Haul // Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics #3

Priceline's twice yearly 40% off sale is upon us again and I popped in yesterday to have a squiz. When it comes to these sales, I'm usually armed with a meticulous wishlist and I'm in and out in a flash, but this time there really wasn't anything I had a hankering for and I just decided to go in and wing it (but wing it responsibly of course)! I think I was really restrained, there were a few items that went into my basket that I later put back (props to me), but there were a couple impulse buys as well. The sale ends today, so it's not too late to pop in and bag a bargain!

Empties #12

It's empties time again, and I'm happy to say I've made it through quite a few skincare products! I'm really trying to focus on actually finishing (skincare and body) products before opening new ones, and so far it's working well. It also means I've been sticking to a consistent skincare routine which my skin is definitely thanking me for! Let's dig in, shall we?

The Daily Makeup Edit

It's been a loooong, long time since I've done any sort of "daily makeup" routine post on the blog, and seeing as I've stuck to a pretty solid routine for the past several months, I figured I should update you guys! This post will also serve somewhat as a September favourites as I haven't really been using or loving anything new, just the same old shiz! I think that will change in the coming months though as I've broken my spending ban (a pretty lax one at that) and made a Colourpop order, and I anticipate I will be buying a bunch more with the impending holiday releases! I'm pretty proud of myself though, I pretty much hadn't bought anything since the Sweet Peach Palette which was all the way back in May! Anyway, if any of y'all are OG readers, some of these products might take you waaay back into the archives! I should say, I don't necessarily wear this makeup everyday but this look is typically my go-to for work (without the eye products) or long days at uni!

Collective Haul // May 2015

I think it's fair to say that May has been a DOOZY spending-wise. A few excuses reasons for this: 1) it was my birthday month! #treatyoself was in full swing, I got some birthday money and gift vouchers - so I was fully justified in my spending ;), 2) some of these were gifts and giveaway wins and 3) My last proper collective haul was back in January! :O But I have been spending in between...check my instagram for some insta hauls. Oops. But after this I'm going on a bit of a semi-official beauty spending ban! I need to start saving up for my trip to the US next year (I'll be doing some major spending over there, no doubt, no doubt) and I've decided I want to re-do my makeup storage! I'm moving into my sister's old room since she's moved out and it's bigger than my current room, and so I've been getting really into homewares :P Dats gonna be my uni break project! And I'm excited. Anyway - buckle up kids, it's a long one!

AC ON TOUR

I'm sure any fellow Australians would have read their fill on the Australis Contouring & Highlighting Kit by now! This bugger has been so popular, there's an Australia wide shortage on it. It isn't, however, limited edition, so if you want it, but you ain't got it, hang tight! This sucker caught everyone's attention due to its extreme likeness to the Anastasia Contour Kit which has gotten many a rave. Since Australis is much more affordable and accessible (as a brand), it's really the perfect alternative!

Giveaway // 400 Followers & 2 Years

Shiwashiful turned the ripe old age of two a couple of days ago! Eep! We've reached the Terrible Twos! I actually cannot believe that I've kept this going for that long, it astounds me! Perhaps I should have more faith in myself...heh! Regardless, I really hope I can keep on keeping on for as long as possible, and that you guys will keep reading my random ramblings haha! As you guys know, I also hit 400 followers a little while back which is so exciting (for me at least)! So, I decided to roll the two milestones together and hold a giveaway to commemorate the both of them, and to say thanks to you guys for your support! This is my first giveaway ever - so forgive me for any hiccups! This giveaway will also be open internationally :)

Monthly Favourites // December 2014

Happy Boxing Day peeps! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas Day yesterday (or today depending on where you live!) filled with food, fun and family! This year I've chosen to chill at home instead of shopping the Boxing day sales. I was planning on going out to see the last Hobbit movie but will be seeing it a little later, and today I'll be marathoning the first two Hobbit movies :D. But anyway, we've made it to the last monthly favourites of 2014! Can ya believe it?! I decided to do a December faves this year just because there are quite a few new products I've been using that I haven't yet shown you guys - not even in a haul! I will be doing some sort of yearly faves within the next couple of weeks (don't even know what products I'll be featuring yet, oops) but it'll be there ;).

