My Summer Essentials

It took a minute, but summer is well and truly in full swing in Brisbane! The sun be swelterin' and the sweat be drippin'. I figured now was a good a time as any to share some of my essential products for combatting the hot weather (or rather making it more bearable!). 

Monthly Favourites // October 2017

I'm a wee bit late with my October favourites, but they're comin' at ya hot! I have just a small selection of favourites to share with you guys for the month - mostly new products though that I picked up in my recent collective haul! Like I said in that post - I'm free now! Yay! I've officially finished my assessment for this semester so four months of holidays - here I come! Hopefully that will also mean more (+ more regular) content and blog posts for you guys - but don't hold me to it... ;)

Monthly Favourites // September 2017

Ya gurl CANNOT believe we are in October already... I know it's terribly clichéd to say "where did that month go! It went so fast!" at the beginning of a monthly favourites post...but honestly, where in tha heck did that month go?! I didn't end up doing a monthly favourites last month because I've been so boring with my beauty routines lately and really using the same products! I do have a few newies to share with you guys though!

Collective Haul // May 2017

Technically, this is my first haul this year - and I'm pretty proud of that fact! I really haven't bought too many new beauty products this year, but I happened to go ham in the last month! To be fair, May was my birthday month so I was spoilt and got a few gifts, had some loyalty club bday perks and just plain felt spendy! Let's dive in because there's a fair bit to get through!

Dripping in Gold

I was meant to post this yesterday for "Smelly Sunday" (what a throwback series! If you know remotely what I'm on about - you da real OG) but time got away from me so...here we are on Musky Monday? (no.) Anyway, I haven't done a fragrance dedicated post in aaaages just because I'm pretty terrible at describing scents, I don't really switch up my perfumes much and if I'm loving one, I typically mention it in a favourites post. I figured I would throw together a post for this particular perfume though, because it's pretty great and it photographs so well! You've probably seen it all over Instagram for that reason :P It's Calvin Klein's newest limited edition unisex fragrance, ck one gold*.

The USA Haul // High End

Aaaaand now for part two of my USA haul - all da high end shiz! Looking over my purchases, I actually don't think I bought that much...heh *scoffs*. I mean, obviously it still cost a buttload but I feel like I didn't go CRAY, especially considering I didn't end up getting any eye products, or that many face products (lips dominated y'all, MATTE lips). While I was over there, it felt like a lot (I went to Sephora in every city...MULTIPLE TIMES) but I only bought 2-3 things each trip (can't bear to hand over a wad of cash that big...what's up with atms not giving out notes bigger than 20s???). Anyway, enough rambling, of course there's still enough here for a haul! Like I mentioned in my drugstore haul, I didn't end up buying everything I mentioned in my wishlist, such as the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops or Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Palette because the drops are actually cheaper here (on PMstudio) and I can get KVD from Sephora online for the same price (saved me lugging it home in my already very full bag). Also, Burberry Pale Barley was sold out everywhere! :( Same with both of the other highlighters I wanted - Laura Geller swirly highlighter and turns out the Anastasia highlighters aren't available instore anymore (Y U LIE MACYS???). So I was let down a few times but it saved my wallet I guess!

Monthly Favourites // April 2015

For serial doe, WHERE DID APRIL GO?!? I feel like I did nothing this month, study wise (oops). What with the Easter break, it felt like holidays and subsequently I watched a bunch of TV shows (more on that later) and movies (AVENGERS AOU!!!). But anyway, I have quite a few favourites this month so let's dig in!

Smelly Sunday // Moringa

Wow, long time no see Smelly Sunday! I swear it's probably been about a year since my last Smelly Sunday post, but what can I say, my nose hasn't been getting much action lately! Ahaha, anyways, I thought I might revive the series (even if it's only just for one post) to feature some products from The Body Shop, their soap, shower gel and body butter all from the Moringa line.

I actually have no idea what sort of flower the Moringa flower is, but gathering from the picture on the body butter, it's very pretty! At first I was a bit 'eh' on the scent, but it has definitely grown on me, and I now absolutely adore it! It's definitely a delicate floral that is quite reminiscent of Jasmine in my opinion. It's very soft but lush smelling, and as usual, I'm terrible at describing it! Y'all should just go ahead and take a whiff of it. By combining the soap/shower gel and the body butter, the scent really lingers on the skin, into the next day!

