brands as well like Make Up For Ever, Cover FX, Viseart and lots more. 

Within a few days it arrived and that was it. I was hooked. Karima (Shamless Fripperies) posted a video on her first impressions of this which I didn't even watch before I purchased however I did read a couple of reviews, had a look at more close up photos and asked no more questions. I can't find it on their site at the moment but from memory this came in under $50 which for 14 shadows and a pearl transformer is incredibly well priced. I used the palette non-stop for at least a week which is unlike me; with new products I often use them once or twice, alternate and come back to it every few days but this was glued to my morning face routine. Even after months of using this palette I reach for it almost everyday if not for a complete look then for matte shades to run through the crease.

Top Row

Bottom Row

The colour selection is so versatile and great for day and night. The shadows themselves are phenomenal and beautifully pigmented; super easy to work with and blend like a dream. I never thought of reaching for orangey and more red toned shadows (rather than a cranberry) but I surprise myself at how often my little MAC 217 gravitates to Sunrise and Sunset. With the 14 shadows, comes a larger 'Pearl Transformer' which is meant to transform any of the matte shadows to a shimmer. I'm not 100% sold on the transformer, I've found it changes the colour as well as adding shimmer so it's not what I always want but I do like it for a brow and inner corner highlight. 

You can see from the photos how well loved the palette is considering a lot of the IT stampings have disappeared but I just can't rave enough about how good this palette is and the shadows themselves. The only thing I'm not such a big fan of is the felted packaging because it's already got grimy fingerprints on it and I haven't really travelled with it that much at all. Because it's a material cover, it does pick up anything that's on your fingertips but I can work past that. 

Blurred Lines

Pores. The bane of most womens' existence unless you've been blessed by the angels with perfect skin that is. However, to aid those of us who need a little blurring assistance, beauty companies have launched an abundance of 'blurring' primers to fill pores, blur imperfections and prep your skin for a flawless base. This is a big task for one little product and some have been able to fill the task for my skin and others have given it a good go but have just underperformed.

I've tried a mix of affordable and high end primers that claim to blur imperfections and any fine lines. Here are my brief thoughts on those that I have tried, keeping in mind I do have combination skin and I am quite conscious of the pores next to and on my nose. Ain't nobody got time for foundation sinking into those crevasses on your face and looking like a hot mess!

Ps. Yes I also cringed at the title of this post but I just had to do it. #sorrynotsorry 

The Good:

Hourglass. I swear if I paid myself every time I wrote about this little gem I'd be a squilionaire. However, to avoid boring anyone that's read any of my previous posts I won't repeat myself. It's fabby fab fab. Go to Mecca or your equivalent (Sephora, Space NK etc) and get a tester or just try it on your hand and introduce yourself. Get acquainted quickly because the love affair will be intense. FYI this is bottle number two if you were thinking this looks a little too fresh.

Benefit Porefessional- Again a product I feel needs little introduction but I like to use this in conjunction with my Hourglass Veil as that does more for general smoothing then Porefessional swoops in and fills in any pores and creates the base I wish I had. Does great things for maintaining oil as well but I prefer to just use this on my nose and the areas beside it.

Body Shop Instablur- I bought this one on a bit of a whim; I was perusing the site for new body products and Instablur was being advertised on the home page at the time- obviously as it was newly released. I hadn't heard much about it at all so I did a quick google and read maybe one or two reviews and thought I'd try it out, why not?! At the time I bought it, it was $28.95 which is still half the price of Porefessional but now they've lowered their prices, it's only $21.95- a steal! This product does wonders for mattifying, pore filling and general smoothing of my base. I also find it works perfectly with Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet whereas that + Hourglass Veil is not such a good time. Once again I recommend heading into a Body Shop store and trying this out on your hand, it will look instantly better! Plus they advertise this as an Instagram filter for your face. You don't have to tell me twice! Now that the product has been out a few more months and they've done PR for it, I've seen a lot more positive reviews from beauty bloggers worldwide if you want to know more.

