The Week #128
10/31/2014

The Week #128





All That Glitters is Gold...and Fruity!-Where has the sudden surge in pineapple themed everything come from? I'll be honest, I don't like the taste of pineapple (unless it's coated in chocolate..) but I couldn't resist this cute pendant from Lovisa. There's also pineapple earrings in store which may take your fancy. Another gold adorned gem comes from Victoria's Secret. I'll save you the rave but if you want to hear more then head here to about 6:30. 

1989-A year I'm admittedly not familiar with but one that I can only imagine contained questionable fashion and hairstyles. 1989 also bought us Taylor Swift and now a new album. I've had this on repeat since Tuesday and I love it. Taylor's giving us a new sound with the songs we can all relate to and love blaring from our stereos all Summer long. Stand out tracks for me, although it's changing all the time, are: I Know Places, Style, Blank Space, All You Had To Do Was Stay and Welcome To New York. The whole thing is fantastic though and I highly recommend you give it a listen if you haven't already.

A Blog Full of Wanderlust-I first met Sam of Teacups and Rainstorms at a birthday brunch for our mutual friend Amy. I'm so glad I did because she's such a lovely person with great taste and she takes beautiful photos. They're so whimsical and enchanting. I could spend hours looking at Sam's photos and her blog posts. Give it a read this weekend.

Tassel Garlands-How can you look at these and not love them? They don't just have to be for parties either. If I had my way, there'd be one in every room of our house. Anyway, Typo are obviously on board the party atmosphere vibe train too because they're now selling these in their store. Some of you will probably argue that it's easier+cheaper to make your own but if like me you're not so crafty then why not pick up some of this pre-made goodness. 

*Have an amazing weekend everyone and have an awesome Halloween if you celebrate it. I don't have any costume party plans but I may just have to channel the ultimate babe Miranda Sings at some point during the day. Other than that I have a weekend of exam revision (eek) and a little catch up with Hannah planned. I may just have to steal some of the leftover Halloween treats too. x
Read More
New Beauty Releases | The Video Edition
10/30/2014

New Beauty Releases | The Video Edition




Why hello there! Yes, this is a rather uncharacteristic Thursday post but last week I had some free time in my day so I decided to film a new video. It's been a while and I missed filming YouTube videos. As the title may suggest, I'm talking through some new beauty releases I have either been sent or purchased myself. Let me know what you've tried lately in the comments and if you want to see more videos like this in the future! x




Read More
Pretty Honest
10/29/2014

Pretty Honest




Beauty books that I've read in the past seem to leave me feeling a bit 'meh'. Not in that they make me feel bad about myself, I just feel like they leave a lot to be desired. It's how I feel about most fashion style-guide books too. Anyway, I came across Pretty Honest online and tracked it down in one of Auckland's libraries and have spent the last couple of weeks devouring its contents and now I feel ready to rave about it..

Now Sali Hughes has been immersed in all things beauty for a long time, having been the beauty editor at many of Britain's top newspapers and magazines. It's safe to say she knows her stuff and Pretty Honest was filled to the brim with beauty advice you need from how to approach snitchy sales assistants at beauty counters, to the best beauty gifts to buy for someone else. It's really like one big beauty dictionary but way more interesting. Seriously, I read every section, even the ones that weren't as relevant for me and there was always something I could take from them. It's one of those books I can imagine myself going back to and steering both beauty newbies and lovers alike in the direction of. Sali, I take my hat off to you for making a beauty book that is useful, engaging and just an all-round fabulous resource.

*Have you read Pretty Honest? What did you think of it?
Read More
October Favourites | The Beauty Edition
10/27/2014

October Favourites | The Beauty Edition




October, the month of Halloween, sunshine, strawberries and Summer. It also appears to have been the month of shimmer and sparkle. Maybe it's because the end of the semester is approaching and I feel like I no longer need to tone down the glitter eyeshadow for university classes or maybe it's because I want lighter eyeshadows. Who knows. What I do know though is that all these products have consistently delivered for me all month and will no doubt remain stash staples... 