The One and Only Tag

I was tagged a few months ago by Sheri to do the One and Only tag. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get around to doing this, but school life just got in the way - damn you, school! Anyways, we're here now and I'm sharing what products would be my one and only of that category, my "holy grails" I guess you could say. However, in some categories, I thought of it in a way where I only have that product, so it would be a good multi-tasker, ya feel? Regardless, they're all faves and it was definitely a tough call. Especially since in some categories I don't have a product that I love more than the others, but I did my best!

PRIMER - Lorac Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow Primer

Does this count? I actually don't have many face primers, and I don't really love any of them, so I decided to go down the eyeshadow primer route. Eye primer is definitely a must for my oily lids! I really love the Lorac one, it seems to work really well to make shadows appear more vibrant, and last longer on my lids.

BASE PRODUCT - Bourjois Happy Light Foundation

This was definitely tough, I had a hard time choosing especially since this is the newest foundation in my stash but dang I love it. It's the perfect amount of coverage for me, light-medium, it's a great shade match, it leaves a satin, natural finish that lasts really well on me as my skin gets progressively dewier but never overly oily. 

POWDER - Australis Fresh & Flawless Powder

This has been with me for a good couple of years, and I've really loved it. It adds a hint of extra coverage whilst setting my makeup in place, never too flat matte or cakey looking. A really good powder, and a gem in the Australian drugstore!

CONCEALER - Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

I actually haven't tried that many concealers, but this is definitely a good 'un. It doesn't have the fullest coverage, but it looks natural and covers blemishes, scars and undereyes alike. It lasts pretty well too - the only qualm I have is that it can slightly accentuate flaky skin a bit. 

BLUSH - theBalm Instain Blush in the shade Toile

Oh blush, how you trouble me. This was hard considering blush is my weakness and I have a drawer overflowing with them. I chose the Instain Blush because damn girl, this blush be hella long lasting. It's very pigmented, yet blendable, smooth and creates a lovely flush. Toile is a strawberry coral shade that I love, and it actually looks quite natural on.

HIGHLIGHTER - theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

Oop, another theBalm product, they just know how to do cheek products. The hype is real on this highlighter, it's gorgeous. The golden tone complements my skintone so well, it's smooth, pigmented and crazy beautiful glowy. Love.

EYEBROW PRODUCT - Dolly Wink Eyebrow Powder in Dark Chocolate

Technically already the only brow filler-inner I own, but it works perfectly for me. The cool-toned deep brown suits my hair really well, without making me look like I have black eyebrows. Filling in with powder is super quick and easy, it looks natural and it legit makes the hugest difference.

BRONZER - Nvey Eco Natural Bronze Organic Compact Bronzer

This was quite an unexpected favourite but I do really like it. I'm not sure if it's holy grail status, but I've been really loving it lately, and would be happy with this alone. It looks quite ruddy and terracotta like in the pan, but it blends really well on the skin, adding warmth, shape and shadow to the face. It's has a matte finish, and the powder itself is of high quality - soft, pigmented and blendable.

MAKEUP BRUSH - Real Techniques Multi-task Brush

I don't think I can pick out a favourite brush, but if I could only have one, I'd choose the Multi-task brush. Like the name suggests, this brush can do many things. It has foundation, powder, blush, bronzer and highlighter covered. It's dense yet fluffy, super soft and a really great shape to cater for different needs.

MASCARA - ???

I honestly couldn't choose a mascara! I haven't come across one that I've loved any more than another so have to leave this one blank. My perfect mascara would be waterproof and be able to hold a curl well, be lengthening, defining and volumising. Well that would be a super mascara.

EYESHADOW - Lorac Pro Palette or Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Okay, okay, I have two products but hear me out! I wasn't sure if this question meant just one shade, or one eyeshadow product. In the case of the former, I'd go for Bad to the Bronze. It's such a great bronze shade that is perfect for slapping all over the lid. It really is the perfect, everyday one shadow look product. Although it does still crease on me, it lasts longer than powder. If I could choose an eyeshadow product, hands down it would be the Pro Palette. This thing is amazing. Its shades are beautifully pigmented, soft and versatile.

EYELINER - Essence Gel Eyeliner in BBC All Night Brown
While I like my pencil and liquid liners just fine, this gel liner is the only one I really love. Shame it's discontinued. Damn you, Essence! It's a really pretty bronzy-brown with a slight golden shimmer. It's creamy, pigmented and long lasting. Also, if I only had this, it would work excellently as a cream shadow for a smokey eye or as a base!