The not as Good:

L'Oreal Magic Blur-  I actually squealed a little when I saw this finally hit the shelves in Priceline. Bloggers in the US had been raving about this product for months and months before we even saw a glimpse of the range. However, it must be different. For starters our packaging is very different and from what I can tell from videos and photos, so is the consistency and texture. I found this was ok in terms of smoothing pores but did absolutely nothing for controlling oil, maybe even made this look a little worse..

Innoxa Skin Perfecting Pore Vanishing Cream- Why you got such a long name for?? I made this purchase on hearing it was a great drugstore alternative to Porefessional which I already owned so more wanted to do a comparison. From memory this is like a third of the price of Porefessional so would be a great more affordable option. It is slightly thinner than Porefessional, still skin toned and does an ok job of filling in pores but like the L'Oreal, I feel it did more bad than good for controlling oil in my T-Zone.

I'm not saying either of those products are horrendous, they're just not as good and therefore don't get reached for as much. Which are your favourite 'blurring primers'? Have you tried any of these?

New in | NARS Audacious Lipsticks

You know you have beautiful friends in your life when an after work Mecca swatch session becomes a mental note for future birthday gifts. This was the case for me when one of my work pals turned up with that familiar eggplant shade of shopping bag and handed me makeup heaven from MeccaCosmetica. Inside contained the new Nars Audacious lipsticks. Two of them in fact. You can imagine the internal silent squeals at my desk. They happened. Anyway she knows how grateful I am and all the feels so let's crack on with the beauty.. crack..?

Barbara & Fanny

Nars' most recent launch of their Audacious lipsticks and liners created quite a kerfuffle in the beautysphere I must say. I'm not sure if it was because they got a total revamp in packaging, stamping the lot or if a new Nars launch is just that exciting. I think it may be a little of column A and a little of column B. The range was launched with 30 shades each named with a womans' name so added excitement points if one of them is yours! There's nudes, oranges, reds, pinks, vampy, they've launched them all so there's something for everyone.

On an Instagram trawl I'd spotted the shade Fanny but we all know that sometimes in photos colours can look a little off, especially for lipsticks and blushes. Not in this case; I flipped over almost every lipstick I thought was close in colour until I found her- Fanny; a beautiful deep raspberry shade I would say but not too wintery, it's definitely wearable in all months.

Barbara

The second shade she chose was Barbara-a beautiful brown toned nude, right up my alley! Apparently she wanted to get my Anita which we'd both admired in store but was told that Anita was a popular gal and sold out. Doesn't bother me, Barbara is a beautiful lady! I was worried it was going to be too nude on my pale skin but no issues whatsoever, it's perfect.

L- Fanny, R- Barbara

These lipsticks glide on, feel super comfortable on the lips and are easy to reapply. They retail for $44 each from MeccaCosmetica.

A Beautylishious Birthday

It was recently my birthday and I didn't really have anything major on my wishlist, but I had been eyeing off a few naughty beauty splurges that I just couldn't bring myself to make; however my darling mother was kind enough to spoil me for my birthday! 

I thought I'd do a quick post while all the products are looking pretty and fresh before I let loose and go to swatch town. 

First of all, Wayne Goss. A makeup God- when he launched this line of brushes I was like need. want. must. The way he explains that they've been crafted and the craftsmanship and talent that has gone into each brush I just wanted them in my life. I'd been looking at adding to my brush collection with some more mid-range brushes but when my birthday came around, these came to mind. I didn't want to go for the full set- either face or eye because there's always a brush or two that don't tickle my fancy or I just don't need so I chose to purchase them individually instead. (I didn't leave the choice up to my mum by the way so these weren't a surprise.) I see the point in investing in good eye brushes because I feel they can make a difference in application whereas I'm quite content with my current range of face brushes.

