My 2014 resolution and the Lorna Jane Philosophy!

Tomorrow is New Years Eve, which means we a nearly at the end of 2013 and beginning 2014. Every year people make the same resolutions, I'm going to join a gym, i am going to get fit, i am going to do things i have never done before. The year 2013 was the one where i actually followed through with my resolutions. I had already joined a gym, but i vowed to become a better version of myself! I signed up to a boot camp, which i thought was going to be terrifying and i'd hate it! I've been doing it on and off for most of this year, i had a break for awhile as i went overseas and i was hard to get back into it.

From starting this small change in my life and looking closer at what i ate and how much i ate, i have become that better version of myself. I am not the best version, but i have improved and i intend to keep doing that. I can't say i have lost an incredible amount of weight, because that's not true. I have become a lot fitter and i actually enjoy getting up early and doing a work out or a walk. I have even learnt to jog!

So for the year ahead that will be 2014 i have some new tools to keep me motivated and help me set some goals! I'm not sure if many of you have heard of the active wear brand Lorna Jane. This line was developed by Lorna Jane Clarkson, she was a fitness instructor who was tired of not have workout clothes that she liked so she started designing and making her own clothing! 20 years on and the Lorna Jane line can be found all over Australia and it has now branched out to the US and Canada. Lorna Jane Clarkson has also become an inspiring role model to active girls, she has developed her own philosophy, Move - Nourish - Believe. You can visit the website to learn more about the philosophy, and also check out some awesome recipes. Lorna Jane Clarkson has also written two books which have helped to motivate and inspire girls all over the world. I haven't read the first book, but i asked for one for Christmas and i received the second one, which is called More of the Woman's Secrets. I have only read a little bit of it so far, but it is already so inspiring. The book includes everything from what inspires Lorna, to recipes, workouts and even her skincare routine and DIY recipes! I am hoping this book will provide me with the tools and motivation i need to ensure that 2014 is my year to achieve my goals!

Workout page in LJ's book

The Lorna Jane brand also has an active living diary which is awesome! It has a goal setting plan at the beginning so you can write down what goals you want to achieve, it has a 6 month progress section where you reflect on the goals you wrote down! Throughout the diary there is also quick workouts, recipes and inspirational quotes! I think this will definitely help me to achieve goals. I love using a manual diary rather than the electronic one on my phone, mainly because my phone dies a lot and needs restarting. You can purchase the Lorna Jane books and diary from their clothing website. Oh and the clothing is amazing! I own several items and can't wait to get more. They often have awesome deals  or active packs where you can pick up a pair of tights and a jacket for about $150, the jacket it's self is usually worth about that much! I have picked up two of these packs this year!

Motivation in the LJ Diary! 

So that is one of my resolutions for 2014, i'll keep you updated with how it's going!

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Do you love LJ as much as i do??

MOVE my body everyday

NOURISH from the inside out

BELIEVE anything is possible

December Favourites!!!

It is nearing the end of December and the end of 2013! I have had some spare time over the Christmas Holidays, as you can tell i've written a few posts in the last few days. In celebration i decided to write about my favourite products right now! It was really hard to choose a few items that i love at the moment! So i picked some that i use every day or at least every few days! Most of them are items i've only purchase in the last few months, since i became a member of Beauty heaven and discovered all these new products! Lets get down to the items!

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 - Totally loving this! I use it every day! So it get's a good work out. I've used nearly all of the shades! I think there is only one that i haven't used and that is Verve which is a silver shade, i'll have to find a use for it soon. But basically my favourite shades are, Tease, Foxy, Bootycall, Busted and Suspect. For a day at work i generally use the matte shades, Foxy, Tease and Busted, i use Bootycall to highlight my brow bone and inner corner of my eye! I use the brush it comes with too! It's pretty awesome! I purchased my palette from Beautybay, they also now stock Naked 3 and have free postage!

2. Benefit Boi-ing Concealer! - I have used this pretty much every day since i bought it, i use it either for blemishes or under my eyes or both! I have found that it is pretty light on my chin area so i've had to use a different concealer to cover up a huge lump/pimple that turned up on Christmas Day! But it doesn't cake at all under my eyes, i have been using a hydrating eye cream more so that could help also! You can buy Benefit from Myer or from the Benefit website, they have free international shipping for orders over $75, heaps cheaper in US dollars!

3. Benefit They're Real Mascara - I am really loving this at the moment! It does look like i am wearing fakies! And it works just as well as the Chanel mascara that has been my favourite for years! And it's $15 cheaper! It is a little more difficult to remove! So i think i'll need to invest in an eye make up remover as my cleansers don't seem to get it all off!