LIPGLOSS - Maybelline Colour Elixir in Caramel Infused
This was actually such a hard decision. I was tossing up between this one and the NYX Butter Gloss. Ultimately I went for this because I feel like the formula is just a tad more translucent and glossy, but still pigmented and not sticky at all. It really evens out the lip surface making them look really good. Also, I wear this shade all the dang time.

LIPSTICK - MAC Morange (a review from the dark days of my blog, literally)
This was also quite a difficult category, mainly because I actually don't have a lipstick formula that I love more than any other. I settled for this one as it is crazy pigmented, smooth and creamy. It has a satin finish and is long lasting, but isn't at all drying. The shade is a stunner of an orangey red too.

A very tough tag that forced me to choose favourites (you're all still my bbys though!) haha! I tag Cherie, Vanessa, Yige, Daphne and Ash, if you guys haven't already done it, and anyone else who would like to!

On the Daily

What with me back at school again, I've settled back into the routine of using similar, if not the same products during the week. My daily makeup is nothing extravagant - especially considering there is a no makeup rule at my school (shh...). I tend to opt for a natural look, covering my main imperfections and making myself look a bit healthier and more awake. I thought I would share the selection of products I've been using on the daily and my thoughts on them!

I store my daily makeup in my MUJI 2 drawer narrow acrylic box set with flip top lid so that it is all conveniently in one place and so that I won't have to go rummaging through my main makeup storage. I really love this little box set, it's nice and sleek and I wish that my whole storage was MUJI! I often rotate what is in here sometimes daily, or weekly depending on if I want to wear a particular product/whatever I'm feeling. A lot of the products here are constant though.

Biore UV Perfect Face Milk

I've already talked about this in a Monthly Favourites and a full review will be coming soon. This has been my sunscreen of choice as it is so thin it feels like nothing on the skin, and it also mattifies my skin slightly, to the point that I actually notice my skin not being as oily as usual by the end of the day! Also it has an amazingly high SPF.

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in Medium

For my base I will almost always reach for one of my BB creams, this one being my most used. A nice, light almost moussey cream consistency that has a satin finish. A quite light coverage and smooths on easily with fingers. 

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Medium

My latest concealer addition. I find it really quick to apply to any spots and scars with the doe foot applicator then blend with the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush. It's a really good shade match, and while the coverage isn't totally full, it's still very good, looks natural and doesn't cling to dry patches.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Brightener

I don't use this everyday but when I feel like I have any dark circles or my face needs brightening up I reach for this. I apply it underneath my BB cream as it is quite pale and pink. It does a good job of concealing and brightening, and has a lovely thin consistency that blends well and doesn't cake/settle.

Dolly Wink Eyebrow Powder in Dark Chocolate

The only brow-filler-inner product I own and it's been fulfilling the job now for over a year. A lovely shade for my brows and I find powder looks much more natural than pencil. I use the Real Techniques Brow Brush which is a bit thicker but actually makes the job much quicker. I also forgot to photograph my Essence Lash and Brow Gel Mascara which I use everyday to set them. It's probably for the best actually as my tube is looking pretty gunky!

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara

I don't wear mascara everyday but depending on the weather, I will use this or the L'oreal Telescopic Waterproof mascara. If I want to hold a curl I'll use the L'oreal, but otherwise I've been using this one a lot. I really like the brush as I find it applies the product well by grasping all my lashes - it's not too big either. The formula is very natural and a bit wispy which is generally how I like my mascaras. It slightly lengthens and thickens without clumping. You don't get a lot of volume with this though.

Australis Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder in Darkest Brown

I tend to powder nearer the end so my face makeup has had a chance to settle into my skin. This powder is really nice and one of the gems available on the Australian drugstore scene. It adds a tad more coverage, mattifies and sets with a satin finish and is a really soft, smooth powder. I think I might be hitting pan on this soon!

Jane Iredale Bronzing Powder in So Bronze 1

I've mentioned this countless times so I'll spare the spiel. It's lovely to warm up the face and put a bit more dimension back into my face without contouring. Depending on whether or not my base is a bit pale for me, I'll either go heavier or lighter with this.

Models Prefer Powder Blush in Desk to Date

One of my favourite blushes - a beautiful warm pink-peach with a slight golden shimmer that isn't too apparent on the skin. Complements my skin tone well and is just a lovely shade to add a bit of colour to the face. I tend to change up my blush shade quite often, but this one is a fail safe.