Brush 06

"Brush 06 is great for blending! With a bit of curve, it can blend multiple colors or pull eyeshadow out or up toward the brow."- Beautylish site

Brush 19

"From blending out kohl pencil, depositing shadow and defining the crease to concealing under eye circles, Brush 19 does it all."- Beautylish site

In saying that I see more value in investing in eye brushes, I did also choose a couple of face brushes but not face base if that makes sense. I went for a fan brush as well as a blush/multi-taskting all rounder brush.

Brush 15

"Highlight the tops of cheekbones, brow bones, and cupid’s bow. The thin shape can also create a really sharp, defined line when contouring cheeks." - Beautylish

Brush 11

"Soft enough for applying any powder product—bronzer, blush, or highlighter—over foundation without disturbing it." -Beautylish site

I haven't put any of these brushes to use as of yet, I've been waiting to take my photos, do the post and I just like to look at them and swirl them on the back of my hand.. I posted these on Instagram and captioned the photo describing these as angel's feathers. It's a stretch because I've never felt an angel's feather but these are seriously that soft and just feel amazing. Another thing I did notice was how lightweight these are; some brushes can have really heavy handles but these are super comfortable in your hand and just feel so special.

In addition to Wayne Goss' brushes, I also wanted to join the Charlotte Tilbury phenomenon. I've followed her on instagram and drooled over her makeup range via instagram and beauty bloggers alike and come birthday time, I was on a serious #feelinspendy vibe. These bits were more a gift to myself  (bar the makeup brush) but you know, sometimes you just gotta treat yo'self! (wise words spoken by a lovely Lush assistant on a recent trip. Complete sidenote sorry about that). 

I didn't want to go too mad initially and buy the whole range; well of course I wanted to but my pockets would have cried sweet, sweet, glittery tears, so I just bought two bits that I've heard only good things about and felt I too, needed in my life. 

Surprise, surprise I went for the Filmstar Bronze & Glow. A contour and highlight palette that exudes old hollywood glamour and will undoubtably give me a chiseled looking bone structure. Thank you for your time. Much enabled by YouTube beauty gurus but I place no blame. Even on first opening of the packaging there was love. 

To go with this palette, my mum bought me the Powder & Sculpt Brush which is purely based on Anna (ViviannaDoesMakeup) using it quite a bit in her video tutorials. Then last but not least, I bought one of the Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Sticks in Bronzed Garnet. A quick and easy swipe, blend, done jobby; the shade of this pencil is a gorgeous warm brown catered to a daytime look for green eyes- hey presto, that's perfect for me! Used it the other day and love it. 

With so many beautiful goodies added to my stash, I should be right for the next.. I'd say week. Just kidding, I'm not that bad but I am very excited to now start using all of these things.   Let me know what's on your highend wishlist because I always like to add to mine!

Ps. Had a great experience shopping with Beautylish, postage was fairly standard for US to Australia, delivery was via courier so very speedy and you get a lovely handwritten note with your purchase plus I also got a Korres freebie! Highly recommend!!

With so many beautiful goodies added to my stash, I should be right for the next.. I'd say week. Just kidding, I'm not that bad but I am very excited to now start using all of these things.  

Let me know what's on your highend wishlist because I always like to add to mine! 

Spring Scents

Every morning, I look at my collection of perfumes and choose one depending on my mood, the weather oustide and the season. I'm not one of those people to wear the same scent every single day, I definitely have some I wear more than others but I prefer to alternate and change it up a little! For Winter, I tend to reach for more rich, warm fragrances whereas now that it's Spring and warming up, I have found myself (surprisingly) reaching for more light, florally fragrances. Whoda thunk it?! These are the top four that when I looked at my stash caught my eye and are definitely some of my most loved. I'm not even going to try to explain how these smell and the different notes etc but I'll add what the companies say they contain.

Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne - I bought this in Harrod's, London last year and stood there for so long with the assistant helping me to choose just one cologne. If you've been to a Jo Malone counter before you'd know it can be a little overwhelming with being presented so. many. choices. They're all displayed on perspex stands that have the main note like, woody, citrus, floral, spicy etc which does help a little. Anyway I ended up with Wild Bluebell which I thought was a beautiful light scent for the warmer months as I bought it at the beginning of my European holiday. 