4. Furless Brushes - I love these so much! The face brushes are super soft and pick up a decent amount of product! The eye brushes are soft but still firm enough to pick up product! This set was pretty cheap! about $49.95, and they are not made of animal fur, hence Furless! They are only sold online, and you can purchase them from the Furless website, they have other sets depending on what you are looking for! Definitely recommend them though!

5. NYX Butter Gloss - I'm so glad i discovered these! The forumla is not sticky at all and they are super hydrating! I firstly purchased Creme Brulee which is a nude colour, quite sheer though. I then wanted a colour with a bit more pink in it but not super bright! I purchased Maple Blondie, which is perfect! It is a light pink and is also quite sheer, perfect for me! These would also be great if they made them with a shimmer!! I love shimmers! You can now purchase these in-store or online at Target!

6. Nivea Vanilla & Macadamia Lip Butter - I use this everyday!! It is super nourishing and is not sticky, it is just right! This comes in a few other flavours, unscented, Caramel and i think there is also a Raspberry flavour!

7. Kora Organics, Clay Mask - Out of the 3 Kora products i have purchased this one is my favourite and i find it works the best for me out of the other products i own. You apply this on your face and leave it for 10-15 mins. It draws out the impurities in your skin. I believe some people freak out about this and think that it's making their skin worse, they forget that your skin needs to get worse to get better. I use this 2 times a week and i've noticed that i hardly get any blemishes and my skin feels super clean after i use it. You can buy these at David Jones, or if you go to their store locator page you can find a store near you that stocks Kora.

8. Daiso Black Mask - I read lots of reviews about this product and found it very interesting. When i discovered there was a Daiso store at Highpoint i had to check it out. For $2.80 it can't be too bad! So i tested it out over my nose, as reviews said not to use it on your whole face if you have sensitive skin because it feels like you are pulling wax off your face. The great thing about this, is that it really does pull out all the yucky things that are on your face, and because it's black you can see them once youv'e pulled the mask off! I use this twice a week also, I haven't really paid that much attention to see if my pores are getting smaller. But i did use it over a large pimple that i had on Christmas day, and by Boxing Day it had shrunk significantly!

9. Kosmea Rose Hip - I am loving Rose Hip Oil right now! It hydrates my skin really well! My skin has never looked as good since using this product! I use it mainly at night, unless i have a dry patch or feel i need to hydrate a certain area more! You can purchase Kosmea from most pharmacies, i purchased mine from Chemist Warehouse.

That's my favourites for the month! Are any of these on your favourites list?
If you would like more information about any of the products please let me know, i'll be happy to help!

Priceline 40% off skincare sale and other product hauls!

When i heard Priceline was going to be having a 40% off sale for Boxing Day and the days following i knew i had to stock up on some products! I have just run out of my Vaseline Cocoa Glow lotion which was featured in my empties post, so i needed to find a new lotion, although i do love it i wanted to try something new. From recommendations from BH users i decided i'd buy a lotion by St Ives. I don't like super thick and creamy lotions, i like runny ones! I went in on Boxing Day and purchase St Ives Coconut Milk & Orchid Extract and the 24 Hour Almond oil lotion. I also picked up Swisspers Cucumber refreshing face wipes, as i had just run out of my other wipes which is also featured in my empties post.

So far i have used the Coconut Milk lotion, which smells delicious like a tropical holiday! It is also pretty moisturising too! I have also used the wipes, which are really refreshing. I think they will be great for after really hot days, or after spending lots of time in the sun!

After purchasing these 3 products, i decided i had to go back and look at more things to buy! So i ended up purchasing, Simple Eye Make up remover, St Ives Apricot Scrub, some hair section clips and i also purchase the Priceline brand cotton pads which i haven't photographed! I haven't had a chance to use these products yet, so i'm sure i'll feature them in the future! 

I also went into The Body Shop to see what they had on sale, it seemed to be only the Chocolate line which didn't really interest me. But i did pick up the exfoliating pad and cleansing face brush! The SA told me they are awesome! I've only used the exfoliating pad before, so i'll be trying the brush this morning! 

For Christmas i asked for the Lush Fair Trade Foot Lotion, smells delicious and i need to start looking after my feet as much as i do everything else. I also asked for a Lush Lip Scrub, i received the bubble gum flavour which is delicious! It works pretty well, it's nice and gentle! I still feel a bit weird about licking it off, so i just wipe it off with a face wipe! 

Did you pick up anything from the Priceline sale?

Have you used any of these products before?

First empties post!

