♡ August Favourites 2015 ♡

Hello again,

It’s that time of the month where I talk about my favourite things! Are you excited? Damn RIGHT you are.

August was a very makeup heavy month, with almost all my money going towards new products to try (and there is WAY more coming in the mail, whoopsie). That being said, I do have some nice hair and skincare products to show you as well! Let’s get into it!

First off, my beauty-booty.

Now this is going to sound incredibly privileged, but I have very long eyelashes naturally. Yes, I’m sorry, I can’t help it! Because of this, I have been an avid user of Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions Mascara for as long as I can remember. It was the only mascara that enhanced my eyelashes without turning them into spidery daggers, but unfortunately was not cruelty free (wah). Chemist Warehouse did a beautiful thing and brought W7 to their shelves, and I found this bad boy amongst the spread:

I didn’t think it possible, but W7’s Absolute Lashes Mascara [x] not only adds that definition I received from Clump Crusher, but also gives my lashes NON-SPIDERY VOLUME.

Whaaaaaat?

I’ve heard that this mascara is a spot on dupe for Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara, if not even better! And the best part is, it’s only $4.99!
My wallet is happy, I am happy, what more could you ask for?

I can’t say whether this mascara has any lengthening properties, but I’m sure there are other bloggers who have tested whether this is the case.

I have definitely been lifting my lash game, so it goes without saying that I’d give a lash primer a whirl:

 

'scuse the dirt 

 Designer Brands is a very inexpensive Australian brand, with a vast selection of drugstore goodies to explore. I have been eyeing this lash primer [x] off for a very long time, and I finally gave in and spent all of my 12 dollars on it.

I feel like this primer does exactly what it should do, which is condition the lashes to prevent any damage from long-term mascara use (guilty). It not only does that, but keeps my lashes feeling soft even with mascara on! No more crusty eyelashes for this lady!

I buy my Designer Brands products from Terry Whites Chemists, but I think they are also stocked in Price Attack, Priceline, and a number of other Chemists within Australia.

Now, what is lash game without brow game?

Enter, Modelco More Brows [x]!

I have been using the same Natio eyeshadow to fill in my brows since I was 13 and, since it was discontinued years ago, I thought it was about time I branched out a bit.

I have always been intrigued by these magic tinted brow gels that effortlessly give you eyebrows on fleek, and I just had to buy this during their 50% off sale. I do naturally have very thick eyebrows (I know, I’m a genetic marvel), but because of my trichotillomania there tend to be gaps here and there. This eyebrow gel takes literally 30 seconds to apply, and makes my eyebrows look so full and lush I could cry. On days when I overdo it, a bit of clear brow gel on top softens out my mistakes and gives me the brows I’ve been dreaming of.

 I know a lot of people in Australia rave about this product and, although it’s bloody brilliant, I do have to agree with the complaint that the amount of product given does not seem to match up with the price. This brow gel is $14.95 for 3.5ml of product at Woolworths and $18 buckeroos online, which is still significantly cheaper than Benefit’s Gimme Brow, but I don’t think I would have taken the plunge if not for Woolworths' 50% off sale. However, I am so glad that I did!
I use the shade medium/dark, which I have a swatchy of next to the following babe of a product.

As I have mentioned, I have been using Natio products for years. We are best friends for life now, its just fact. When I switched to cruelty free products AND mineral foundation, I knew my Rimmel Stay Matte Cheek Tint wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I had only heard good things about Natio’s blushes [x], so I thought I’d give them a whirl.

 

A lil swatcheroo.

 I picked up the shade Peach Glow, and oh my GOD it is beautiful. It’s this really pretty peachy shade that compliments my pale skin tone, and also highlights my cheeks at the same time. I find that it is relatively easy to blend out any mistakes as it is very beginner friendly, but I would recommend putting less on and building up to avoid tears. I have experienced a bit of fallout on this blush, but I couldn’t care less. I love it too damn much.

This blush is $13.95 full price, which is pretty decent given the quality!

We have arrived at the last makeup product (phew)!

W7 is slowly becoming my bae, as their products are incredible for the price. I had been using the ELF setting spray, which is okay, but left a weird film on my face if I applied too much. This W7 Long-Lasting Makeup Fixer [x] makes me glow like a celestial being, and I am totally okay with it. Not that my MOMMA mineral base is overly powdery, but this setting spray also helps to make it look even more like skin and provides a beautiful finish. I don’t think I’ll have to trial any other sprays any time soon!