Marc Jacobs Style Icon Eyeshadow Palette in Lolita-Look at all that neutral goodness. Look at it. I am a bit obsessed with this palette at the moment and have been using it most of the month when makeup has made an appearance. If you're time poor, this one has you set for a quick eye look. There's a light pink shade which tends to get ignored by me but the rest are well loved. Its sleek, compact nature means it is perfect for traveling with and won't weigh down your handbag or makeup bag.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipgloss in Cashmere Rose-These glosses have never been released in NZ so when I saw this colour on FeelUnique, a YouTube vlogger favourite, it had to be added to my basket. This peachy pink, fruity scented gloss is pretty darn pigmented and this looks stunning over similar hued lipsticks and also on its own. I love wearing lipgloss in Spring and Summer so this one is going to be on high rotation no doubt.

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium-Cheekbones in one handy little compact sums this gem of a product up. This cool-toned powder won't leave you looking like you've gone a bit wild with bronzer. Instead you'll find yourself with a more sculpted, natural looking shadow. It is a bit on the pricey side of things but you barely need any per use so I can see this one lasting quite a while yet.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge-The whole idea of using a sponge to apply makeup has always perplexed me so when Anna sent this to me it sat unloved for a little while. One day I decided to give this a go with concealer and within seconds I could see what the fuss was about. Now I've never tried the Beauty Blender so I can't compare but I was really impressed with this. It didn't soak up too much product and as I was tapping the product in, it left a more seamless finish. The shape of the Real Techniques sponge is particularly good for getting into the contours of the face and also under the eyes.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eye Pencil in Bronze*, limited edition-This is the closest I've come to owning a rose-gold hued eyeliner and for that reason alone it is ruling the eyeliner kingdom this month. It's long-wearing, easy to blend and even easy enough to line your upper lashes with and not make a big mess of things. I love this and it kinda sucks that it's limited edition. Hopefully it'll be back on the shelves again soon.

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso-I wasn't expecting to like this blush as much as I did because sheeny blushers just aren't my thing. Applied with a stippling brush though it looks beautiful. It reminds me a bit of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders which is never a bad thing. The packaging could be nicer, I'm not a fan of the flip-out insert which stores a brush, but other than that you can't really fault this one.

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish in Dream Sequins-These colours have been out for a while and this one had been singing out to** me from the shelves. It's essentially a coppery, rose-gold glitter that isn't too gritty. In fact, it has more of a gel finish than anything else. It was super easy to remove too and we all know glitters usually are the total opposite. I'm impressed!

-What beauty products have you been loving during October?




*PR Sample

**Nail polishes sing, who knew.

Read More
The Week #127
10/24/2014

The Week #127




"Who are we? What have we done to each other?"-And by we I mean Nick and Amy Dunne aka Gone Girl's central protagonists. This time last week I took myself off to the cinema to see Gone Girl. I worried that the book would become overdramatised for film and that a lot of the details and aspects that make it so special would be glossed over. They were not. David Fincher is a genius for a reason. If you loved the book you'll be pleased to know this was very well done. Every detail was how I'd imagined and Rosamund Pike's portrayal of Amy was spot on. It's left me wanting to revisit both the book and film again and analyse every detail like the literary nerd that I (not so secretly) am. 

Beauty Haulin' with Tara and Ellen-Tara and Ellen are awesome. Am I slightly biased because I know them and count them as some of my raddest blogging pals? Absolutely. Regardless of that, they uploaded a rather snazzy beauty haul to their YouTube channel this week and they got some awesome stuff! Interested? Have a watch of it here.

Reading Nooks-My future house is going to have to have several reading nooks. That's just non negotiable and it seems the Nouvelle ladies are of the same opinion. They've shared some tips for creating the perfect reading space along with some Pinterest inspiration. Have a look at it here and maybe invest in a Lotto ticket.

A new snack for S&V lovers-Salt and Vinegar chips, crackers...if it has that flavouring I'm bound to be a fan. Well Shapes have bought out a new range of Light & Crispy crackers and the Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar flavour are so good! Seriously they taste just as good as chips do without the greasiness. If you can get your hands on some this weekend, do it. They may be easier to find than that elusive chocolate milk.