Moringa Soap

I may have mentioned once or twice on the blog that a daily staple for me is the Dove Beauty Bar bar soap. Unlike most peeps, I much prefer using bar soap (that is, the Dove one)! Most bar soaps I've tried pale in comparison, they either don't work up a good enough lather on the skin or leave my skin feeling tight, dry  and almost rubbery (you know the feeling, like water running off the skin? SO hard to explain!). This one seemed promising, the lather was good, it smoothed onto the skin and felt soft and moisturising, until I rinsed it off. It left that weird tight feeling on my skin! Not as bad as others, but still, it ain't no Beauty Bar which leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturised.

Moringa Shower Gel

I've tried one other shower gel from The Body Shop and my thoughts are the same; average. They seem like any other shower gel I've tried, they aren't supremely lathering or have superior 'cleaning ability' and they don't leave my skin feeling particularly moisturised either, if anything a bit on the dry side. See, reasons why I always revert to the Beauty Bars! This little mini will come in handy for travelling though.

Moringa Body Butter

I haven't tried a body butter from The Body Shop in a long time, so this was basically new for me! These are probably one of their most famous products, and I now understand the hype! The texture is very thick and heavy, but as you start working it into the skin it really spreads out and absorbs easily into the skin, leaving behind a soft, yet moisturised feel. I thought they may have left my skin feeling sticky or laden with product, but that's not the case at all! However, it's not as intensely moisturising as I thought it would be. I can still feel and smell it the morning after but to really have and sustain hydrated limbs, it needs to be applied everyday! That doesn't tend to happen because I'm too lazy...hah!

Smelly Sunday | Meow

Hi guys, and so another Smelly Sunday rolls around! Today I'll be featuring what was my first ever (pretty much) perfume purchase! I was living off of minis for a long time there... It is a celebrity fragrance from Katy Perry. It is her second release, Meow. 

I've had this one for quite a while actually, probably over a year. I'm quite a big Katycat and knew that I wanted to buy one of her fragrances. Her first release was Purr, more of a floral fragrance. Meow is a lot sweeter and was inspired by her fantasy land of Candyfornia. 

According to Fragrantica, Meow has notes of "tangerine, pear, jasmine and gardenia; the heart are honeysuckle, lily of the valley and orange blossom, while the sweet base features aromas of amber, vanilla, sandalwood and musk"

First of all, this is a VERY sweet perfume, and definitely will not be to everyone's taste. My mum certainly says this scent gives her a headache! It is very strong and quite heavy. I can detect a very vanilla-ry and musky scent with a vague fruity hint. I find this scent is best suited to night time, or in the cooler months as for me, I like it best with heavy jumper and scarf attire.

Despite being such a heady fragrance and an Eau de Parfum, I don't find it lasts a particularly long time. I find it lasts strongly for about five hours, but if applied in the morning, it's usually gone by night.

The bottles for her perfumes are very cute. Katy is a big lover of cats (if you couldn't tell already!). Meow is housed in a milky pink cat shaped bottle, with jewel eyes and a collar with an 'M' charm. The head pulls off to reveal the 'spritzer'. I find though that the head is very loose, and I would not recommend lifting the perfume by the head, for fear of it falling! The back also has an adorable cat tail! Something that annoys the perfectionist in me, is the two different tones of gold/metal. The collar is like a purply-gunmetal whereas the base is rose gold? I would have preferred all one colour, but hey, that's just me!

While I don't think that this scent is for everyone, I do enjoy it! Do I regret purchasing the 100mL, yes a little bit... haha. It was quite cheap though (it was more cost efficient to buy the bigger bottle!), but I don't think I will ever finish it! I am very excited though for Katy to launch her third fragrance, Killer Queen, as the bottle looks absolutely stunning and so opulent!

Are you a fan of the Katy Perry fragrances, or celebrity fragrances in general?

Smelly Sunday | Smaug the Golden

Hey guys, for today's Smelly Sunday I have one of Lush's Bath Ballistics. I have the Dragon's Egg Bath Ballistic (hence the very Hobbit inspired title) which I was gifted very kindly for my birthday! I don't often take baths, maybe 3 times a year? As relaxing as they are, I find it much easier and time efficient to shower. In the winter time though, I love taking nice, hot and long baths and throwing in a bath bomb (or two!) along with other bath time pampers I don't usually get to use.

Usually I cut my larger bath bombs in half, but I decided, what the heck! Let's throw this mother in! Haha, it is described as 'Bath tub fireworks. Fizz. Froth. Fruity Fragrance - what more could you ask for?'. The scent on this one is overall quite citrus-y containing Lemon oil but also Bergamot oil which is a lovely addition. I really liked the smell of this, it smelt quite like sherbet with that 'fizzy' aspect. However, the smell was not as potent in the bath tub. For me, I honestly couldn't smell much. I don't know if it's just my bath bomb or nose, but I didn't experience the lovely aroma :( .