I bought this baby online for 5 dollars, but I really hope it comes to Chemist Warehouse (hear my prayers).

Now, I know I’ve mentioned my MOMMA Semi-Matte Mineral Base approximately 1 million times, but relax. We’re talking about their kabuki brushes today.

When I bought my full size containers of mineral makeup, I thought I’d buy their flat-top [x] and mini kabuki [x] brushes to make application a little easier for me. These brushes are so incredibly soft, like a little fluffy bunny nuzzling your face (these ARE cruelty free, though). I have found that the mini kabuki is really effective at covering my acne, and also is useful for applying mineral makeup under my eyes. The flat top also provides a really smooth base, so I am very happy with my purchase overall!

The flat top kabuki brush is only $8.00, and I bought my mini kabuki in their $22.00 makeup brush set.

Let’s move on to my favourite skincare product of the month!

In my previous post, I mentioned how awfully greasy my previous primer was making my skin. I can’t seem to find a decent mattifying primer that is also cruelty free (if you know of any, PLEASE comment below. I’ll love you forever). I settled for the next best thing, which was Simple’s Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser [x].

This has really helped keep the oilies at bay, and made my skin super soft! However, as the summertime is approaching, I think I will need a primer to compliment the effects of this moisturiser so I don’t end up a sweaty, oily, hot mess.

This moisturiser is only $9.99 full price, so it is definitely worth a try if you need some extra oil control!

Finally, some haircare products!

As you’ve seen, I’ve been swapping out a load of products for those that don’t test on animals. Unfortunately, Tresemme is not a cruelty-free company, so it was time to bid their Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner adieu.

Don’t despair, I have found love in a hopeless place with Organix Coconut Water Weightless Hydration Shampoo [x] and Conditioner [x] (what a mouthful!).

I am a sucker for anything coconut scented, and this shampoo and conditioner duo did not disappoint in that aspect. It’s like bathing on a tropical island, and I am its coconut princess.

The shampoo is sulfate free, which my artificially red hair is thankful for, yet it cleans my hair far more than a massive dollop of the Tresemme Naturals Shampoo ever did. Because of how heavily concentrated it is, it lasts AGES. I’m sure this could last me for a whole year without even trying, which is extremely economically friendly for poor university students like myself!

As for the conditioner, it too is very concentrated, and makes my hair very soft in a non-silicony way. It also seems to act as a barrier when I rinse my hair, as no red water runs in my shower after I use it. Bonus points!

These magical beauties are $17.99 each full price, but both Coles and Chemist Warehouse do regular 50% off sales on this brand, so no worries!

And that is the end of my August Favourites. If you would like a more in-depth review of any of these products, please let me know in the comments below! Also, do tell me if you know of any cruelty free mattifying primers and I’ll be your best friend!

♡ Until next time ♡

♡ LOVE it or FUCK it: Modelco Miracle Veil Skin Perfecting Fluid Primer ♡

Greetings ladies and gentleman,

It has been a veeeeeery long time since I have made a blog post! Uni is a bitch, amirite?

#relatable.

It has come to my attention that I only write rave reviews on here, and that is just too DAMN positive. So, to make up for spewing too much sunshine and rainbows onto you, I have created a new segment on my blog.

Introducing: Love it, or Fuck it (pardon my swear swears)!

This week, we’re starting with a predetermined “fuck it” product.

Everybody boo for:

The ModelCo Miracle Veil Skin Perfecting Fluid Primer!

Now, this product claims to be a:

·       5-in-1 skin corrector and skin primer.

·       Reduces redness, lightens pigmentation and evens out skin tone.

·       Ensures longer-lasting makeup adherence.

·       Calms and soothes for a glowing, youthful appearance.

·       Smooths fine lines and wrinkles.

·       Silky, lightweight formula for easy application.

·       Suits all skin types including Rosacea sufferers.

Let me assure you that this primer does approximately ZERO of its claims.

I for one am not a Rosacea sufferer, but do have very red breakouts all over my face, as well as a Rudolf-esque nose. Putting this Shrek-coloured goop on my face didn’t even dull the redness, let alone calm my acne. If anything, I broke out more! I would certainly not recommend this for anyone with Rosacea if it can’t even dull the redness of a frickin’ zit.