Audacious and alluring new NARS lipsticks-Oh Nars, your matte packaging and products you send the beauty world into a frenzy over have done it again. In honour of the brand's 25th anniversary they've released a new range of lipsticks. There's tonnes of shades to choose from but I love this one, 'Anna' the most. 'Brigitte' and 'Vera' are also taking my fancy though. Which do you love?

*It's the long weekend! Whoop whoop. This weekend marks Labour Weekend for NZ and while I wish I could say I'm off to the beach or somewhere similar, I'll be chilling at home finishing off the last assignments for the year and having a well-overdue movie binge. Oh and I filmed something because I got ahead of my schedule so that may be up this weekend or early next week. Have a good weekend everyone! xx
Read More
Life In Pictures | Another Update
10/22/2014

Life In Pictures | Another Update



Today I thought I'd do a post that's a bit lighter and a bit more life centred because last time I did one of these it seemed to go down quite well. I'm currently in the midst of writing up a rather tedious assignment but I still wanted to blog something for y'all.

Anyway, here's a little look at some of the miscellaneous pictures that didn't really fit in elsewhere on the blog. Enjoy! 



-The most delicious Wildberry Iced Tea at Miss Clawdy with Tara and Ellen
-A little snippet of Lush's Christmas collection for 2014. A small selection of the range is in stores now and the rest will follow in the coming weeks. 
-Flowers in Spring! This is down one of the streets I often walk near where I live and I always love seeing it in Spring and Summer.



-Pinterest and reading, what I'd much rather be doing right now! #whatareassignments
-A little sneak peek of one of Mac's upcoming Christmas collections. This will either be on the blog in a video or post next month (still deciding). That lipstick though is awesome. I couldn't believe it was matte because it felt so creamy to apply.
-NZ readers, did you know you can buy Mrs Higgins cookie batter to bake?? I didn't and they're just as good as the real deal! Plus you don't have to stress out about baking perfect cookies or the cleanup after. 


-Shoes in the Designer Garage Sale at Fashion Weekend. There were so many gorgeous shoes but they were all out of my price range sadly. 
-What was in my University bag one day last week. Books, pens and highlighters aplenty!

Read More
October Favourites | The Miscellaneous Edition
10/20/2014

October Favourites | The Miscellaneous Edition






Whilst thinking about my October Favourites which always get chosen in advance (if they didn't I'd never be able to make a decision) I realised that a fair few non-beauty related choices were standing out. Rather than making my October Favourites post ridiculously long with all these little extras, I decided to share them today because I couldn't just ignore 'em...

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn-Let's get this out of the way now lest this post turns into an ode to this novel. I'd been wanting to read this book for the longest time and with the movie finally out it seemed a better time than never. For me, a true mark of a good book is how quickly I can finish it. This took me just over two days. The thriller novel is so cleverly constructed and all the characters have a lot of dimension. It's easily one of the best books I have read this year (possibly ever) and i don't want to give an awful lot away but everyone needs to read this. Gone Girl is a novel that will get you thinking and perhaps questioning wider issues we witness in society and the media. Maybe it's just me missing the days of studying English Literature but this book really got me analysing the text and I love that.

The Body Shop Glazed Apple Sparkler*-In the past I've been told I could've been an extra in Twilight with my porcelain skin and the idea of adding anything sparkly to my limbs a few years ago would've been a no-go. This Christmas release from The Body Shop may be changing my mind. A couple of spritzes of this along your collarbones and limbs, if you wish, doesn't leave you looking like a member of the Cullen family. In fact, it just adds a subtle hint of shimmer, perfect for the holiday season. It's lightly scented with their new glazed apple scent which happens to smell delicious.

Frankie Spaces, Volume 2-You may have spied this in my recent book haul and it certainly didn't disappoint. If you're a fan of Frankie magazine, beautiful decor, unique spaces and the rest then you're bound to love this. Australian creatives have some gorgeous homes and studios that's for sure! One of my favourite spaces was a shared studio and living loft-style space which sadly has since been redeveloped into apartments. Anyway, if you're in NZ or Australia track this down. It's worth a read. 

Rifle Paper Co Je T'aime Greeting Card-Rifle Paper Co stationery is just so stunning, we've already established this. I picked up this card with a recent spot of Christmas shopping to chill out on my DIY art wall, when that ends up happening. Foiled type, florals, French text-you can't really go wrong.