I use the Real Techniques Blush Brush for those three powder products.

Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipgloss in Bellydance

I always like to coordinate my lip colour with my blush shade and this gloss is a really pretty peachy-pink that goes well with Desk to Date. I tend to apply this lightly so that it's only the slightest wash of colour. The formula is really nice - non-sticky and even slightly moisturising.

Monthly Favourites // February 2014

The shortest month of the year is near its end, and so comes the Autumn season! I'm not sure if I'm that excited for the cooler months, but since it has been SO bloody hot here, I'm definitely ready for a break. I'm here to bring you my collection of favourite products for the month. I don't have very many, but I do have some new products and some rediscovered.

Sanctuary Spa Brightening Facial Radiance Exfoliator

My scrub of choice for the month. I've been using this 2-3 times a week and have been enjoying it. I'd say it's medium on the scale of abrasive-ness, it's composed of a gel base and scrubby granules as well as fruit extracts to help chemically exfoliate. The granules aren't very dense though, so I find myself using more product than usual (maybe 1.5 peas?). My skin feels very soft after use though, in terms of brightening, I'm yet to see significant result.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara

For the days I've been wearing mascara it was most often this one. I really like that the brush is thin(ish) but still very bristly and grabs all the lashes. It lengthens, defines and thickens the lashes, looking very natural and without clumping. It says with "fibres" but I actually don't notice that it contains any.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the shade Medium

I've been thoroughly enjoying this concealer lately. It's much quicker and more convenient that having to dip from a pan. The shade is a good match, it has a good coverage (not totally full though) and works well for both under the eyes and around the face, without accentuating dry patches.

Topshop Head over Heels, theBalm Frat Boy

Topshop Cream Blush in Head over Heels and theBalm Powder blush in Frat Boy

I've been on a serious peachy-pink blush kick this month (aren't I always though?) and I pretty much wore these two exclusively. Before this month, I hadn't worn HOH for so long mainly because I never really knew the best way to apply it. I've since found the best brush to apply this cream-to-powder with (which I will talk about next). I also wasn't wearing Frat Boy nearly as much as I should have been as it's in a palette which I keep in my eye drawer and always forget about when it comes to applying blush. I made a point of putting the palette on top of my daily makeup storage after seeing it in so many b/vloggers favourites and have worn it so much since. It actually pulls a lot more peach when applied to my face, it's also very long lasting!

Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush

I recently made a few purchases off of iHerb (my sister was making an order) and picked up a few of the RT things I've been wanting. This is in the Travel Essentials kit and what I've been using to apply the Topshop blush as well as my face powder. Lily Pebbles recently described it as being a mix between the Blush brush and the Buffing brush, and I couldn't agree more! It is still fluffy, but is also a bit more dense than the blush brush. It's density picks up the product really well, but it's fluffiness blends it out effortlessly. I don't use this for more pigmented blushes though as I think it's probably a bit too dense.

Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder in the shade Darkest Brown

A long time fave right here and one that I've been reaching for pretty much everyday this month. It's perfect for topping off BB creams or sheerer coverage foundations. It sets and mattifies with a natural matte finish and adds a tad more coverage. It's a very soft, and creamy powder that never looks cakey or powdery on the skin.

Chvrches The Bones of What you Believe

Lastly I have a music favourite! I've been listening to this album pretty much on repeat for the month. A band I discovered through the Triple J Hottest Hundred (which I've also been loving listening to) and one that I pretty much fell in love with immediately! I love their style of synthpop and their songs are seriously awesome. Not a single one on the album I don't like. It's been making studying a lot less dreary!

Dancing Coral

Hello all! A bit of a coral lip centric post today! I have a couple of Australis lip products to share with you guys that are both super appropriate for the now Summer time!

The two products are both from the Colour Inject Mineral line; one being a lip gloss in the shade Bellydance and a lipstick in the shade Salsa. They have very cute dance-related shade names! The packaging is nicely matched between the products. They both come in cylindrical tubes that widen toward the top and have a slanted lid. It's very sleek and I like the classic Australis bright pink band around the middle. 