I hope everyone has picked up some great bargains during the Boxing Day sales! I picked up a few things, mainly to replace products that i've already finished. So i thought it was time i created an empties post!

I've collected a few products that i've managed to finish over the last few weeks, some are samples for beauty boxes, others are things i purchased awhile ago and have finally finished. I love finishing products because it gives me an excuse to try new products which you'll see i have done with a few items.

Empties:
1. Vaseline Cocoa Glow - I have had this in the pump pack for quite some time, possibly well over a year! I do love this, it doesn't have a strong smell and it is not greasy. I don't have super dry skin so i don't need super nourishing. In the past i haven't been much of a body lotion person, but i decided to get into it for summer so my legs and arms don't look yucky, and if i get sunburnt it won't peel as easily!

Re-purchase?: I would, but i want to try something new. So i have purchased 2 St Ives lotions during the priceline 40% off sale!

2. A'kin Rose Hip Oil - This was a sample i got from the A'kin website. I received this at a time when i had a  disgusting rash turn up on my face. After using the sample morning and night with no makeup on the affected area, my rash cleared up within a few days of using it. I now understood the huge hype behind this wonder product! I use it mostly at night and i wake up with skin still feeling great :)

Re-purchase? I purchased a different brand, Kosmea, and it works wonderfully! I even use it on rashes on other parts of my body!

3. Lush Herbalism - I have been using this cleanser for ages! It makes my skin feel like it has been cleaned really well. The organic smell of it makes it feel like it is doing a great job! Which it is! Since using it i hardly ever have pimples, and when i stop using it i get pimples!! It lasts forever and i've literally purchased this one about 3 times!

Re-purchase? Yes! When i finish other cleansers i have bought, or i feel i need a good cleanse!

4. Lush Let the good times roll - I also love this cleanser! Unfortunately it is only a Christmas special, so i usually stock up on it. Sometimes it is available during Christmas in July, which is when i purchased this latest container of it. I prefer using this product during winter, as it has a bit more moisturising ingredients in it that Herbalism doesn't, and i feel i need more moisturising during winter. It also smells delicious, and as the SA at lush told me, it's like little angels are exfoliating your face.

Re-purchase? Yes, but i prefer Herbalism!

5. Palmers Cleansing Foam - This was a sample i got from Bellabox, it was about the only thing i liked out of the December box. I love all of Palmers products though. This one is lovely and foams up really easily, and makes me feel like my face is really clean. The smell is not as nice as other Palmers products, it's a little bit Cocoa buttery, but still kind of gross...

Re-purchase? Maybe, the smell is off putting.

6. Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Protective Spray - I love this! I have been using it for years and have repurchased it many times! It doesn't have much of a smell, and i feel like it is doing it's job. Makes my hair feel very lovely. I use this before blow drying, and when using a straightener!

Re-purchase? Yes! I recently decided to try Lee Stafford's Poker Straight, but i think i'll go back to Tresemme, i don't like the smell of Poker Straight.

7. Say yes! Cucumber face wipes - I have used these wipes quite a few times. They do a good job of taking off my extra make-up and making my skin feel clean. But recently i have discovered that many people suffer rashes and skin irritation from using these wipes. Sometimes i do find they are a little stingy on my skin!

Re-purchase? Maybe, i have decided to try Swisspers wipes instead. I usually also use Simple Wipes!


So that is my lastest empties! I'm guessing i'll have an empties post probably every few months, depends how quickly i go through my products. I know i'll have a few empties in the next few weeks so i'll save them like i have the others.

Have you tried any of these products? Or are you looking at trying any?

Chanel Nail Lacquer Review

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! For once i didn't over eat, so i'm feeling pretty good today! If you are suffering from a food coma, i have some light reading for you! Today's post is about one of my favourite high end brands, Chanel.

I love their accessories and i have just discovered how fantastic their beauty products are. I have been using their Inimitable Intense mascara for about 4years now, and for some reason for awhile i didn't even know they sold foundation and skincare!! Living in a hole i think! Previously i have posted about the Vitalumiere sample that i received, here, i'd like to update on my experience with that and say that it lasted amazingly well whilst i was at work! So after Christmas i'll be heading into Myer and purchasing myself some, they better have that line or i'll cry!! I've also done some research on their skincare and i think i'll also be buying their Hydra Beauty Gel soon too. I really prefer gel moisturiser over liquids and creams! So look out for that post in the future! Today's post is going to be about the 2 nail lacquers i picked up during my trip to Highpoint, you can see the rest of the haul here. I purchased these polishes from the Chanel store, i also picked up another Inimitable Mascara! ADDICTED!