Stila Magnificent Metals Shadow in Metallic Dusky Rose-I picked this up when I had my makeup done at Mecca a few weeks back. Look at the gorgeous sparkles, and the colour! These are very much like a pressed pigment and come with a liquid dropper+tray so you can make them have the intensified, foiled look. I love to wear it lightly over the top of other eyeshadows at the moment though for something more day-friendly. 

White Eye Bracelet by Jaime Ridge for Lindi Kingi-I wouldn't necessarily call myself a spiritual person but for the longest time I had an eye bracelet from Melbourne which sadly broke last year so when I saw this one locally I knew it had to be mine. If you're unfamiliar with the significance of the eye symbol, my basic understanding is that it will protect you from evil. Whether or not you believe that is up to you but I like the idea behind this.


*What have you been loving during October?

-I hope you've all had amazing weekends! Mine was basically chocka block with readings for a literature review I have to write. Sadly, it is not about novels. No I get to talk about narcissism and creative people. I also had an essay or two to finish up so basically a lot of writing went down. I did go see Gone Girl on Friday though and it was so good. It totally did the book justice and Rosamund Pike. What. A. Babe. See you cool cats on Wednesday x.

*PR Sample
Read More
The Week #126
10/17/2014

The Week #126




Editing Like A Boss-You may have noticed my blog photos have been looking a little bit different perhaps. While I wish I could take credit for that, I have this little guide from Nouvelle Daily to thank. I get a bit lazy in Photoshop and sometimes the automatic tools are all I utilise. Not anymore. As you can see from this post it's amazing what a difference playing with contrast and curves can make to your pictures. It's making me fall in love with editing all over again.

Flags-If you're following me on Twitter you may have seen the name 'Brooke Fraser' appearing in my feed a few times this week #sorrynotsorry. In the lead up to her new album's release next month I've been listening to Flags. This was her last album and happens to be my favourite of hers. In fact I think somewhere way back in the archives I even wrote about one of the songs. Anyway, this has been on repeat this week. I just love this record and the inspirations behind it. 

Take Me To The Halloween Candy Bar-Nowhere else in the world does holidays quite like the USA, especially Halloween. Now candy bars are awesome, whatever your age. My friend had one at her 21st and you could load up Chinese takeaway boxes with lollies. It was the best. Well Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere has a not-so-secret sweet tooth as well and shared her guide for making a Halloween Candy Bar. Hint: Lots of orange and some spooky decorations. Perhaps Hannah and I will do something similar at our next sleepover.

The Handwash To Get Your (Clean) Mitts On-It's not very often that a press release about handwash and other body products gets me excited and wishing that I could smell all the things. Well Anatomicals is launching this month in NZ and it's looking pretty promising. I've been using the hand soap* you see above over the last couple of days and it's love. It smells like passionfruit and it's pink. What more could you want?

Homeware Haulin'-Or the one where I live vicariously through Anna's John Lewis shopping. Firstly, look how gorgeous that blanket is! I'm going to blame the Frankie Spaces book and my ever-expanding home themed Pinterest board for my likeness of all things decor at the moment. It's that or my desire to be an interior designer someday. If you're in a similar frame of mind then head on over to the 'tube

-Have the most amazing weekend guys! Despite the university business, this week has actually been rather awesome. I'm still buzzing about the Mac Christmas delivery on Wednesday. I honestly was so excited and feel so grateful whenever I get press samples to review or event invitations. You guys are to thank too because if nobody was reading my blog I'd never get opportunities like this so thank you. Assignments are leaving me feeling a little bit loopy so I'm heading to a cinema this afternoon to see Gone Girl for a bit of downtime. Other than that I think my weekend will be rather low key x.

*PR Sample

Read More
Cult Beauty Buys
10/15/2014

Cult Beauty Buys




Well what have we here? Just two of the most discussed items on beauty blogs and vlogs, some might even call them cult. See what I did there omg I am so clever. I've put them through their paces over the last month or so. One's got a massive seal of approval, the other is still pending. Read on for the final verdicts...