The lip gloss in Bellydance is a really nice, rather natural bright colour (little bit of an oxymoron?). It's a bit of a hard colour to describe - it's like a corally-peachy-pink with a bit of red thrown in. The formula itself is quite sheer but slightly buildable. You can achieve a very subtle hint of the colour (giving the natural effect) or build it up slightly to a pretty translucent, juicy pop of colour. The gloss is medium in thickness, non-sticky and nice and moisturising feeling on the lips. Lasting power is actually pretty good for a non-sticky gloss (4 hours max with light eating). Like I mentioned in my November favourites, this smells exactly like Lipton Peach Ice tea which I love!

The doe-foot applicator is quite different and one that I really like. I find traditional shaped applicators can have quite a small surface area that require a lot of dippings back and forth to get the right amount of product. This one is flat and long - still giving a precise application but holds more product on the wand.

Salsa is very similar in colour to Bellydance - a little less red and more peach. The shade looks unassuming in the tube but is actually very bright on the lips. I was very drawn to the colour when swatched, but for some reason it looks a little odd on my lips. I'm not sure, maybe it makes my teeth appear a tad more yellow, and just doesn't sit well with my complexion. This is when it is applied to its full opacity. I think it looks better applied sheerer and blended out a bit. It looks great when topped with Bellydance! The formula of these lipsticks though is lovely - very pigmented, creamy and slightly moisturising on the lips. Lasting power is decent on this. 

Bellydance, Salsa

I like both products quite a lot and the formulas are very, very nice. I would be interested in checking out other shades of the Mineral Lipsticks but I already have a ton of lipsticks in my collection! I would definitely recommend checking out both ranges from Australis! 

Have you tried either of these products?

Monthly Favourites | November 2013

Can you believe it!? We're at the end of the year and are knee deep in the holiday season! By the time this post goes up I'll be in my last Chemistry exam for the year, and have one more exam after - then I'm done for grade eleven! :O Pretty shocked and I am NOT ready for grade twelve, aaaaaaaahh. Anyways onto da faves. I don't have too many this month as I've been using mostly the same things as always (featured in previous favourites posts) and I didn't want to mention things again.

I've been really enjoying using the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening toner which I will have a review up for after ample testing time. This is really nice and has filled the gap in my routine for a chemical exfoliator (though I am also using the Garnier Dark Spot Night serum, which could be counted as one). It's very gentle and feels like any other toner, no stinging or tight, dry skin after use. So far, I fell like my skin's appearance is brighter and a little more even, but only time and continual use will tell!

Olive oil has been featured on quite a few Beauty bloggers and vlogger blogs and channels. I recently ran out of my waterproof eye makeup remover without a replacement waiting in the wings. I wasn't able to buy another so I decided to try out some Extra Virgin Olive oil which is known to be rather effective as a makeup remover. I have to say, I really like it! It removes waterproof mascara really well, gently and my lids and lashes feel nourished after. It is quite oily (that's a given) but I wash my face immediately after so it doesn't bother me. I've put mine in an old Rosehip oil bottle so it's easy to use too!

A new addition to my concealer collection is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in the Brightening shade. I really don't have any brightening concealers as I've not really had the need for them. I don't have terribly bad dark circles at all, however I've had quite little sleep lately staying up and studying so I've noticed circles appearing. That and one of my friends said I looked like I'd been punched in the eye :P ...(thanks Tam !) Anyway! This concealer is very light and pink toned so it's very brightening - especially on my medium, yellow-toned skin. I tend to use it under my base so it's not too stark, but I've been enjoying it! There's no creasing and it is a nice thin, slippy texture that doesn't cake up.

My most used blush is still probably my The Balm Instain one, but a close runner-up this month is the Napoleon Perdis Cream Blush from the Instyle magazine freebie. It's a lovely natural pink that looks nice and dewy on the skin. It also applies fine over powder, though I usually top it off with translucent powder to try and make it last longer. I typically find that cream blushes aren't typically long lasting on me, but I still really like them!

I received this Essence Sun Club shimmer Bronzer in the shade Sunkissed (for Blondes) in a giveaway pack I won (thanks Sarah!). I was going to give it away as it was too light for my skin (as a bronzer) but I thought I'd give it a go as a subtle, natural highlighter as it is pretty close in colour to my skin colour. It then dawned on me that I could use this in a similar way to something like an Hourglass Ambient lighting powder - as a light finishing powder. The shimmer is quite fine and is really more of a sheen than anything, so it's totally suitable all over. I have been dusting this lightly mainly over the typical highlighting spots, and blending it all over the face. It offers a really nice soft focus glow to the skin, and makes me look slightly glowy - and overall I think it just makes my skin look better! I don't think I ever would have bought this on my own, so I am very happy I got to try it and get a taste of what an Hourglass Ambient lighting powder might look like (I wish!!!). It is definitely a good shade for those of fairer skin - it's very natural, rather light and not orangey at all!

