That title will give you the gist of this post. I used up a few beauty, body and haircare things and throw in some mini reviews+repurchasing verdicts for your viewing pleasure. There's also a couple of new beauty releases from Mac and The Body Shop at the end too. Enjoy! 

Oh-and if you have any ideas of videos I could film, tags you want to see me answer, whatever let me know! x

Sponsored post in collaboration with Bloggers Club and Garnier

Paris brings us love, iconic landmarks and luxurious fashion, but that's not all the City of Lights is renowned for. French women swear by their cult skincare brands, some of which invented micellar water. It's become a staple in many a girl's routine, not only for being a saviour after a long night out, but also because it dissolves away your makeup like nothing else.

Micellar waters have a fancy name, but they're really quite a simple product. They're cleansers that contain micelles (microscopic oil spheres) which work to dissolve away product. They usually are designed for sensitive skin and as a result contain no harsh chemicals or ingredients which aggravate the skin. As their name would suggest, they are extremely lightweight and often feel quite refreshing on the skin. Combined with cotton pads or cotton buds, you have a match made in heaven.

Until quite recently, micellar waters have been more difficult to get your hands on here in New Zealand, but those days are now over that the Garnier Micellar Water is available here. It's suitable for all skin types and is not scented so it is gentle enough for the most sensitive of skin. You can apply it on a cotton pad and sweep it over your face to remove all your foundation, concealer and eye makeup too. Flip the pad over if you're doing your eye makeup because if you're like me and love eyeshadow, then a lot of makeup is bound to need removing. You can also use the Garnier Micellar water to fix up any makeup mistakes you might make. Simply pour some on to a cotton bud if your liquid liner gets a bit messy or if you get mascara everywhere. It's a godsend.

If you're yet to try Micellar Water then you should give this one from Garnier a try. At $12.99, it's not going to put too much of a dent in your wallet and you barely need any per application, so it'll last you ages. If you don't have time for a thorough cleanse but don't want to sleep in your makeup then this will be perfect for you. I've been using micellar waters for nearly two years now and would be simply lost without them. Believe the hype because these are a fantastic product. 

*Have you tried Micellar Waters before? What did you think of them?

If you're a bit of a makeup maven, you may have noticed European brand Essence making its way onto a few local Farmers shelves here in NZ. Well now, they've rolled it out onto even more Farmers shelves around the country. Whoop whoop!** Their range is super affordable, way cheaper than a lot of the drugstore brands we already have here. Don't quote me on this but I don't think anything in the range is over ten dollars. I was lucky enough to be sent some bits'n bobs from Essence's plentiful range and have been playing around with these products over the last few months. Here's what I thought..

Essence XXL Shine Lipgloss in Coral Delight*-This gloss is stunning. It's pigmented but still sheer enough to layer over similar lip products, like a peachy nude for instance. It's not sticky in the slightest which I like. This colour would be perfect for Spring or Summer if you can get your hands on it.

Essence Quattro Eyeshadow in To Die For*-I've already written about this quad here so I'll try to keep this short and sweet. I love all the colours in this palette. They're just such 'me' shades, neutral with a hint of shimmer. That satin-finish white left a little to be desired but on the whole I was impressed by this quad, especially when it comes in at under a tenner.

Essence So Glow Highlighter*-This was one of my favourite products that I've tried from Essence. This highlighter applies creamy and then dries down to a powder finish, meaning that it stays in place that little bit longer. It's not too glittery so you're left with a more softer looking sheen on the skin. It doesn't have an Edward Cullen effect on the skin and for that, it gets a lot of love 'round these parts. 

Essence Mattifying Compact Powder in Light Beige*-You can't go wrong with a mattifying face powder and this one was no exception. In this photo it looks really pink but this powder really is quite sheer on the skin. It's almost unnoticeable really. This mightn't be the most long-wearing of setting powders but it's perfect for on the go touchups. 