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Brunette-Now this was a bit of an impulse buy when I got my brows done last month. If it's good enough for Anna et. al, then it's good enough for me right? Well the jury's still out on this one. There's nothing wrong with the product per se, in fact if done right it looks rather amazing on. I just found this to be a tad more time consuming than say DipBrow or the Hourglass Arch Brow. Oh and it's not waterproof like the Pomade. I'm not sure with this. I like it, but I don't love it...yet.

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium-This was out of stock for an age on Cult Beauty so when I saw it was around I 1) fist-pumped for days** and 2) immediately added it to my basket and never looked back. Oh em gee, this is cheekbones in a pan. Pale ladies who just look muddy/orange with bronzer as a contour, this is your new best friend. This muted brown (taupe even) flatters paler complexions and looks so natural, just like a shadow would hitting your face. It also helps you fake a bit of a cheekbone appearance if you've got more of a moon face like me and it looks so darn subtle. Believe the hype ladies, believe the hype.

-Have you tried these products before?

*I hope you're all having fabulous weeks. What have I been up to? Lots of reading and working out the finer details of assignments. I have three due next week so it's not exactly a fun time right now. In between that fun, or lack thereof, I got to hang with Nina on Monday. We went on a little Ponsonby adventure which was fun. There was talk of cats, beauty and fashion aka the best conversation topics. Oh and I've been listening to Brooke Fraser's new song Kings & Queens on repeat. Get amongst it. x

**Not really. I am never that dramatic. Although I have been known to shriek over stunning makeup so...
Read More
Blog Organisation
10/13/2014

Blog Organisation




When it comes to organisation, particularly planning and list-making, I love it. I'm not afraid of spontaneity but when it comes to my blog, I like to keep things rather regimented. As I have other commitments which I have to work around, this helps me to keep on top of what needs doing and what I have done for my posts. Today I thought I'd share some ways that help me keep organised with blogging. These are just some of the key things that help me. Perhaps you'll find them useful too...

Make A Schedule-This sounds obvious and if you're more of a fan of spontaneity then perhaps skip this point. Seriously, having a schedule or editorial calendar to work towards makes things a lot less stressful. I usually make mine towards the end of every month and consult the list of blog posts you see above. I always know The Week goes up on Fridays and then I save monthly favourites for the last week of the month if I can. As well as assigning posts to days, the list above helps me as I can see when I've taken photos (p), written them and the rest as well as check anything extra I may need to do. You get the idea. Schedules are the bomb. 

Take Pictures In Advance-Unless I'm ridiculously busy or dealing with awful lighting, usually the latter, I always take my pictures well in advance of a post going live. #1 This means I just need to edit them and then insert them into a post. #2 If I decide I don't like pictures, which can happen from time to time, then it means I have enough time to redo them. My pictures usually always get taken on the weekend as I have classes during the week so I'm not home when the natural light is at its best usually. 

Lists Are Your BFF-As you see above I have that rather snazzy notebook which contains a multitude of lists. There's blog posts, videos, products I'm trialling...even books I am reading just in case I want to feature them. Aside from blog posts, these lists are so helpful when I'm trying products out as I can decide if I want to review things, share them in favourites posts or in worst case scenarios pass them along to a friend. They also help to keep me on track with what I want to test and what needs doing in terms of my blog+YouTube videos. 

Have A Backup Plan-Be flexible. That sort've contradicts what I've said above but if a post idea just doesn't feel right or isn't working out, don't stress out if you change your mind. Sometimes you may find you don't always have ideas too. Here's where the backup plan comes into play. I have a list of post ideas for when I get stuck that I can fall back on. This could be anything from a tag post, a wishlist. or perhaps just a photo diary. We all get into ruts from time to time so I highly recommend having something like this.

Always Keep Your Eyes Open-"Keep watching, because what you see can inspire you." Thanks for the wise words Grace Coddington. In seriousness be mindful of what's happening around you because it can be turned into blog content. Seasonal changes usually inspire beauty trend posts. I recently did one for Spring . If you attended an event you loved (birthday, product launch, a lunch date) or there's a holiday coming up that you could create content around use that to your advantage. Or if you're inclined to enjoy a bit of retail therapy, don't upload an Insta-haul. Save it and you can potentially turn it into another post. I am always brainstormng and thinking of things around me that can potentially turn into new posts.