Now, this “longer-lasting makeup adherence” claim. HA. I could barely make it to 5 hours without my foundation slipping off and greasing up. With my previous primer, I could make it 10+ hours before my face looked like a hot mess, and I have veeeery oily skin. With this bottle of lies, I could feel the oils building up under my foundation like I was a human frying pan. The main reason I use primers is to elongate my foundation wear, so this is a definite fail for me.

In conclusion, FUCK IT. Don’t waste your precious dollars on this one. For 25 bucks and no fulfilled claims, it will only break your little hearts. I can’t have that on my conscience.

This is your home now.

Well, that's all for now. I'm planning a hair tutorial with a longer haired model in the coming weeks, since so many of you are enjoying my heatless waves tutorial from yonks ago! If you want some pixie tutorials done with my messy mop, do let me know as well. 

  ♡ Until next time ♡

♡ July Favourites 2015 ♡

Hello-hello everyone,

It’s time for a sort-of-on-schedule-July-favourites!

I only have a small amount of products today because I’m simply a poor university student but, as they say, quality over quantity, amirite? (Yeah, okay, I’m just poor..)

We’re going to spice things up a lil bit and start with skincare this time, as I couldn’t resist buying a few goodies in the 40% off skincare sale at Priceline!

Let us begin!

The Sukin Super Greens Detoxifying Facial Scrub [x] has made a comeback this month, as it simply is (as the kids say) my bae. I’ve been using Benzac 2.5% to deal with long-term acne, and this beautiful scrub has been perfect for removing the dry patches and peeling skin that have been an unfortunate side effect of achieving a clearer complexion. It is still gentle enough for me to use daily without consequences, and I can’t see myself not repurchasing the shit out of this gorgeous product. We’re now partners for life ♡.

 

 .

Now, as I have previously mentioned, I have had some dry skin issues from my acne treatment. As someone with skin so oily you could fry an egg on it, I have never had to deal with dryness on such a pervasive scale. I had heard about the magic of serums for returning intense moisture to the skin, and I knew I just had to pick one up in the Priceline sale. I chose the Nude By Nature Nude Miracle Serum [x], which claims:

“Oil free. Moisturising. Deep Hydration for 72 hours. Improve skin softness and smoothness. Contains Aloe Vera, Green Tea, Quandong, Australian Desert Lime & Kakadu Plum. Helps to reduce visible signs of fatigue. Assist to rebalance melatonin production. Visible reduction in dark circle, under eye bags and dull complexion from fatigue. Increase skin luminosity. Reduce Skin redness. Stimulates skin detoxification to restore glow.”

I must say is one of the most pricey skin care products I have ever bought. In saying that, the quality is just top notch! My skin feels baby bum smooth using this, and I have seen a reduction in redness over the past week I’ve been using it. Be warned, if you put moisturizer on top of this serum, your face is 100x more baby soft and you may never stop stroking it. However, my dark circles haven’t disappeared, but I didn’t expect this as chronic fatigue dark circles are for life.
In terms of morning use, I never thought I could use a moisturizing serum under my makeup until I used this, and I have not seen any signs of wear on the longevity on my foundation throughout the day! If you have the money to splurge on thie beauty, I seriously recommend giving this a go. I have heard that the Sukin Super Greens serum is also very good but I chose this instead as the Sukin one only lasts for a few weeks, whilst my Nude by Nature serum is said to last for a very long time.

Here’s the ingredients list, for those that are curious:

Aqua, Glycerin, Ethanol, Sodium PCA, Albizia Julibrissin (Persian Silk Tree) Bark Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Globularia Cordifolia (Globe Daisy) Callus Culture Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Elderberry) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, XanthanGum, Saccharide Isomerate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum) Fruit Extract, SantalumAcuminatum (Quandong) Fruit Extract, Citrus Glauca (Australian Desert Lime) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate.

Now that my face is a godly level of soft, I thought it would be nice to get my body to mirror that silky goodness. I have visions of attaining MILF status by preserving my body in oils for the next twenty years. Hey, it could happen! Let a girl dream!
I had previously tried to DIY my own body oil, and ended up with dark red burns all over my arms. It turns out that my skin doesn’t appreciate pure essential oils, and I think I’ll leave it to the professionals from now on. 