Wild Bluebell falls under the 'Light Floral' category and is described as- Vibrant sapphire blooms in a shaded woodland. The delicate sweetness of dewy bluebells suffused with lily of the valley and eglantine, and a luscious twist of persimmon. Mesmorising. 

Love, Chloe EDP-  I did something I'd never done before with this perfume... I bought it on a whim. I was browsing Boots Pharmacy in London, again last year, and as I was passing the fragrance cabinet the sales assistant was marking down the perfumes. I was looking for something specific, I can't remember what it was but then I saw this perfume was discounted to £17. £17. I was like :| I asked the lady if it was nice/similar to the original which I've worn for years and do love and she said it was nice but not too similar. I needed a perfume for my trip and this went immediately into my already very full shopping basket. This perfume is one of my favourites and I reach for it a lot a lot. Almost everyday but as I said, I like to chop and change. Whenever I wear this people always say it's a very 'clean' smell and soapy has been mentioned as well. I'm not bothered, I like to smell clean! I found out that this has been discontinued so scoured the internet and bought a new 100mL bottle before they all disappear! However I've seen a lot around on the internet on trustworthy sites if you're interested. 

 It's described as: a celebration of radiant, generous and spontaneous femininity. A contagious beauty that is free and graceful. This fragrance is inspired by the intimacy of the beauty ritual. It is a fine, powdery scent. Light, sensual and iridescent with talc and rice. Notes: orange blossom, pepper, hyacinth, iris, lilac, wisteria, heliotropine, musk, talc, rice powder.

Prada Candy L'Eau EDT- Again an overseas purchase- I tend to wait to buy fragrances overseas because they're cheaper and I sometimes worry about authenticity when purchasing fragrances online. I bought this at a Sephora after I'd sniffed a million and one others and I preferred the EDT of Candy rather than the original. It's lighter and a bit more fresh so therefore not as overpowering. I only bought the 30mL but this has lasted me quite a while. I wore it around Europe so now when I wear it, it takes me back to the Greek Islands and European summer which makes me one happy lady. I love how a scent can attach to a memory and stick in your mind! This is probably about as sweet a perfume as I'll wear as well. 

They say: Combining freshness and joie de vivre, Prada’s latest fragrance evolved from the concept of a fictional young female character, Candy. Alluring and unexpected, pleasure-seeking and enigmatic, the many facets of Candy’s personality reflect the range of notes that form Prada Candy L’Eau. A trinity of white musks, benzoin, and caramel is heightened by the presence of citrus and Oriental floral notes to create a vibrant ensemble. Zestful, elegant, and indulgent, the spirit of the fragrance lies in Candy’s optimistic view of the world.

Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb EDP-  I think this will be one that most people have heard of/use/love or are obsessed with. It's just one of those scents, ya know. Two of my best friends in highschool used to wear this and they just smelt absolutely amaze so I had to jump on the bandwagon and have it to! This is now my second 100mL bottle and I love coming back to it in the warmer months. The thing I like about this perfume is that I feel it smells slightly different on everyone, which I know is often the case with perfumes as it reacts with peoples' skin differently but not always. This on me and this on my best friend are so, so different. I find this to be a fairly warm floral, again quite sweet without being lolly water sweet. I do always get compliments when I wear this and as I said it seems to be a crowd favourite with a lot of beauty obsessives!

They say: This floral explosion releases a profusion of flowers that has the power to make everything seem more positive. Magically evocative notes immediately awaken your deepest senses, giving you the impression of living life in your own secret garden, away from reality. Sambac jasmine, centifolia rose, 

cattleya orchid, and ballerina freesia bloom on a base of patchouli.

What are your favourite go-to perfumes for the warmer months? From this blog post do you have any recommendations for me?

Goldwell Elixir

I did try to take a photo of the actual oil then realised it was clear and just the bottle is gold.. derp.