*I hope this post was useful! How do you stay on top of blogging?
Read More
The Week #125
10/10/2014

The Week #125




A New 'Tube Find-I do love my British YouTube fix and I'm a bit late on the bandwagon here but if you're in a similar boat you need to watch Lucy & Lydia's videos. I've had them on in the background whilst I've been doing assignments (multitasking ftw) and am now obsessed. 

Positivity In Every Day-Sounds cheesy but hear me out. I always strive to be better not bitter but let's be real. Life happens, things don't always work out and that can just leave you feeling a bit below average sometimes. In an attempt to combat that, I've started filling a notebook with one positive thought each day. It doesn't have to necessarily be something gratitude related, it could just be a new goal I've set for myself (as was the case of Day 1) or just something nice that's happened to someone else. 

Chocolate Goodness-Advanced apologies to everyone outside NZ reading this. Everyone else: oh my freaking goodness. Chocolate Milk mixed with Whittakers chocolate from Lewis Rd Creamery. It's as good as it sounds and I recommend you stock up because it seems to be disappearing from shelves very quickly. In fact, as you're reading this I'm probably trying to find some more. The struggle really is that real...

Who run the world?-Girls. Duh. So unless you've been living under an anti-pop culture rock, you'd know that Lena Dunham is behind one awesome TV show and now has penned a book. Side note: Does anyone else think of this song when they see that title? Just me? Okay then...I'm a bit too caught up in Gone Girl at the moment to read this but it sounds awesome and is packed full with biographical essays or tidbits if you will. Oh and if you're a Lena fan and think she's as inspiring as I do then you need to read the interview that was on Buzzfeed. 

DIY Lovin'-I do love a good DIY idea and Niomi shared a video of how to make over a dresser for makeup storage on her channel this week. Doesn't the finished product look stunning? Niomi's channel is another one I'm really loving at the moment and her blog actually. Check it out if you've not already done so.

*Yay it's the weekend! My week was great aside from not being able to hear properly until Thursday. It was not fun and I'm sure on more than one occasion someone thought I was ignoring them. My presentation is over (thank goodness). In all honesty it wasn't that bad, I just hope I did alright. This weekend is more of the same-busy with assignments. I'm hoping to go into town at some point, just for kicks and I'll be sleeping in! So tired right now. Have fabulous weekends 'peeps x. 
Read More
Wellington Photo Diary
10/08/2014

Wellington Photo Diary



So a couple of weeks back I went to Wellington for a few days. My camera came along for the trip too but to be honest, I took a lot less photos than I thought I would. That's partly because I was just enjoying wandering around not feeling pressured to shoot and also because the weather was pretty terrible. I thought I'd put together some of my favourites though+share my thoughts on some of the places we visited.




*Instore at Iko Iko. One of my favourite shops ever. Wellington's so lucky they have two to choose from.
*I met up with Charli on the Saturday and we had a fun day of shopping and talking all things Blog+YouTube related. She took me to Fidels where we had those amazing milkshakes I talked about and also this eggs benedict with potato hash. It was amazing. Can I get the word amazing into this paragraph one more time?
*Wellington is known for its vast array of sculptures and artwork around the city. We went wandering along the waterfront and this one caught my eye.






*Arty Bees is an awesome (mostly) secondhand bookstore. They have an extensive collection of secondhand books and it's easy to lose a lot of time in there. If you're a booklover you cannot go past Unity Books either. I love it.
*This gorgeous fern ball is suspended high above the courtyard surrounding the City Art Gallery. It's my favourite and I always have to take photos of it when I'm in Wellington.
*A little bit of shopping on Friday. Another reason I didn't take lots of photos was because I slipped in the shower and was feeling quite battered on the Friday so not a lot of adventuring took place that day.
*We went to Prefab one day for lunch and it was so good. We shared the vegetarian pizza and I had this berry spritzer which was delicious.
*One of the many gorgeous shops on Cuba St. 