Last up for lips is the Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss in Bellydance which I won from Candice's giveaway (thanks hun!). I've actually been reaching for this on the daily. It's a lovely pinky-reddy-coral that is quite sheer. I apply it very lightly to give the subtlest hint of coral to my lips, but the colour can be built up to be a bit more noticeable (but no real opacity). It's not too sticky (has a thickness but not sticky) and very comfy on the lips. It also smells EXACTLY like Lipton Peach Ice Tea - love! A full review of this will be coming up soon!

Dark Circle Eraser in Brightening, Shimmer bronzer in Sunkissed, Cream Blush

A movie favourite this month too! I saw Catching Fire last Friday and by God was it GOOD! It was pretty dang perfect if I must say so. They stuck extremely close to the book which is EXACTLY what I want to see in a book-to-movie production. The new director was great - no shaky camera business that makes me feel motion sick :D. The casting was awesome, I LOVED Sam Claflin as Finnick and Jena Malone as Johanna! I just, the feeeeeeels were all there and it was amazing! I'm very excited for Mockingjay pt 1! This video pretty much sums up all my feels about the movie. I also saw Thor: The Dark World at the beginning of the month, and we all knew I would love that one. Please, it has Tom Hiddleston in it - love me some Sassy Loki. It was amazing too (maybe even my fave Marvel movie :o I dunno, but very close to the Avengers), lots of unexpected twists that had me SCREECHING in the cinema - a must watch!

Anyways, what were your favourites? Have you seen Catching Fire yet? If not, DO SO ASAP!

Monthly Favourites | October 2013

Happy Halloween! The inevitable end of the month favourites are upon us again! We truly are nearing the end of the year which is both shocking and fear-inducing for me! I have my end of year exams soon, and then a very nice eight week holiday. But then, I will begin my final year of high school! I'm more scared than excited haha, I am not ready to face the real world! In terms of favourites this month, I actually struggled a little to gather items as I've been using much the same products as featured in previous monthly favourites. There have been a few standouts this month though!

My skincare favourite of the month has been the Garnier Anti-Dark Spot Renovator Night serum treatment. I've been using this for over a month now and a full review will be up soon! This serum contains 4% glycolic acid along with vitamin c to help exfoliate and brighten the skin. I haven't noticed any drastic improvement in my acne scars, but I do feel that my skin's texture is smoother and my scars slightly lighter.

A tool I've been loving again particularly is my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers. These get their fair share of rave reviews and I gotta say they deserve them! They curl my short, asian-straight lashes super well and makes them look quite nice (considering how meagre they are)! 

I haven't been wearing eyeshadow a ton, but if I want to slap on a little bit of product, I've been reaching for the Maybelline Colour Tattoo metal in the shade Inked in Pink. It's a gorgeous sort of icy, silvery but also warm pink, that complements my skintone well and is a great no fuss eye shade!

Another product I featured way back in January is the Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder which I have in the shade Darkest Brown (really not a very dark brown at all...). Since I've been going the BB cream route pretty much daily this month, throwing this on to set everything adds a bit more coverage. It's a super soft powder that applies really well to the skin. It doesn't leave a cakey residue and keeps me matte-ish for a decent part of the day.

My favourite product out of the bunch this month has definitely been the The Balm Instain Blush in the shade Toile. I'll have a full review up on this one soon too but WOW! I had pretty high expectations for this product and it has certainly lived up to them! The shade is utterly gorgeous, a deeper peachy-pink with a hint of rose that actually looks extremely natural on me and has an amazing staying power to boot.

I have been using the Nivea In-shower Body Lotion quite a bit this month and I really like it. However, I was unsure about purchasing it (but did to qualify for a voucher) because I don't really need it. It's not that I'm too lazy to apply moisturiser, more that I just forget to. This is nice to have and use, and leaves my skin feeling quite soft, but it doesn't actually penetrate the skin to provide any intense moisture. It's sort of a superfluous product which I enjoy using but probably wouldn't repurchase.

