Review - Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

By now everyone should have heard about the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush powders. The palette came out about this time last year and is a limited edition. Although this palette came out last year in the States and everywhere else in the world, it only recently became available in Australia. If you are looking for this, it is available at Mecca for $76. But hurry up - when I went to my local store last week, it was already sold out..

Purple Hair Don't Care..

For the last few weeks, I have been obsessed with Victoria, of Inthefrow's hair and last week, I finally took the plunge...

Armed with photos of Victoria, I went to my appointment with my hairdresser to discuss what going purple would entail for me. As you probably don't know, I have quite dark hair, that is very processed - I haven't seen my natural hair colour in years, and have had a lot done to my hair - in the last 18 months alone, I've had really dark chocolate brown hair, auburn hair, bright red hair and lastly ash brown hair with blonde foils.
This meant that going purple wasn't going to be easy for me. The first thing I was told was that Victoria's colour wasn't achievable for me. I would have to lighten my hair all the way to white to even have a chance of going that colour and after being bleached that much, there was no guarantee that my hair would even hold the colour - which meant that I could have been stuck with white hair!!
Needless to say that I agreed with Jodie and decided that that was too much of a risk.
We finally decided that I would get a whole headful of foils as that would be easier to control and then once we saw the state of my hair after the bleach, we would decide on the shade of purple I could have.
Since I have dark hair, it was also decided that an ombre effect would be better as it would best disguise the regrowth. So after the foils got taken off, Jodie applied a violet colour on my roots and a purple temporary fashion colour on the rest of my hair. Our hope was that my hair would hold on to that temporary colour as the follicles were quite open after the bleach. I have to admit, I love the finished product. These photos don't really make it justice as it's showing the purple to be quite pinky, but it;s not quite like that. It definitely pulls toward the pink due to the violet in the roots, but it isn't quite as pink as the photos makes it out to be.  All up, going purple took 7 hours..
When I was researching all things purple, I couldn't find anyone talking about the process it would entail so I thought I'd write this to help anyone else out there who might be thinking of taking the plunge. I have to admit, this was not cheap so make sure that you definitely, absolutely want to go that colour as the maintenance will also be quite rigorous.

Of course, after all the colour and whatnot that went in my hair to achieve this colour, I was told that I needed to get products that would be quite moisturising for my hair to stop them from being even more damaged. Jodie recommended the Pureology line and I settled on the Super Smooth products, hoping that it would help reduce the amount of heat I'd be applying to my hair. I have also been using the Colour Fanatic, which according to the bottle is a "Multi-tasking hair beautifier for perfecting colour-treated hair". It has 21 essential benefits and also and antipode complex which I need to hopefully maintain my colour a little white longer. Another thing I like about all Pureology products is that they are 100% vegan.

Review - Ren Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial and Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm

Over the last couple weeks I've been testing the Ren Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial ($59). When Ren announced the release of this 1 minute mask, everyone was quite anxious to find out what it would do.

Review - Naked 3

 A few weeks ago, I posted a haul that included this Naked palette. As quite a bit of hype tends to follow all releases of Naked products by Urban Decay, I too, got caught up in this and purchased the Naked 3.

Accidental Haul...

I went into town today to meet a friend for lunch and had some time to kill.. Obviously, this resulted in an accidental haul.. Again.. This time, it's a mixed bag of items - homewares, fashion and beauty.

Favourite Candles

Although it is now Spring in Australia, I still like to burn candles. I feel that it gives a certain atmosphere to the house, making everything cosier. I normally like to burn fresher scents, such as the above Amalfi Coast candle from Glasshouse. This candle smells exactly as the name suggest - the ocean. You don't even need to have this candle burning to smell the amazing scent that it gives off. Every time I walk past this, it reminds me of holidays by the beach. Gorgeous! Another great candle from Glasshouse for the summer is Skye. This is also a light, fresh scented candle that can be burnt year round.

Bobbi Brown Haul

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago on twitter that I had purchased the limited edition Chocolate Long-Wear Eye Trio and a BB cream and they have finally arrived!! I haven't had a chance to test them out yet, but I have to say that the colours look gorgeous!

Favourite Drugstore Foundations for Summer

L-R: Maybelline Fit Me, Rimmel Wake Me Up, Bourjois Happy Lights and Bourjois Healthy Mix

After my last post, I thought I'd do a series on favourites for Summer.

This one is my favourite drugstore foundations (as the title says, obviously). Most of you will have different foundations depending on the seasons as we tend to be a bit paler in the winter as opposed to the summer. So without further ado, here are my favourites.