-I hope you enjoyed this little look at my Wellington photos! Are you all having amazing weeks? I'm quite nervous at the moment because I have to do a class presentation tomorrow on my experiences interning for a magazine. I'm sure it'll be okay but public speaking is not my favourite thing to do. I'm trying to make it as entertaining and as visually distracting (the slides) as possible. I've also (finally) started my Christmas shopping in an attempt to be organised for once as I loathe going near the malls in December. x
Read More
The Drugstore Beauty Update
10/06/2014

The Drugstore Beauty Update




Our local drugstore pickings often leave me disappointed. #1-The range is lacklustre and #2-so overpriced in comparison to what you'd pay in the States and even the UK. Price complaints aside, recently I decided to do another order from Drugstore.com using YouShop to get my parcel to New Zealand. From memory this took just over a week to arrive on my doorstep, it certainly wasn't long at all. I thought I'd show you what I picked up in today's post because there isn't a dud to be seen and if you have ten dollars to spare then maybe you could add some of these to your stash...

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro in Pink Shock-The Baby Lips balms from Maybelline seem to have people divided. I particularly love them. All the colours that I own are rather pigmented and have reasonable staying power. This one was no exception. 

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte-I do love the infallible eyeshadows and this champagne shade works perfectly all over the lid and as an inner corner highlight. I like pairing it with the Maybelline Color Tattoo and also with a bit of Fix+ to intensify the colour.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded-Now I'll be honest, in the past I've never really understood the mass hysteria about these. I'm a devoted Mac Paint Pot girl after all. This shade however may just have me converted. It applies quite sheerly so it'd work well under your powder favourites for a bit of longevity. One thing I find with these is they aren't the easiest to apply so I tend to use a brush to pat the colour on. I'm quite keen to try some of the Leather Color Tattoos now as apparently they're much more creamier than the originals.

EOS Hand Lotion in Berry Blossom-EOS' lip balms leave a lot to be desired but their body offerings are a lot more promising. This hand cream smells delightful, sinks in easily and doesn't leave your hands feeling dry. It also comes in cute packaging too which is just an added bonus.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking On Eggshells-As you can see this got a little bit broken in transit. It's still useable though so I wasn't too bothered about it. This trio is $3 and the eyeshadows are amazing. They're not chalky in the slightest and are so easy to apply then blend out. They're just beautiful. I'm impressed!

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso-This blush is always out of stock on drugstore.com so that led me to believe it had to be good. It's been compared to Nars Orgasm blush and I definitely prefer this to its high-end counterpart. It's more peachy and less glittery. Full on pink blushers just don't seem to suit me so this one is right up my street. It's such a beautiful blush. I love it. 

Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal in Pink Quartz-Nineties ladies you'll like this one. The tube alone is plastic and glittery. Compared to Pink Shock (above) this is a bit more sheer. It has a hint of shimmer to it but it's nothing overly detectable on the lips. As I said above I don't rate the EOS balms so if you're on the hunt for something else affordable, these may take your fancy.

*Have you tried any of these products?


Read More
The Eyeshadow Tag
10/05/2014

The Eyeshadow Tag




It's no secret that I'm rather fond of eyeshadow. Creams, powders, glitters-I love it all. A couple of weeks back I adapted the blush tag to suit eyeshadow and here's the finished product. The editing's a little choppy in places and I forgot to mention the questions a few times, thank goodness for the handy text tool in iMovie. A few YouTubers have been tagged too so stayed tuned until the end to see who I want to do this next. My next video will probably be my October Favourites but there'll be a lot more activity on my channel next month. October is packed to the brim with assignments and exam revision so I just don't have time to blog, film and do Uni+everything else all at once. 

Anyway, the video is here for your viewing pleasure along with links to the products I mentioned. Enjoy! x

Products Mentioned:

Read More
The Week #124
10/03/2014

The Week #124




Crushin' On Coral-Forget the all-over bronze, coral's where it's at come Springtime. I've had the Milani Blush above and the Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick* on high rotation this week. Both have buildable pigmentation and I just love how pretty this blush looks on. If you can get your hands on it, get it. 

My Favourite Filter-Longtime readers will have no doubt seen Afterlight mentioned countless times over around these parts. Well they recently launched some new 'Seasons' filters and my goodness are they beautiful. Instagram's filters don't even get a look in these days. I love how you can adjust the sharpness, contrast and more in Afterlight too so you can get images you love every time. 