I have been really enjoying the Clear Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner. These are the minis but I did purchase the full sizes. I find these clean my hair really well but don't leave it feeling dry or stripped. The conditioner is so nice - my hair feels amazingly soft and silky after using it! They also smell nice too, nothing to crazy, just nice hair product-y smell.

I've been using the Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge to wash my brushes all month and it has been doing a stellar job. It cleans them AMAZINGLY, getting out all of the stains that foundation and concealer would usually leave, making them looks good as new. Awesome for the price!

Oh my gosh, you guys - this book. This book. I think I may have discovered my favourite book of all time!!! It is Divergent by Veronica Roth. It is absolutely amazing and captivating, so well written, awesome characters and romance and just ughhh amazingness crammed into 500 pages. This had me hooked from the first line and I probably would have read it in one sitting if I hadn't had a Chemistry EEI due. If you haven't read this yet, DO IT. It's sort of (ish) similar to the Hunger Games - set in a futuristic, dystopian messed up world and written similarly (first person, present tense). So, if you liked that, you'll probably like this. I'm almost finished Insurgent (the sequel) and Allegiant (the final book) came out last week! There's also a movie coming out next year which I am SO excited for. Let's hope it's a better book-to-movie project that The Mortal Instruments (PLEASE). 

The blurb, to titillate your senses...

So those were my monthly favourites. I'm also going to see Thor: The Dark World tomorrow which I am unbelievably excited for! I've been waiting for so long and cannot even contain myself! My expectations are pretty high so I hope it doesn't disappoint! I'm a huge Marvel fan and an even huger Hiddlestoner (Tom Hiddleston fan) haha.

What have you guys been loving this month, any plans for Halloween?

Collective Haul | Birthday and Bits & Bobs

Howdy! So on Saturday, it was my birthday! I thought I would do a bit of a haul on the things I bought with my birthday money. I also bought a few other things that I didn't necessarily use my bday money for, but were essentials! That's my excuse anyway...haha.

So, I've pretty much gotten all of what was on my first wishlist (all the things I really wanted at least) and the thing I was most excited about were the Real Techniques brushes!!! It was actually perfect when iHerb had their 20% off sale on the brushes, which made them even cheaper (along with a discount code)!! In my opinion that is a totally awesome bargain, keeping in mind iHerb sells the brushes at American RRP where Priceline sells them for more than double that! 

I bought the;

Core Collection (includes the Buffing Brush!) for $14.39 (full price $18).

Starter Set for $14.39 (full price $18)

Stippling Brush for $7.99 (full price $9.99)

Blush brush for $7.19 (full price $8.99)

I also picked up the Queen Helen Mint Julep Masque for $3.84, which is crazy cheap for the amount you get. I've heard really good things about this.

So with a $10 off code, it all came to a mere $41.80. Crazy!

You can use my discount code TKZ374 (First orders only) for $5 off or $10 off if you spend more than $40.

Kmart is quickly becoming my favourite store (lol, but seriously.) as lately it has been having really good sales and their stuff is so cheap. Across the board; clothes, shoes, candles, other essential shiz. CHEAP.

Anyway, I picked up three of the Face of Australia Glitterati polishes as they were having $4 off FOA, these worked out to be 75c (like I said, CHEAP)! I got Studio 54, Dancing Queen and Lookin' for some hot stuff. Sadly these were the only shades in stock, I'm still looking out for the milky ones!

I bought the Beauty Care Co Makeup remover pads and green tea facial wipes. Both were $2 each. Firstly, how cheap is that! You get 200 pads for $2! I usually get the Woolies ones (80 pack for $3) but no more!

Kmart also had a sale on some lippies for $5 each. I picked up the Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in the shade Salsa.

One more thing that I picked up from Priceline, the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Camellia Perfume. It was $15 for 100mL, pretty cheap. A spur of the moment purchase, but I really like the scent!

I went to Daiso which recently opened up in the Myer Centre, Queen St Mall. I was super excited as I've already been to one in Hong Kong and I had a blast! Everything was $2.80. I didn't go crazy at all and definitely could've bought more. Sadly though the Makeup Sponge detergent was sold out which is what I really wanted. They literally have everything, sweets, drinks, storage pieces, crockery and some cosmetics and skincare, and MOAR.

I picked up a sheet mask because I've really wanted to try one! I got the Collagen one (not that I really need it) but I'm hoping it will provide some moisture to my skin. My friend who was with me bought the Q10 one so we swapped so we could try both (you get 3 in a pack)!