Favorite Summer Perfumes

I like to change up my perfumes with the seasons and with Spring now here, it is time to bring out the Spring/Summer scent out. For these seasons, I like light and fruity scents for the day time and warmer scents for the evening. There are some perfumes that I do use all year long however and they can almost be considered to be my signature perfumes. Here are my favourites in no particular order.

Homeware Haul No. 1

And yes, I went shopping again and this time it's a homeware haul.

Evening Skincare Routine

My evening skincare routine is, as my morning skincare routine, quite simple. Again I'm not going to talk about my cleanser, but I'll start with my toner. I discovered this toner through Caroline Hirons, who I mentioned in my last post. I use this every evening as I have quite a few sun spots that I am trying to get rid of. I have to admit that it is working - they are slowly fading away! I put this on a cotton pad and apply all over my face after cleansing my face. I then give it a few seconds to dry. If you do start to use this, please be mindful that you have to use a sunscreen daily, otherwise, your sun spots will get worse, not better.

My Morning Skincare Routine

As you will see, my morning skincare routine is quite simple - I hesitated to write this blog because of this, but then thought I should post it as it could help those who think that a good skincare regimen is a complicated one. Trust me, it isn't. I know I'm no expert, but if you follow Caroline Hirons you will learn the best things you can do for your skin. Actually, I encourage all of you to go and check out her website - you will most definitely learn something there. I haven't included my face wash here as it normally changes depending on the day, and I really did not want to overload this post with products. Before I start talking about the products, I guess I should let you all know what my skin type is, shouldn't I?! At the moment, it's Spring in Australia, which means that my skin is changing from dry and dehydrated to slightly less dry and dehydrated with a few blemishes.  

Review - L'Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream

I'm back, once again with a review for you - the L'Occitane Shea Butter foot cream ($42 for 150ml). 

In my humble opinion, this is the BEST foot cream in existence! I have been using it for the last 5 years, and not once have I been tempted to switch to another. This is quite the miracle as I'm not one to stay loyal to any one product - I love to try out new things. 

Haul No. 3 - The Body Shop

And yes, I went shopping again.. Online shopping, that is.

Favourite Eye Shadow Palettes

The 5 palettes that made the cut

Some of these palettes have been in my makeup stash for a few years now, and some are recent additions. One thing that they all have in common is my love for them. You will notice a familiar theme with all these palettes - they are all mostly neutrals. No crazy coloured eye shadow for me! Most of you will be familiar with a lot of these - they are after all, beauty blogger favourites. There are however 2 of these that I haven't heard anyone talk about before - the Guerlain palette and the Laura Mercier one. Without further ado, here are my thoughts of all them.

What's in my makeup bag

I thought I'd do a fun post today. One of my favourite posts to read is the What's in my makeup bag post and I thought it was past time for me to share my own. So here goes..

The makeup bag that I use at the moment is a freebie I got from L'Occitane - it came with some minis in there and is the perfect size for your everyday makeup. Plus, how gorgeous is that print??

In here, I have some makeup staples - the Rimmel Apocalips in Apocaliptic, the Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose, the Revlon cream blush in Flushed, the Rimel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Bronze, a sample size of the Clinique High Impact mascara and the Diorskin Extreme Fit Supermoist powder foundation.

I also have some non-makeup beauty bits such as my little hair brush that I got from Boots, a glass nail file, a Vera Wang Pink Princess rollerball, an Avene hydrating face cream, the YSL Parisienne body lotion, an Almond hand cream from L'Occitane and of course, bobby pins.

What do you have in your makeup bags?

S
xx

Review - Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

I think that by now everyone has heard of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders.I had been wanting to try these for ages, but only just recently got my hands on the palette. How gorgeous is that packaging! I love how shiny and sleek it looks - so elegant.

I think that the palette is the way to go when first purchasing one of these powders. You get 3 powders for $95 (I got mine from Mecca and it is currently on sale for $76 here. This would be the perfect time to buy!!)

The 3 powders included here are Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light (from left to right). These apply beautifully - they are so creamy, and not powdery at all like some powders can be, and they are a nice mix of the different colours you can get. These powders are meant to be used as finishing powders, but I haven't used them as such yet. I have only tried them as highlighters as my skin is too dry at the moment for finishing powders. I will get back to you on that at a later stage though.

I find that Dim Light and Radiant Light are perfect for a cheek highlight and Incandescent Light is perfect for the inner eye corner. Any of these can be used for a brow highlight. I have to admit though, out of the 3 my favourite is Dim Light. You can't really see it here swatched on my hand, but it is just the perfect colour for an everyday highlight - for cheek, brow and eye corner. If I remember correctly, Incandescent Light is a limited edition only available in this palette.