The polishes are $38 each! Which is about twice the amount i pay for OPI polishes, but seriously they are totally worth it! The formula is really thin and so easy to apply! You need about 2-3 coats depending on the colour. The two colours i picked up were Distraction, a pink/coral colour with a delightful blue/purple duochrome throughout it, unfortunately it's only really obvious in the jar. I also purchased Peche Nacree, a light peach colour with a lovely shimmer. Out of the two, Peche Nacree is my favourite!

Peche Nacree 3 coats no top coat

Distraction 2 coats, 1 top coat. 

I tested Peche Nacree first, and i didn't use a top coat. It lasted about 5 days before it started chipping. I used a top coat for Distraction, but it started chipping after about 4 days. Maybe it didn't like a top coat that wasn't Chanel, i used Essie Good to go. I will try Peche Nacree again with a top coat and see how that goes! But i really do like this formula! I will definetly be purchasing more Chanel Lacquers in the future. I also want to try a Dior one!

Have you tried any Chanel Lacquers? Or Dior? 

Do you think high end polishes are worth the price?

Daiso Fake lashes!

Today i am writing a short review of the fake eyelashes i bought from Daiso on my recent trip to Highpoint, you can read about that haul here. I'm not usually a fakies girl, mainly cause i can never figure out how to get them on properly without looking ridiculous! Surprisingly these $2.80 lashes were super easy to work with. I had to trim them a bit to get them to look right, but i am pretty happy with my purchases!

The two pairs i purchased were quite natural looking, one had straight lashes and the other had criss cross lashes!

I took the photo after i had already tried one of each of the lashes so i had already cut them down to fit my eye! Sorry for the dodge pictures. So you can see the bottom set are straight and the top are criss cross. I applied one to each of my eye lashes.

Straight lashes

Criss cross lashes

So i think these are a pretty good buy for $2.80 they even come with glue! I'm yet to see how they'll go all day. I might think about wearing them Christmas day or New Years Eve!

Have you purchased any Daiso lashes? What did you think of them?

You can find your local Daiso store here.

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas! I'll probably be writing a few posts in the next week! Hopefully one on all the bargains i'll get at the Boxing Day sales!! I heard priceline have 40% off skincare!!

Highpoint shopping haul!

Last Friday i went to Melbourne to see Taylor Swift, i decided to take the opportunity to purchase some new products that are not available where i live. Highpoint was just around the corner where i was staying, so i took myself out there and for 3.5hrs i came back with quite a collection of goodies!

As you can tell there are quite a few products! I have had a week to play with most of them and i will briefly talk about them individually, i will prepare more in-depth reviews in the next few weeks, so if you want to know more about any particular products please let me know! Lets get started!

I picked up two Benefit products, They're real mascara and Boi-ing concealer! I love both of these, i had the SA at Benefit colour match me, and my shade is the lightest 01. This concealer is actually great for both blemishes and under eye! The mascara is awesome too, makes the lashes a lot longer and fuller. I used a $20 gift/rewards card from Myer to purchase these. You can also buy Benefit from their website, and they have free international postage over $125 and discount codes sometimes. 

I went in to the Chanel store at highpoint and purchase two Nail Lacquers (in Peche Nacree and Distraction) and a Inimitable mascara in black! This is the 4th of this mascara that i have purchased! I wish i had bought more duty free when i was overseas! I also asked the SA for some foundation samples, i received Vitalumiere in shade 20 Clair, and Vitalumiere Aqua in shade 30 Beige. I have already posted a review about these samples and you can read about them here.

I also discovered Daiso, a Japanese $2 shop, well everything is $2.80 actually! Here i purchased two sets of fake eyelashes, i chose natural looking ones. I also bought a cleaning liquid for my makeup brushes and the tube on the left with the black face is their Charcoal face mask. This is really cool, you can apply it to your whole face or troublesome areas, like nose and chin. When it dries you can pull it off and it removes dirt from pores and even tiny little hairs on your face. I quite enjoy it, but it does hurt a little if you are not careful removing it. 

I purchase two Ciate polishes from Mecca Maxima! They are super cute! The shades i got were Pepperminty and Cutie Pie, out of the two i prefer pepperminty! Cutie pie is really sheer! 

I also purchased a few products from Target, one being a NYX jumbo pencil in Yogurt and another NYX Butter Gloss, this time in Maple Blondie! I also bought Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair. This is a great creamy concealer for undereyes! Have tried it on blemishes yet! 

And that is everything i purchased! I took a few swatches of the concealers, jump eye pencil and Butter Gloss which i'll post below. I also swatched my current MAC concealer to show the difference between the three. 