Nutella Cookies-My blogging pal Anna shared this amazing recipe which combines two brilliant things; nutella and cookies. They're totally not a guilt-free treat but hey if you can't treat yo'self on the weekend then when can you?

Pearly Whites-Pardon the blemishes and bare face, and scary teeth. This is quite a photo haha. On Wednesday I tried the Opalescence* kit that I was sent for review. Now you're supposed to use these once daily but my teeth were pretty white before I began using it so I'm not using the product as frequently. Aside from a little discomfort c/o the mouth guards I was actually pretty darn impressed. No sensitive teeth+pearlier whites. Sold...If you want me to do a full review of this just holler. 

New Jewels-Back in the day I was a bit of a jewellery magpie. We had a strict no-excess jewellery rule at my high school but I wasn't going to listen. Statement rings? Check! Things have definitely calmed down a bit since then but I am loving Jaime Ridge's new collab with Lindi Kingi Design. The pieces are all so gorgeous. I particularly like the Armenian Eye bracelets and bought the white one this week. I've added some of the others to my Christmas list too. 

The Gentlest Hairbrush...ever!?-I wouldn't describe my hair as frizzy, but it is pretty thick which makes brushing it a breeze, loljk. Bring in the Wet Brush. Questionable name but hey if Kendall Jenner is a fan then I'm a fan. Seriously though, this brush is so lightweight and it doesn't leave me crying if my hair's wet when I go to brush it. If you too find yourself in a similar situation in the mornings then you'll love this. 

-Cliched but whatevs, thank goodness it's Friday! Not that this week has been terrible or anything. In fact it's been rather great. Thursday afternoon put quite the dampener on things though so I'm quite keen to forget about that this weekend. Anyway, today I'm off out for a bit of girl time and tomorrow I'm having brunch with one of my rad Uni ladies. In between that there'll be assignments (oh hey 3000 word lit report to begin and presentation. ergh), blogging and no doubt a lot of listening to this #noshame. 

*PR Sample
Read More
A Pink Pamper Night
10/01/2014

A Pink Pamper Night




As I'm sure many of you will be aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. It's a cause that is very close to my heart and it affects so many women (and even men) each year. In honour of the cause, I decided to think about what pink essentials I'd put together for a pink pamper night. So many beauty brands usually release products at this time of year with proceeds going towards breast cancer research so it's the perfect time to throw one into your pamper routine. Here's my essentials for a pink night in..

No pamper night is complete without a myriad of treats. Might I suggest you add some Pinky bars or strawberry Tim Tams to your lineup. I didn't have any on hand but they're so delish! I like to start the night off with a bath so I usually use one of my favourite bath bombs or bubble bars from Lush. If you're not a bath person, hop in the shower with a scrub or sweet scented body lotion. I love the Sugar Crush body lotion from Soap & Glory. To read I opted for It by Alexa Chung for insights on all things Alexa. The newest step to my routine involves the Skinfood Breast Cream*. It's been released this month to help women get to know what is 'normal' for their breasts. It's an extra step in the routine but hey, it could save your life. The cream happens to smell great too and $2 from every cream sold goes to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Pyjamas on and it's time for my favourite girly, pink central movie, Legally Blonde. "Whoever says orange is the new pink is seriously disturbed". I'll apply my favourite new Baby Lips in the shade Pink Quartz, reach for pink nail polish and maybe even this gorgeous dusky pink eyeshadow from Stila. After all that I'm probably getting a bit tired. This girl ain't a partier so it's time to call it a night and dream through rose tinted lenses..

-What would be your essentials for a pink pamper night in? Let me know in the comments and you could win your very own Skinfood Breast Cream. Open to New Zealand readers only. This giveaway will close in one week. x

*PR Sample. Note-This post is in no way sponsored. Like I said this cause means a great deal to me and I felt this product deserved to have some awareness raised about it because let's face it breast cancer (no, cancer in general) takes the lives of far too many people. If getting to know what's 'normal' for you and your body has a greater emphasis on our lives then maybe we'll see that statistic decrease. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Read More