More skincare bits:

I managed to buy the Origins Clear Improvement mask which was on my wishlist for $34 from Kit Cosmetics. I also grabbed a sample of the Drink Up Intensive mask (to which the SA was quite sour about...). Sadly at both Kit and Mecca, they didn't have the Soap & Glory cleanser that I wanted. Hurmph, I'll have to go online then.

Another thing to cross off my wishlist is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo which I'm super excited to get using! I bought mine from Terry White Chemists for $25.95. Not every store stocks LRP so you can find a local stockist here.

Lastly is a freebie which arrived just in time for my birthday! You can get this little Neutrogena sample pack for free as they are celebrating 50 years. As at the writing of this post, it is still available here. Simply follow the gift app directions and you'll be on your way!

So those were my self-gifted gifts for my self, haha. I also did get some other things from my sisters (Blackmilk leggings!) but I seriously need to go on a spending ban now!

Haul | Bountiful Bargains

Another haul so soon? Well, I went shopping and encountered a number of awesome bargains that I wanted to share!

First up are the L'oreal products I picked up from Myer. It might just be mine, but Myer had a bunch of L'oreal products for less than half price!! They had a number of foundations, heaps of mascaras, a few eyeshadows, nail polishes and lipsticks. I did however go to another Myer and they also had cleared out a lot of their L'oreal stand and had it on clearance too! I have no idea why they are being clearanced and why Myer is the only store doing it! I'd recommend checking out your local Myer in case you find some products you like! Whew, anyway, I bought two lippies and a mascara. I got one of their Nutri-shine lipsticks in the shade Pink Nude for only $11 (Full price ~$23). These lipsticks are very similar to the Revlon Lip Butters. I also got a Nutri-shine lip balm in the shade Nudy Coral for $6 (full price $12.95). It's just a very sheer tinted lip balm. The Telescopic waterproof mascara was $13 (full price $26.95) and I've been wanting it for a little while because of Viviannadoesmakeup's constant raving! 

I also picked up a Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids lipstick in the shade Vibrant Mandarin for around $8 (full price ~$16) from Chemist Warehouse.

Next up are some truly bodacious bargains from Kmart! As you may or may not know, Revlon released a new formulation of their very popular Colorstay foundation with a pump! This, of course, meant they were clearancing all of their old ones! Originally they had them half price but there were only two left at my Kmart and had been further reduced to only $10! I thought that was a bargain as I have been wanting to try this foundation for a while. I would have preferred the pump packaging but you can't beat $10! Also, I was super lucky that there was one left in my shade 320 True Beige with the Oily/combination formula. I won't do a review on this since this formula has now been discontinued, but first impressions are that it has good coverage (medium-full, buildable), matte finish, clings slightly to dry patches, does not have a natural look on the skin and smells of paint (not too appealing...).

The other thing bought on clearance is the Australis double decker eyeshadow in the shade Supernova Casanova for only $4. It contains a dark bown cream shadow with copper flecks and a peach-champagne, rose-goldy loose powder shadow. Likewise with the foundation, I won't do a review since it's been discontinued. First impressions are that the cream shadow is very creamy feeling and applies pretty easily with the warmth of my fingers almost 'melting' it. It did crease quite quickly on me, though it's not marketed as a creaseless formula. The loose shadow is absolutely stunning and I love the colour. It's quite glittery and pretty. These probably look best layered together, loose shadow on top.

Cream, Loose powder, layered together

I really love how Kmart discounts their products accordingly and keeps reducing the price as time goes on. For example, Target had one of the double decker shadows left, but it was still $7. 

But wait, there's more!

I couldn't not mention this little steal right here! This pair of black, faux suede wedges from Kmart (they have the best bargains!) were only $2 reduced from $25. $2!!!! I thought that was a bargain I could not refuse, especially as they were the last pair and in my size! The universe is sending me all the signs! Though they aren't of the best quality, they are decently comfortable. They had a bunch of heels and wedges for $2, so if you fancy a new pair, or an amazing bargain, check out Kmart!

Well that was my bountiful haul filled with my bodacious bargains (loving the alliteration?). Hope you guys weren't too overwhelmed with all of the words, haha. I'll have reviews most of the products up in due time (the mascara probably won't be for a while). I won't be buying much more anytime soon!