With Summer around the corner, often things can get a little dry and frizzy from all the heat and beaching and swimming that us Aussies enjoy. However, I just have to say AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FO' DAT! So I've found a product that will be helping me combat frizzy, dry locks this Summer so things remain looking sleek and chic.

Goldwell's Elixir* is a beautiful, lightweight hair oil that has a nice scent and doesn't leave your hair feeling weighed down and greasy. Plus it's a bit of a multitasker so if you're someone who just can't be bothered too much with your haircare routine or you don't want to be spending a lot of money on various products then this could be the one you need. Unlike a lot of other much loved products on the market that have only one oil in them, Elixir is a combination of Argan Oil which we all know is the new 'it' thing in the beauty world, together with Tamanu Oil which has protective qualities. The combination of the two provides your hair with intense shine, silky soft to touch and is great for anti-frizz- well hello, I think you've answered my prayers hair angels!

I like to use this more on towel-dried hair before I quickly 'blow dry' it. I use that term loosely because really I run my fingers through and wave the hairdryer around until is dry enough for me to leave the house and look semi respectable. Applying the oil before hair drying also works as a heat protectant but sometimes I do double up with my TRESemme Keratin Protect spray for added protection.

As I mentioned before this one is a bit of a multitasker, so you can also add a drop of the Elixir into any other hair treatments you may use for a bit o' extra silky smooth and as well as a finishing product. So once you've dried your hair and maybe things are looking a little frizzola and bouffy post-dry; rub a pea sized amount through your palms and gently over your hair avoiding the roots. This will calm things down more and protect against the frizz which for me, is a necessity.

The Goldwell Elixir retails for $34.95 which is cheaper than a lot of the other salon products that aim to do a similar thing. You can purchase it from Goldwell salons.

*I was kindly sent this product for review however all opinions are truthful and my own and this post is not compensated.

Now on the Nails

I was thinking about future blog posts the other day and trying to think of things that I hadn't written about previously when I realised I'd never written a single word about nails.. NOTHING NAIL!? How could this be?? I'm no nail artiste however I do have a hefty amount of polishes and tend to paint my nails fairly regularly because I need to have neat nails for work.

Considering the weather is finally starting to brighten up and prove to be Spring, I thought it fitting to talk Spring inspired polish colours. (oooh how original of me.. I know, I know.)

Nails Inc Porchester Square, Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Mauve Along & Maybelline Super Stay in Rose Poudre

Moving on, I've pulled more neutral but fresh spring-y shades as well as bright, typically spring time shades. Seeing as I'm only really allowed to wear neutrals to work, the brighter shades have to be reserved for my toes for the time being but my blush toned pinks are treating me well!

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Jaded, Maybelline Super Stay in Hot Salsa, Rimmel Kate Moss in Hip Hop & Dior Wonderland.

What are your current favourites or polish shades that you like to bring out for the warmer months?

The Body Shop Summer Beauty Preview

Last week I went to The Body Shop's Summer Beauty Preview at their Galeries store in Sydney. What I liked about this event from the outset was that it was advertised publicly on their Instagram page so anyone and everyone could attend, you just had to RSVP. Doing it this way meant that you didn't have to be invited by a PR company so little guys like me who are fans of the brand could go. I was looking forward to this launch seeing as I've already heard quite a bit about their new Argan range from UK beauty bloggers as it's already been launched in the northern hemisphere.

I headed to the event after work last Tuesday and dragged Mum along. It was a fairly small crowd which did surprise me but I guess it wouldn't interest everybody. The event was in cooperation with beauty bloggers Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily, who I'm not going to lie, I hadn't heard of prior to this. We had some time to mill around the store and have a look at the new and existing ranges before the two girls demonstrated and explained some of The Body Shop's most recent beauty launches. Most of which I was already aware of apart from the Drops of Youth range which contains a serum and undereye roll on. It makes the big claim that you'll see a noticeable difference in four weeks so of course, both my Mum and I were pulled in. She bought the serum and me, the undereye roll on. I'll report my thoughts after I've used it a while and (hopefully) when I start noticing some difference in my dark circles.