Onto the fun pics of it in the tub!

It took around 5 or so minutes to dissolve and it was quite fun to watch! The main colour emitted from this ballistic is an orangey golden shade which in theory looks very pretty. But! Once the bubbles and froth subside...well it looks like someone had a bit of an accident, or they are bathing in beer! So, the colour is not that appetising for the bath! Within the froth and such were tiny gold glitters which were quite fun but the bath had to have a bit of a rinse afterwards. The ballistic left the water feeling almost a bit creamy and moisturising the skin. The bubbles and orange foam did dissapate quite quickly though, leaving the afforementioned *ahem* pee colour. Like I said, I didn't detect much fragrance during and it didn't leave a scent on the skin.

To be quite honest, bath bombs don't excite me too much. I wouldn't purchase this (not that I really buy bath products anyways) but I would rather a bubble bar or bath melt next time! I did have a wonderful experience in the bath though. See you again next Winter, bath!

What are your favourite Lush bath ballistics/bubble bar/melt/etc?

Smelly Sunday | Green Tea Camellia

Today I have another edition of Smelly Sunday! Before I get into the perfume, I wanted to remind everyone that GFC (Google Friend Connect) will presumably be no longer on the 1st of July. There are quite a few rumours circling about the fate of GFC, but I believe Google is trying to push everyone to use Google Plus. To keep up to date with my blog, I highly recommend following me with Bloglovin'. I have the link in my sidebar or you can click here. It's very easy to create an account, and it is a very efficient way of following and reading blogs! Onto the fragrance today, I have the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Camellia perfume.

The original version - Green Tea - was released in 1999 and since there have been many renditions of the scent, Camellia being one of them.

Elizabeth Arden describes it as:

"Delicate. Graceful. Intriguing. Discover the world of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Camellia. Renowned for its rare beauty and revered for its use in the traditional tea ceremony, the camellia brings an intriguing floral scent to the crisp freshness of the original green tea fragrance. Inspired by ikebana, the ancient art of Japanese flower arrangement, this luxurious fragrance reveals the delicate grace of a single perfect blossom as it unfolds petal by petal." 

Also according to Elizabeth Arden, these are the key notes:

Top Notes: Caraway, Fruity Rhubarb, Lemon, Orange Zest and Bergamot

Middle Notes: Cool Minty Peppermint, Green Tea, Sweet Jasmine, Spicy Carnation, Fresh Fennel and Crispy Celery Spice

Base Notes: Oakmoss, Musk and Amber

I find it is a very light, refreshing scent perfect for daytime wear and during the warmer months (though I've been wearing it quite frequently now, during Winter). I can definitely pick up the floral and citrus notes with the slight lingering of Green Tea.

The packaging is nothing special, being a sort of oval shaped, teal-tinted bottle. It is simple but practical. 

I find the scent lasts on the skin really well for an Eau de Toilette - I can still smell it on the skin 10 hours later. 

As I said, I really love this scent for easy, daytime wear and have been wearing it almost on a daily basis. This perfume is really affordable and can often be picked up for $15 or less from Chemist Warehouse or Priceline. It contains 100mL so it's definitely good value for money. 

Have you tried or own any of the 'Green Tea' scents? Which do you like best?

Little Luxuries

Hello everyone! Today I have a bit of a different post all about samples - or rather those adorable deluxe sized ones that are mini versions of the full size. I have quite the collection of these (more than you see here), mainly due to the lot my mum has accumulated over the years. I seriously love the idea of these minis - they are completely free, some come in boxes with information pamphlets and sometimes they even give you a little baggie! It feels like you just bought something, but you didn't! They give you a great opportunity and a decent amount of product to try something a bit more expensive and get an idea of whether you like it, or it works for you. Most of my minis have been acquired either by asking, or through Gift With Purchases. 

Most of the bits are skincare, so I will start of with them.

Skincare is probably the easiest to get samples of, as it's definitely something that may not work or have an adverse reaction to your skin, in which case you definitely wouldn't want to have paid full price!

Clinique Moisture Surge Intense:

This little pot contains 7mL of product and I have been using it for the past 2 weeks and am only halfway! This is a really beautiful moisturiser - it is a gel-creme formulation which is super lightweight and fast absorbing, though very hydrating. It works well for my combination skin as a night cream, also as my skin is starting to get a bit dryer now that it is Winter. This could work well for dryer skins even as a day cream as it is not too heavy. It really helps moisturise those dry flaky patches. If I were to splurge on a moisturiser, this would be an option!