Top to bottom: MAC Mineralize concealer (NC20), Fit me (Fair), Boi-ing (01),
NYX Jumbo eye pencil (Yogurt), NYX Butter Gloss (Maple blondie).

So that was my haul from highpoint! A variety of highend and low end products all of which i love. Let me know if you'd like to hear more about any of the products. I am planning a review of the eyelashes and the Nail Lacquers so far!

Here are some happy snaps of Taylor Swift's performance at Etihad! She's amazing!!

Disappointing Bellabox!

Many of you would be aware of the beauty box subscriptions out there, if you are not then basically you sign up for a monthly payment to receive a box of 5-8 sample products sometimes including full size items. I joined up at the end of October, and i received my first box a few weeks ago. As a first box i didn't have many expectations and i have reviewed the items in previous posts, i wasn't all that impressed, but i decided to keep it up.

Bellabox asks you to create a beauty profile when you sign up, i assumed this was so they could tailor the boxes to suit your own needs. After receiving my December Bellabox i have realised the beauty profile is pointless.

This is how my items arrived. I received six items and one bonus item, two of the items were full size products. I'll list the products and their RRP.

1. Romy hand and nail cream in Eucalyptus and lemongrass.  RRP $33.50 FULL SIZE
2. ASAP Clear skin gel RRP 59 Sample size
3. Avene Antbougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate RRP $38.95 Sample Size
4. St Tropez Gradual Tan RRP $33.95 Sample Size
5. Mary Kay Creme Lipstick RRP $24
6. ESLOR sample pack RRP $36.95-$84.0
7. Bonus - Palmers Cleansing Gel & Daily lotion samples RRP $9.95&$12.99

So these products would be great if they were given to the right person. Here comes my whinge.... I recieved the gradual tan in medium/dark..... i am very fair.... albino fair! This shade just wouldn't work for me at all. I will swatch it and see how it is, but i think i'll be giving it to my mum. 

The Avene product is for people with severe redness i do not suffer from this, so i won't be putting it on my face. 

The hand cream would be lovely if it didn't stink. I don't know if it is the two fragrances, but it is just awful. I can't stand the smell. I'll be giving that to my mum as well. 

The product i am most disappointed in is the lipstick, the colour is a very very dark red/brown colour. I hardly wear lipstick and when i do it's a pink/peach colour mainly because other shades don't suit me. I won't even bother trying this because i know it will just wash me out! My mum will get this product too! 

Obviously not a lot of these products were tailored to my skin type! There was also a bellabox tote bag included, i will probably get some use out of this but it is valued at $19.95 i would not pay that much for it at all! Not pictured was the Palmers samples, I used these before i took the pictures. I love palmers products and i was quite happy with those samples. I think i'll get a few uses out of the samples! I haven't used anything else as i don't know how to use the clear skin gel, so i'll be doing some research on that, and also the ESLOR products! I'll keep you posted on those. 

So i haven't been very impressed with BB and i have emailed to cancel my monthly subscription, hopefully i get a response soon. In the meantime i signed up to Lust Have It as they seem to include products that are suitable for everyone! Will see how that goes, you get $5 off for your first box, so it was only $14.95

Are you signed up to BB? What did you think of your box?

Chanel Vitalumiere review

I have been so busy with the festive season, catching up with friends and doing family things i haven't had time to write many posts. Today i just wanted to do a quick one, and then i'll post a few other long posts in the next day or so.

So today i want to tell you about Chanel's Vitalumiere Satin Fluid Makeup. I went to a Chanel counter at Myer a few weeks ago to try the Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, unfortunately they didn't have samples in my shade, which was apparently either 12  or 22 Beige Rose, the SA couldn't remember what shade she had tried on my face....i'm usually in MAC terms NC20. Whilst in Melbourne i went to a Chanel store at Highpoint, i wanted a new mascara and some nail polish. Whilst i was there i asked if they had any samples in Aqua Vitalumiere, the SA came back with two samples for me, again they didn't have my shade. So she gave me a sample in 30, and also a Vitalumiere sample in shade 20. The SA at the Chanel counter thought i was a 20 not a 12, until she swatched some on my neck and said i could be 10 or 12.