I only bought the rough scrub from the new Argan range, although all the products smell amazing and sound very good but I thought I'd just start with one and work my way through what I already have. One thing that was slightly disappointing was that because the Galeries store is about to undergo refurbishment, the store was out of stock of a couple of the products that I needed to repurchase or wanted to try out; with all products discounted for the evening only, it was a shame I couldn't buy more!

Goodie bags were handed out on our way out with a few samples from their Nutriganics range, a Makeover voucher and a sample size of their new Water Lotus fragrance which smells super fresh for Spring/Summer.

A Spring Wedding

Last weekend I attended my cousin's wedding in Berry, a lovely little town a few hours out of Sydney. It's been quite a few years since I'd last been to Berry so it was nice to wander around the boutiques the next day and escape skyscrapers, noise and the hustle and bustle even if it was only an overnight stay! My cousin and her now, husband are both very eclectic personalities so they decided to theme their wedding and asked everyone to embrace Rockabilly fashion.

With some googling, I got a better idea of the theme so then scoured the internet and all the online stores I could think of and finally found this dress on ASOS. In the end I think it was more of a vintage/classic look rather than rockabilly but I tried! I generally don't post outfits or OOTDs but I had my mum with me to take photos so I thought it'd be fun to post a few on the blog. It's not often I go to weddings or have time/someone to take photos before events and special occasions so why not.

Makeup was a simple winged eye with neutral shadows, full coverage base with subtle contouring and highlighting, pulled together with some wispy false lashes. I did intend to attempt victory rolls in my hair but once we finally got down there and into our accommodation, there just wasn't enough time for me to be experimenting. So I just twisted the front pieces on both sides and pinned them back which still had a kind of vintage feel.

Dress- ASOS

Jacket- Topshop (Bought in UK)

Shoes- ZARA

Clutch- Colette

Earrings- Mimco

7 Deadly Sins of Beauty Tag

1. Greed: What is your most inexpensive beauty product? What is your most expensive beauty product?

My most inexpensive beauty products are those that I mentioned in an older post- all things cotton! Cotton rounds, ovals and tissues if they count, but actual beauty product.. probably a NYX lipliner or maybe even my holy grail Jordana Best Lash Extreme mascara which I swear by! Most expensive single item would possibly be my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, the trio was fairly pricey but surprisingly not as bad as I was expecting for Aussie prices. 

2. Wrath: What beauty product do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

A love/hate relationship.. First thing that came to mind was the Bobbi Brown Corrector. This thing gets so much hype and for a fairly small pot of product is pretty pricey. I love the intention of the product to conceal my dark circles but sometimes I feel it doesn't even conceal as much as it should for a product with its consistency and sometimes it just seems a bit cakey under the eyes but not to the point where I feel it creases badly or anything. So probably that. Product that has been hard to get.. something that I don't have but want and have found fairly difficult to find from Australia is the LORAC Pro Palette, I want it so bad but Lorac is pretty difficult to find online that will ship here. 

3. Gluttony: What are your most delicious beauty products?

For sure the Lush lip scrubs! Oh also the NYX Butter Glosses, they smell delish. Yuuuuumm!

4. Sloth: What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?

Uuhh if I want to wear something or want a particular makeup look then I'll generally do it because I enjoy doing my makeup but if we're talking something  I avoid doing then maybe winged eyeliner because it can either go really well or really badly and then just be a frustrating hot mess and sometimes bold lips as well for more an everyday basis because in the light of day they do require touching up and it's not like you're in a dark night time environment when you could maybe let it slide..

 5. Pride: What beauty product gives you the most self-confidence?

I'd have to say foundation probably. I don't have flawless skin and depending on how my skin is looking at a particular point in time sometimes a girl just needs a little (or a lot) of help to get a more even complexion. That and bold coloured lips. 