Estee Lauder Idealist:

This is supposed to be a serum that evens out the skintone and illuminates the complexion. I had funny feelings about this when I initially opened it as it contains sparkles. They are actually very pretty - almost like a iridescent pearl. After reading reviews online, I saw that many people said it didn't work well even after using a whole full-sized bottle. I figured I wasn't going to see any drastic results from my 7mL sample, so I decided to put the shimmer to use. I now almost use it as if it were a liquid illuminator, the shimmer it gives off is very subtle and natural. I like mixing it with matte foundations/BB creams and it makes the base a bit more dewy, and suprisingly doesn't affect the wear time or oil-controlling abilities. Obviously, I wouldn't suggest buying the full size to use as an illuminator, but maybe if you have the sample at home you can put it to a new use. 

Blob, blended

 Estee Lauder Daywear:

This little tube is 5mL which I find lasts a really good while. This is a really lovely day moisturiser that contains SPF 15. It's a lovely texture that sinks in well, is not heavy and is suitable for normal and combination skin. I really like this moisturiser and it mixes well with foundations.

SKII Cellumination Essence:

SKII is a very expensive Japanese brand that my mum has gotten quite a few samples from, haha. The two I've tried though I will be talking about. The first is this serum which is supposed to brighten the complexion. I've been using it for the past 2 weeks and honestly haven't noticed a difference. My skin looks slightly brighter but nothing really noticeable. The texture is very thin and sinks in immediately. It has no other benefits - it isn't moisturising or anything else. Not worth the money to be honest.

SKII Whitening Source Derm Brightener:

This is a moisturiser that I've been using mainly to help lighten dark spots. It is a thick cream that almost feels velvety when applied. For such a texture, It is not as moisturising as I thought. I have noticed the slightest lightening of my acne scars but for the price, I find the Garnier Dark Spot Correcter does a better job and is a much nicer texture and provides other benefits to the skin.

I don't have very many 'makeup' items and these you generally can't get for free outright, most are from GWP.

Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara:

I find these little sample tubes actually last a really long time. I absolutely love this mascara!  It is pretty much everything I look for in one - lengthening, defining and just in general making it look like I have more lashes. It gives that really fluttery lash look. It doesn't hold a curl but it's not waterproof, but it doesn't smudge or flake on me either. The wand is really cool and I think really helps with application. On one side it has shorter bristles and the other has longer ones. I apply with the shorter bristles then rotate and comb through with the longer ones to get good separation.

Longer, shorter

Shiseido Advanced Perfomance lipstick in Mauve Breeze:

Actually not a fan at all of this shade, and maybe it's just old but the formula is hard and sticky - yuck. The colour is an orangey-brown which would completely clash with my skintone. I had to include it though, because I have no other mini makeup, it's so darn cute in mini size!

Marc Jacobs Dot Perfume:

This vial size of perfume is really common and these you can get for free. I find they are really good for in the handbag or travel. I have a heap of these, Dot is a really lovely floral.

Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude:

These sizes are generally in GWP, but you can get them for free sometimes. These are also good for handbag or travel and are so cute in their mini bottles! I like Sensuous Nude better than the original, it's a very demure, subtle, classy scent.

OPI Nail lacquers:

These you can't get for free, they can be purchased in sets of four. They contain a tiny amount of 3.75mL which I think is probably the smallest you can get without being ridiculous. I like the idea of mini nail polish but I think these should be 5mL, rounds it off and the bottle wouldn't be so tiny. Tiny bottle = tiny brush. Also they aren't labelled which is so annoying!

L'Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate:

This was in a GWP, and is their very famous body lotion. It smells DIVINE. It's like a dollop cream consistency - so nicee! Ruth Crilly has named this the best body lotion ever so...

I hope this post wasn't too long! These are the minis I've been using lately, and I assure you there are more where they came from...

Do you have a lot of minis? Do you like the idea of them?

Smelly Sunday | Rose Gold

Hello! This post begins the start of a sort of 'series' I'm doing called 'Smelly Sundays' where I'll review or talk about all things smelly - perfumes, candles, and other such scented things! It probably won't be regular, but if I have something smelly, I'll post it on Sunday :). Anyhoo, today's post is on a perfume that I have wanted for a while now and I got it from my friends for my birthday! Thanks guys!