So the samples have sat around for a week in my cupboard i was a bit scared to try them in case they were too take, i am not going to try the shade 30 i'll give that to my friend. I tried the shade 20 today, and i was a little scared because it looked a little yellow and very dark. I squeezed some onto my hand and use a mini Eco tools bamboo kabuki brush to buff it into my skin. It literally just blended into my skin, it is a really light coverage so i still needed to go over with a concealer (Benefit Boi-ing) to cover up blemishes and dark circles. But in my honest opinion i really loved this! It looked a little dewy after the application, but once i used my setting powder (Australis Ready Set Go) it looked great. Below i have a before and after picture

Before

After

So you can tell there is a little bit of difference, my skin tone is more even and it has covered up my very obvious pores. And my little pimple is covered up, it only needed a small amount of concealer. But so far i am very happy with this foundation. I won't be buying it until i test out how it goes when i am at work, as i work in an office environment and my skin can go feral and oily in the t-zone.

This is what Chanel say about the product:
Source of youth and light. This fluid foundation revives tired, dull complexions. 

Its fluid texture, containing moisturisers*, ensures maximum comfort for the skin. 

Presented in a pump-action bottle, VITALUMIÈRE fluid delivers the ideal amount for a single application. 

Your complexion appears visibly rested, its vitality and luminosity are restored. 

The light texture of VITALUMIÈRE fluid gives a slightly satin finish, for a radiant, natural, youthful-looking makeup. 

Has anyone else tried Vitalumiere or any other Chanel makeup products? Have you tried Vitalumiere Aqua? I'd love to hear some opinions!

Revlon Nearly Naked, review and swatches!

I have been collecting a lot of pictures to write some blogs about. I haven't had time to post anything as i went to Melbourne to see Taylor Swift over the weekend. I'll post about that later, and what items i bought! I've just been taking photos throughout the week so that i have something to post about. I am going to start with my experience with Revlon nearly naked. I received a sample sheet of the foundation in a magazine, i went for the lightest shade on the sheet which was Shell. Previously i have worn the shade Vanilla in Revlon photo ready, i find this a bit too light though.

The magazine sample came on a card with 4 shades, Shell (130), Natural Beige (170), True Beige (190) and Natural Tan (220). Out of this sample i managed to cover my entire face, since i've purchased a bottle i think i apply too much. So i'm going to try and cut back. I really love the texture of this foundation. It is really light, and i don't like heavy make up at all! You don't really notice that you are wearing any, and honestly if you pick the right shade it can look like your skin but better. It is a super light cover, but it evens out my skin tone and takes away the redness in my face. I will post before and after pics. 

Shell, Natural Beige, True Beige and Natural Tan

These are the four shades lightly swatched, i just stuck my finger in the sample and swiped. Obviously the other shades were way too dark for me! There are 12 shades, which i think is quite a good selection.  If you go to their website, Revlon you can see all the shades, i'd recommend going into a store like Priceline and swatching, or have a sales assistant match you. There is also a pressed powder and loose powder available in the range!

Before

After

The before photo, a freshly cleansed face ready for make up application. I picked an area of my face that needed more covering up, the little pimple. 

The after photo literally just has the foundation and i have not put any concealer on the pimple. As you can see it takes the shine off my face and evens out the skin tone as well as calming down the redness in the pimple!

I am very happy with this purchase and i really think you should give it a try. Especially if you are looking for a low end product that doesn't cost a fortune! Revlon are regularly on sale at Priceline and Target, and often Myer have a gift with purchase!

Perfume Samples & Charity Christmas Cards

I have previously mentioned how since i've joined Beauty Heaven i have found so many amazing products and sites, so i have another one to add to the list and tell you about, Myperfumesamples. I ordered a whole heap of perfume samples a few weeks ago after finding this site on a forum topic in BH. I did a little bit of googling to find some reviews, there was some negative feedback mainly people getting samples that had evaporated! But all the other reviews i read were quite positive, and it appeared this negative review had come from a competitor!

A member on BH said it took 1 week for them to process her order and 2 weeks for it to arrive. I pretty much gave myself 4 weeks for it to arrive in time for me to wrap up and give to my friends for Christmas. I ordered on November 25th, i received my shipping confirmation on November 28th and the parcel arrived yesterday! Dec 8th! So almost 2 weeks!

I was so excited to received the items, most i had purchase for my friends and mum a total of 17 samples. I received a free decanting kit and a 5ml spray sample of CK Be!

A few of my samples, and decanting kit!

I think samples are an awesome idea, because no one really wants to spend a fortune on products that might not suit them! You may use a tester of perfume at a counter, but you don't really know how the product is going to go until you try it for a full day! I previously posted about my MAC samples which you can read here. This was a really good idea because i have learnt from these MAC samples that i am not a Matte lipstick person!!