 6. Lust: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

This ain't beauty related.. but ok. Good humour, kindness and just enjoyable to be around. People who are downright rude- nuh uh, just no. 

 7. Envy: What product would you most like to receive as a gift?

A product I would like to receive.. Generally when family and family friends ask me or my Mum what I would like, I tend to ask for things that I wouldn't buy myself or would feel more guilty spending my money on. Recently I was given my first Dior nail polish and that was super lovely as a gift. Even just a voucher so I could put it towards something I really want because I do prefer to buy high end products that I've researched or trialled beforehand. 

I tag anyone and everyone that wants to do this, to do this! 

Easy on the Eye(s)

Eye crayons and jumbo pencils seem to be emerging more and more on makeup shelves and counters from various brands- both more affordable and highend. One of the favourites which I'm sure no beauty blogger is unfamiliar with are the NYX jumbo eye pencils; they come in a huge range of shades from neutrals to brights. I think NYX were one of the first companies to really make this type of product so popular and since more and more companies are taking a page from their book. Eye crayons and jumbo pencils have been increasingly sneaking into a lot of my makeup and eye looks of late so I thought a blog post was in order! Plus on a recent peruse of priceline's website, I saw some new releases of even more eye crayons! Heavens!

May as well start with NYX as I've already mentioned them and I'm sure most people would have one of these in ther collection or are at least aware of them. I have two shades- the cult classic Milk as well as Iced Mocha, which I may or may not have purchased on two occasions because I didn't know the name and thought it looked right up my alley online. Well duh woman, that's why you bought it the first time! (Please tell me I'm not alone here..) Anyway these pencils are great as a base for powder shadows or just on their own as an all over wash of colour. They blend easily, are pigmented and don't crease on me. Plus as I mentioned before, the shade range of these is huge and because they're affordable, they're great for dress up occasions or if you are feeling adventurous and colourful!

Also from NYX are their Glam Shadow Sticks- a bit less creamy and not so much a base product but these sticks look great swiped over a bare lid or over a bit of matte or shimmer shadow to add some extra pizazz. I bought one of these when Target had NYX on offer and really like it. If you want subtle shimmer, this is not for you because it is more than apparent. They don't glide so easily over the lid as the Jumbo Pencils and definitely don't have the same creamy texture but nonetheless they're super easy to work with.

Next up we have Rimmel's offering; now Rimmel know what they're doing when it comes to eye pencils if you ask me. Their Scandaleyes range is fantastic- the pencils are creamy, super long lasting and are pretty good on the smudge proof front. When they brought out the jumbo Scandaleyes eyeshadow pencils I was on board. At the moment I only have one shade Bad Girl Bronze but that one shade gets a lotta love! Surprise surprise is a brown but it has some slight shimmer through it, I absolutely love it for a super quick, fuss-free smokey eye! Slap a bit on all over the lid, as messy as you want blend it out with your finger or a fluffy brush, do the same to your lower lash line and you're in business! As quick as that. Again with these, they're long lasting, creamy, pigmented and don't crease on me but I am always wearing eye primer or concealer as a base just to be sure. 

A few random extras to tag on the end- in my stash I've accumulated an eyeshadow stick from Sephora's own line which again, is a great base but sadly often neglected. Same goes for the Bloom Smokey shadow stick which has a brush on the other end that is really quite useless for this product. However it and the Sephora pencil are great for an evening smokey eye more due to the shades but they're not disappointing products. Lastly we have a Barry M pencil which I undoubtedly put in my ASOS shopping bag when I was wanting a bit of beauty therapy. Not a waste though, this pencil is similar to that of the Rimmel Scandaleyes and of course, standard me, it's a neutral bronzey colour. Perfect for everyday quick swipe eyes or darkened up for the evening!

Do you use eyeshadow pencils or crayons in your daily routine? Do you have some in your stash that you turn to? I'm seeing more and more brands launch their own Eyeshadow sticks/pencils so they must be catering to someone!