It is the Michael Kors Gold Rose Edition perfume! I love all things rose gold and this scent just drew me in (be forewarned, I'll have lots of pics to show of its beauty). I have the 50mL bottle, the 30mL bottle retails for $96 in Myer which is quite expensive, but you can pick it up cheaper online.

Yes, I got out all of my rose gold bits and bobs for decoration :p

Let me just say that I suck at describing scents, let alone picking out individual notes. My nose just isn't intelligent enough. So, I will let Michael Kors himself do the talking ;)

"Luminous pink pepper with a deeply voluptuous bouquet of tuberose and a whisper of a creamy sandalwood.

Radiant glamour for an eau de parfum that's undeniably feminine."

According to Fragrantica it contains the notes of "tuberose, lily-of-the-valley, peony, gardenia, rose, water lily, pink pepper raspberry and champaca." 

As you can tell, it's definitely a floral scent. Some of those things I haven't even heard of! From my plebeian nose, I can detect the sandalwood and the floral notes, to me it's quite a sweet floral. To be honest, I don't know what most of the notes and flowers smell like individually! I think that it is night and day appropriate and as described, very feminine. The eau de parfum lasts all day and is still distinctly there by the end of the day.

The bottle is absolutely gorgeous - simplistic but it makes a statement! I love its rectangular quality and the rose gold band but it can be prone to attract fingerprints and smudges. The 'squirter' (you know, that button thing pictured above) is very firm and does need a good, hard squeeze which I quite like as it's not flimsy. The nozzle dispenses a good amount and sprays from a good distance.

Even the perfume itself is rose gold too!

I'm really not the hugest perfume person, I don't own too many and I can't tell the difference between one floral and another, but I highly recommend giving this one a sniff! I just absolutely adore it and I think it might become my 'signature scent'!

Have you tried any of Michael Kors' fragrances?

Burning on a Budget

Hi guys! Today I have a post about scented candles! I love burning candles as I love the aroma they give off and in general their ambiance and how for me they immediately make a room seem more cozy. But, being the stingy cheapskate I am, I would never pay upward of $15 for one! So I have a review of my favourite scented candles for their price!

They are the Kmart Fragrant Candles! I have six scents that I will be reviewing, though please bear with me as I really suck at describing scents! Kmart has a range of about eight different scents I believe, with a number of different types like jars, tea lights, cylinder ones (don't know the proper name!), etc.

These first ones are the smallest and cheapest, packaged in adorable glass jars. These retail for only $1! I have all four scents in this packaging.

Fig & Papaya:

This is the green one and probably my second favourite out of the whole bunch. It is a slightly sweet fruity scent. It is quite a subdued fruity smell, not citrus-y but it's definitely still quite fresh. I actually have no idea what fig smells like but this candle isn't very papaya-y in my opinion. I just really love this scent!

Apple & Rhubarb:

This is the red one and I really love this scent! It is probably the closest to like a 'baked goods' sort of scent..? It smells something like Apple and Rhubarb crumble and it just smells so yummy..

Clean Linen:

This is the white one and I'm not really a soapy scent type of person and this one isn't an exception. I just picked it up on a whim, it was only $1 after all. It just smells straight up like soap, not really like clean linen. I thought it might be nice to burn in the bathroom, but it doesn't really give off much scent at all anyway.

Blackcurrant & Plum:

This is the purple one and I really cannot describe the scent of this one! It's quite similar to the Apple & Rhubarb, only with more berry and less edible smelling... I do really like it though!

All of these had really good scent throw (how much scent it gives off) bar Clean Linen. For their size they can really make a room smell good!

These larger varieties packaged in glass cups cost $3 each. These come in four scents (different from the range of small jar candles) of which I have two.

Comforting Vanilla and Jasmine:

This is by far my favourite scent of all of them! It is a classic, clean vanilla scent and is quite sweet. It is very warming to the room and as the name suggests, I really feel quite comforted when I burn this candle. This has  the best scent throw of the ones I've tried and really coats the room.

Uplifting Lemongrass & Lime:

This is the green one and is very fresh, summery scent. The Lemongrass is definitely there but isn't overwhelming like some lemongrass scents. I'd say that the 'Lime' offers up a bit of citrus to the mix. This one doesn't have an amazing scent throw but you can definitely smell it when you walk into a room.

So that is my Kmart candle collection! I think these are awesome, they definitely surprised me quality wise and for the price, there's really nothing to lose! I also quite like the packaging, haha. Great to repurpose as storage! Head in to your Kmart and give these a sniff! They live in the lighting section.