At the moment if you order from myperfumesamples they have some Christmas stocking stuffer gifts and if you use the code HOL10 you'll get 10% off :) I really recommend you check this site out if you are interested in trying some perfumes, the postage to Australia is about $9.95 from memory! A bargain really!

Now i'm going to tell you a little bit about a purchase i picked up in London in August. I was making sure i was prepared for Christmas, but also because i really wanted to buy something from Harrods, but everything is ridiculously expensive! So i purchased some cute Christmas cards! Covered in glitter and cute reindeer and snow flakes! I love sparkly things! I picked these particular cards because they donate part of the funds to prevent cruelty against children in the UK! This set of cards was 5 pounds, so close to $10. 

I've had a bit of a search online to see where you can buy charity Christmas cards in Aus. Some are kind of expensive :| But here is my list:

1. http://www.charityxmascards.com.au/ (variety of Charities)

2. http://flamingrhino.cart.net.au/store/retail-christmas/ (Supports Salvos)

3. http://www.cards4kids.com.au/catalogue/ready2go-greeting-card-packs-calendars-notepads/2012-christmas-card-packs-0 (Supports Barnardos Australia)

I have also made a few cards for close friends and relatives, I don't have time to make them for everyone, so these are awesome as extra. And i don't feel my money is going straight to a company taking advantage of Christmas and buyers!

I am thinking of putting a parcel together for the Kmart giving tree! Still thinking of an age group though. Might have to research to see what are the most needed gifts! 

Do you support any charities at Christmas?

Christmas gift ideas for tea lovers!

Every year i vow to have my Christmas shopping completely weeks in advanced and every year on Christmas Eve i am rushing to buy last minute presents for people i forgot about! But this year will be different! I started my planning weeks ago, and i nearly know what i am getting for everyone in my family and friends!

Today i thought i'd write about a product i have recently discovered, it is not beauty related so it would be a perfect gift for anyone really, male or female. It's the English Tea Shop infuser tins! This company is UK based so if you're looking for something that's not in the T2 trend then this is the tea for you!
I received a tin of the Super Berries triangle tea bags. I was so excited to try them as i love tea! Unfortunately for some reason the first few bags i took out of the tin fell apart and i had tea leaves everywhere! fortunately i had a tea strainer handy so it wasn't all wasted. You're probably wondering why i'm blogging about a failed product. Well on a whim i decided to email the English Tea Shop in the UK and find out if it had happened to other people or had i just received a dud product. I got a very prompt response back, and they asked me to provide the lot number and they'd send me a replacement product.

Infuser tins $8.69

The next day i received an email from Rosemary at BioLiving who are the Australian stockists, she asked for my address information so i could be sent a replacement product. A week went past and i received my parcel, not only did i get another tin of Super Berries but i also recieved the Lemongrass, Ginger & Citrus tin! I was so impressed with this lovely gesture that i had to write about them.
So if you know someone who is a tea lover, but you want to steer clear of the T2 trend (I am actually in love with T2) then this is the brand for you! Here is a little spill from the Bioliving site about the English Tea Shop tea:

"All our teas are Certified Organic. We believe that engaging ourselves with more organic produce will be beneficial for our health and wellbeing as well as that for our environment.A selected range are also Certified by Fairtrade International. Fairtrade guarantees a better life for farmers, their families and communities. And we firmly believe in this.
No nasties, no chemicals - just the indulgence of natural, organic taste bud tingling tea!"

I have to also comment on the actual tea itself, the Lemongrass one is really delicious, it's not overpowering with Lemon or Ginger, it's just a subtle citrus/gingery taste! And the Super Berries one is really delicious, it is not too sweet or too over powering with berries! Basically they both have just the right amount of flavour and there is no biterness aftertaste!

They also have a variety of other products other than the pyramid tea bags ($8.69), there is also mixed boxes (from $2.29) and loose leaf tea ($11.32). A lot cheaper than other tea brands! All can be purchased from BioLiving and selected retail outlets, there is a list of stockists on the website!

Pyramid tea bag

I am so impressed with the prompt responses i received from both the supplier and distributor, i will definitely be purchasing their tea, if not for myself as a gift for someone else!

Are you a tea lover? Are there any other brands that i should be trying?!

Urban Decay Naked 2 palette & MAC Samples!

I have been so excited to receive my Naked 2 palette! I've just started getting a bit over my 7 Bobbi Brown, brown eyeshadow shades and just in time my Naked 2 palette arrives! I couldn't wait to open it and see the goodness!