All in all, I love these powders and can't wait for the blush palette to reach our shores!

S
xx

Review - Laura Mercier Body and Bath Luxe Quartet in Amber Vanilla

I know this comes at quite a late time in the year as winter is almost over, but I had to include this in my blog, as it is just fantastic! I received this set last Christmas and only just recently started using it. Even though I haven’t used this much, I have to say how in love I am with these products!

Where to start? This set comes in a lovely gift box that you have come to expect from Laura Mercier, and contains 4 products – a honey bath, a scrub, a soufflé body crème and a candle.  The Amber and Vanilla Scent is divine! You can really smell the vanilla, and the amber just warms up the whole fragrance, making it perfect for winter.

The honey bath is softening and moisturising and fills your bath with lovely bubbles that smell amazing. It truly feels luxurious just setting foot in the bath.

The body scrub is not too harsh on your skin and yet, it gets rid of all the dead skin, leaving your skin soft and glowing.

The body soufflé, applied after the honey bath and the body scrub leaves your limbs feeling as soft as a baby’s bottom. It is rich and silky, again perfect for your dry winter skin.

 These products are all you require for a luxurious evening pampering yourself.

Light the candle, which will smell out your whole bathroom in no time, then run a bath with the honey bath. Once in the bath, it’s time to use the body scrub before relaxing with a good book or whatever tickles your fancy.  The last step in your pampering session will be slathering yourself in this luxurious body cream after your bath. I can guarantee that after all this, you will walk out of your bathroom feeling like a princess and smelling like the most delicious sweet treat.

 

I would suggest that if Laura Mercier brings out this gift set at Christmas, you get one, if not for yourself, then as a gift for someone special – they will be forever grateful!

S

xx

Haul No. 2 – Sanctuary Spa and Antipodes

For anyone interested, Priceline is having some pretty great sales on at the moment. Some 3 for 2, 20% or 30% off and some gift with purchase. Of course, beauty addict that I am, I was unable to resist and grabbed a few items from Antipodes and Sanctuary Spa. My justification was that I was saving a lot of money by buying now and I was running out of eye cream and serum anyway – never mind the back ups that I already have in my beauty drawer..

First off, La Roche-Posay, Antipodes and Sanctuary Spa all had 3 for 2.

From LRP there wasn’t really anything I wanted other than the Effaclar Duo + ($27.99), so I got 3 of those. I know.. Now my back ups have back ups ..

Anyway, I am currently using the Effaclar Duo that I purchased whilst I was on holiday last year, and I quite like it. I believe the Effaclar Duo + is quite similar to the Effaclar Duo, just a little more potent. I can’t wait to try this, as I am quite sure that I will like it J

Sanctuary Spa is a brand that is quite new to me. I am trialling their Warming Thermal mask at the moment, and it is quite nice and warming as the name suggests.  The British bloggers rave about this brand a bit (Amelia Liana and Lily Pebbles in particular) so I thought I’d try more of their products. For a spa brand, I have to say that they are priced very reasonably. The Youth Boosting Facial Night Concentrate and the Therapist’s Secret Facial Oil are $29.99 each and the Time Reversal Face Mask is  $19.99. According to the box, The Youth Boosting range is “targeted for people seeking younger and firmer skin” – that’s me! We’ll see how these products perform..

From Antipodes I got their Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day cream ($48.99), the Apostle Skin-Brightening & Tone-Correcting Serum ($58.99) and the Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream ($44.99).  I have heard a lot of good things from Antipodes in general and the Vanilla day cream and Apostle serum in particular, as well as the Manuka Honey Face mask (review here) . I can’t wait to give these a try!

Will you be taking advantage of Priceline’s current fantastic sales?

S

xx

Review - Antipodes Manuka Honey Treatment Mask

Antipodes is a brand that I’m new at. I’ve had this mask for a couple of months now and I have to say that I’m loving it! It is both purifying and hydrating. This combination works wonders for my skin, which tends to be drier in the winter months. As this mask is quite hydrating and soothing, it might seem like it’s not doing much, but believe me when I say that the difference is noticeable from the first use.

The tube says to use twice a week and leave on for 15 minutes, but I’ve been known to leave it on for longer. It says that it can also be used to treat spots and blemishes, but I haven’t tried that so can't comment.  It smells of vanilla and honey, which is a fantastic combination.

Antipodes Manuka Honey Treatment $49

All in all, a great mask for the winter when your skin is feeling a little drier. Next on my list from Antipodes? The Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream. Has anyone tried this one?

S

xx