I chose to buy the Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Body Oil [x], which claims:

“Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Body Oil is a light oil specially formulated with pure Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E tohelp soften and sooth rough, dry skin.
This rich formula absorbs quickly, allowing you to put on even the most delicate of fabrics immediately.”

To the point, just how I like it.

 My skin hasn’t reacted while using this, even if I apply it straight after shaving (kudos, Palmers). As for the quick absorption claims, it can take about ten minutes to fully sink in. This is pretty easily forgiven, as it is made entirely of oils, so I just choose to apply it at night instead of during the day. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the smell directly after application, as you will smell strongly of Easter Sunday from all the chocolate-y scents going on. For that reason, it makes it difficult to apply on nights where I’m having a bad nausea day, which is a darn shame.
This product is only $10.80 RRP, so it was a ripe steal during the 40% off sale! I do recommend you give this a try if you’re a budget queen like me!

Finally, my lips needed a little TLC during these winter months. Usually I would reach straight for my Lucas Paw Paw Ointment, until I realized its just fancy pants Vasoline. I decided to give Redwin’s Coconut Balm [x] a whirl, as I’m a massive fan of anything natural and coconut-scented. This product claims:

“With 100% Certified Organic Coconut Oil and an infusion of the naturally moisturising Papaya Extract and Jojoba Oil, Redwin Coconut Balm naturally hydrates your lips. It not only relieves dry, chapped lips but helps to heal them. Can also be used as an intensive moisture boost on skin that’s very dry and cracked, as well as on burns, cuts, and insect bites. Petroleum-jelly free.”

Let me just say I was not let down in the slightest! This stuff is buttery soft on the lips, and heals all the yucky dry patches I get on a daily basis. It also works wonders on the cracked skin on my knuckles (I’m just a dry mess..). If you feel betrayed by your Paw Paw ointment as I did, give this baby a go. You won’t be disappointed!

This product retails for $5.99 RRP, and is 20% off at Priceline until the 10^th of August.

Now let us move on to the tiny makeup favourites!

Enter, the beautiful MOMMA Semi Matte Mineral Base in Ivory [x], and the glorious Powder Colour Corrector in Green [x]!

I talked about these babies in one of my previous posts, and I’m still saving up to buy the full sizes. When applied, these products literally look like your skin, but a million times better. Imagine looking photoshopped in the best possible way and you’ll understand the effect that they give. I’ve worn the mineral base around the house as a test and it didn’t oxidise, even under the warmth of the heater, and it also didn’t come off even when I got soy sauce all over my face like a hot ass mess during dinner time. In terms of foundation longevity, that ticks all the boxes for me! The green colour corrector is also fantastic, as it neutralizes the redness on your skin prior to the foundation application. I can’t wait to do a full demo of these products once I can finally afford them!
The Semi-Matte Mineral base retails for $16.00 RRP, while the colour corrector retails for $15.00 RRP.

Let’s talk about hair, ba-by!

I know I have already raved and raved about how fantastic Cedel’s Firm Hairspray is…but it’s coconut scented and that is really important, okay?

I initially intended to buy the teeny tiny travel size hairspray to put in my purse, as there’s always that one strand of hair that droops into my eyes after a couple of hours. However, the smallest I could find in the time of crisis was this coconut scented version [x], and I thought this would be a better time than ever to give it a try.
It doesn’t smell like gross hairspray, at ALL. It smells like a wonderful coconut body spray! I’ve been able to spray this around my mother, who coughs at the slightest chemical or perfume-y smell, and she actually enjoys the fragrance it gives off! I’ll admit, I have used this to fix my hair after trying on clothes in changerooms (no shame…), and it just smells like I’m spraying myself with an Impulse can. It seems to have the same amount of hold as my original hairspray, but I’ll need to trial it on a full day out to be able to tell you if there is any significant difference…

This product retails for $4.99 RRP, which is really decent for the quality!

Finally, a bonus product rave!

(…yeah okay not really, I forgot to put it in the original photo)

This is my super cheapie synthetic teasing brush [x] that I bought off of Ebay!

My fringe has been rustling my jimmies lately when it starts to grow out, so I thought now would be a good time to learn to tease the frick out of it. I’ve found that giving my fringe that grip really helps get rid of those nasty “fringe gaps” that happen to me throughout the day, and for only $2.30 it’s been quite the handy tool!

Aaaaaand that’s all folks! Hope you enjoyed this July edition of my favourite things!

                                                                                                    ♡ Until next time ♡