Naked 2 Palette with brush and lipgloss

It arrived on a Sunday which was a bit odd, and i didn't get to open it until Monday morning as i wasn't home. As i was getting ready for work i only had time to play around with 3 shades, pretty much 3 of the matte shades or maybe 2 matte 1 shimmer. Anyways i was really impressed with how well the shades went on and lasted throughout the day. I put them on over my Groundwork paint pot. I really can't wait to try out the other shades, i think i will get really good use out of this palette. I also really like the look of the Naked 3 palette, but i think i'll wait until it actually get's to Australian shores. I'm in no rush now i have my Naked 2. 

With flash on

Closer view of the semi darker shades

Closer view of the lighter shades

The palette also comes with a cute little lip gloss, i really like it. It's nicely pigmented, not too much colour. I forgot to take a swatch of it though, but it smells like choc peppermint! Yummy!

If you're interested i purchased the palette from Beauty Bay, you can visited their site here. They do have it in stock at the moment it is $75 i paid about $63 for mine 2 weeks ago! And you can choose free postage! 

The week i ordered the palette i also came across a website that sold samples of MAC products. I was really interested in this site because i like to try products out before i buy them. For example i bought the Vintage Selection paint pot at the beginning of the year and whilst i love it, i don't use it as much as my Ground Work paint pot which i've actually had for well over a year, and i haven't reached the bottom. So i thought buying some samples of paint pots and lipsticks would mean i can try more colours at a smaller price, and apparently they send you a decent amount so it's guaranteed to last a while. You should check the site out if you like my samples you can visit the site here. They also have their own line of samples!

MAC Samples

I am not someone who usually wears lipsticks, i've probably mentioned that in previous posts, so at the moment i am trying to develop a love for them as they can look so lovely. I thought these samples were a great opportunity to try out lipsticks at an affordable price without wasting my money or product on colours i didn't like. So i'll talk about the lipsticks first. The samples come in a cute little wind up tube, there is about 1.5cm worth of product in the tube, this is pretty decent i think. The lipsticks were $3.79. The shades i purchased were: Peach Blossom, Please Me, Lovelorn and Creme Cup. 

Bottom to top: Lovelorn, Creme Cup, Please Me, Peach Blossom.
Top colour is a free sample i received (not MAC)

Lovelorn: is a blue/pink shade, this swatch was actually quite a few swipes as it was quite sheer to begin with. 

Creme Cup: is a neutral pink colour, it's not too bright but not too dull either. 

Please Me: Is a much brighter pink, kind of dusky pink. This one is more matte than the others, although this is the only one i've actually tried on my lips at the moment. I have posted a pic of that below. I'll have to try the other shades and report back. Maybe one shade a day for the rest of the week!

Peach Blossom: is exactly that, a lovely peach colour with a mix of nude and a bit of shimmer. Can't wait to try this one! 

I also received a free lip stain, all it said was Claire so i'm assuming it is one of their own sample lines. It swatched very sheerly, i think i swiped it on about 5 times to get it to come up on the camera! Still looks nice, and i'm looking forward to trying that too.

Please me

Top row: Painterly, Constructivist, Bare Study, BB Cream, Jardin Aires pigment

The main reason for my order was to try some more paint pot samples as i really love the ones i have but i wanted some more colours. I also then discovered you can sample some of their foundations so i decided to try the BB Cream. I purchased light plus as i am fair pale, it kind of looks a bit orange against my skin though, but it might be different on my face. I also wanted to purchase a pigment, so i chose Jardin Aires which is a lovely champagne colour, i currently own Melon which is more of an orange colour, and i don't really use that much. So i was hoping for something that was easier to wear! We'll see! 

Painterly, Constructivist, Bare Study, Light plus BB, Jardin Aires pigment

Now i'll talk about the paint pots i purchased. I chose these colours because they are the ones i see used most in youtube tutorials etc. 

Painterly: it is described as being a flesh tone colour, as you can see in the swatch it's a little darker than my skin tone. But i think it will work quite well on my eyes, as i currently use Groundwork and that is a dark brown and you can actually hardly see that. 

Constructivist: is a deep brown with a slight bronze tinge. I think this will look lovely in a smokey eye or just on it's own. I think it will require a lot of playing around with though.

Bare Study: This looks closer to my skin tone, with a shimmer. I think it will be lovely to use as a base. It looks similar to Vintage Selection, but more skin toned than silver.

 Overall i am really happy with my sample purchases, obviously i haven't tried them all out yet! But i will do that and report back in future posts.

If you have any questions about my experiences with Beauty Bay and The Body Needs feel free to ask.
Or if you have bought samples from TBN please tell me what you bought! If you know of other sample sites i'd love to hear about them too!

Thanks for taking the time to read!

:)