Essence Mono Eyeshadow in Party All Night-How pretty is this silvery taupe? It was impossible to walk past it when I was swatching the eyeshadows. A lot of Essence's single shadows are in bright, daring colours. They'd be perfect for a special makeup look or a costume party. These metallic-hued eyeshadows have a pressed pigment effect on the lids, adding that subtle hint of shimmer we love over neutral shadows. I love this shade.

Essence Lash Princess Volume Mascara*-I'm incredibly fussy when it comes to mascaras and I was really not expecting to like this one, but I did. It's not the best mascara in the world but when you want something quick that's going to give your lashes a little bit of oomph without the effort then this is for you. I wouldn't say it's really volumising, not on my lashes at least. It's great at lengthening the lash though.

Essence Blush Up in Heat Wave*-Now this blush had me intrigued. The ombre pattern reminded me a lot of Mac's Ripe Peach blush which is much more expensive than this one. I liked this blush, although I felt like mine was a lot more pink than peach, which you can kind of see from the picture. It also was a little tricky to blend. Maybe it was just the brush I was using, I'm not sure. It's a lovely blush, but I wasn't wowed. 

Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve*-This is the one product I've not actually used but this colour is stunning. It has that whole nineties nude/Kylie Jenner vibe to it. These liners apply creamily so I imagine they're not going to be too drying on the lips. I can see this working well with Nars Audacious Lipstick in Anna. 

-Have you tried any products from Essence before? What did you think of them?

**Was that really necessary? Probably not, but it's exciting so just go with it.

*PR Sample

Testing, Testing-Does anyone else get excited by samples of products, only to find them accumulating in a pile? These sachets (apart from the Elizabeth Arden) were all from a recent Mecca Cosmetica Beauty Loop box. I was quite excited to see the Sunday Riley serum in there because I've heard it's amazing. I've only tried that Kate Somerville cream so far and it was really good. My skin seemed to like it! I'll try to remember to review the others on Twitter or something though. 

A Rifle Through The Makeup Bag-Is like entering the wardrobe to Narnia. You never know what you're going to find, or in my case forget you've been hiding. In this case, it was this lil' powder from Laura Mercier. Now this is either the translucent powder, or the brightening one. Whichever it is, it is fantastic. So lightweight and virtually unnoticeable on the skin. I may have to add this to my Sydney wishlist...

Easter Treats-'Tis the season for chocolate and indulgence. Although according to the supermarket shelves, it's been that time since January. What is that all about? Well this week Gabby shared this video of three super easy, extremely delicious Easter treats to make. How cute do those Easter nests look? Nom! My friend Hannah also shared some Easter Chocolate Bark over on her blog which looks equally delicious. 

Decor Inspo-Kate of gh0stparties is the queen when it comes to interior decorating and all-round aesthetically pleasing blog content. It was no surprise then that her room tour video was going to be a visual feast. Let's just say if I get to style my future room/house half as good as she does I will be one content lady. Check it out here. 

Charlotte Tilbury x Norman Parkinson-I've got a bit of a confession to make, I am obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury's makeup, despite only owning one lip pencil from her range. Well if Alix's photos are anything to go by, her upcoming collection looks stunning! Not only is the packaging adorned with some of Norman Parkinson's fashion photography, there's also some fabulous new products to look out for. Top of my list are the cream eyeshadows and her matte revolution lipstick in Miss Kensington. Get in my life. Side note: Those products aren't part of the Norman Parkinson collection but they're possibly out around the same time. If you're a fan of the Tilbs, get amongst it.

-Have an awesome weekend everybody! For Australia and New Zealand it's a long weekend, which I'm sure many of us are excited about. Oh and before I forget, my giveaway is going up early next week now. My blogging schedule got a little jumbled this week so I moved it back. Keep an eye out for it on Tuesday though! What else..this weekend's probably going to be relatively laid back as I'm kinda tired+a little ill. Here's looking at you, throat that feels like sandpaper. There'll definitely be some mandatory chocolate eating happening though and hopefully some time in the sun. Have a good one, and I'll see y'all on Monday with a bit of a brand spotlight. x