August Favourites

So I know a while ago I mentioned that I would be doing Friday Favourites as a regular post and you may have noticed that since promising that I have not delivered. 

The simple reason for this is that it was too hard to find new things to present to you guys every week and there are some things that I just loved for more than one week. So I've decided instead to switch them to regular monthly posts. 

Keep on reading to find out my favs for August!

WotNot Facial Wipes
I received these in this month's Bellabox and quickly fell in love with them. They get all my make-up off with just one wipe! The fact that they're also organic, natural and from an Australian company just makes me love them so much more!


Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Apple
Everybody is going on and on and on about the lip butters and I don't really have anything new to say except that I love this colour. It's such a fun splash of red that is really easy to wear during the day.


Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick
This is such a strange product in that it applies wet like a gloss, but dries really quickly into a lipstick. The staying power is pretty incredible, and there is no transfer when eating / kissing / drinking / sipping latte's, but it does really dry your lips out.

Loreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil
I apply this in my mid-lengths and ends of my hair right before I jump in the shower to wash it and it nourishes my hair like you wouldn't believe! It adds an extra silky smoothness and shine to it and basically just keeps it looking really healthy.

Woodlock
Watch my embedded video for a more thorough explanation on this one but it's basically an oil that you use to rub into aching muscles. It works really well - much better than dencorub.

Dove Silky Nourishment Body Cream
This is one of those moisturisers that I always revert back to using. It sinks into my skin super quick and helps keep my legs really moisturised. 

Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub
Probably one of my top products this month - this is AMAZING. It has been such a saviour for my poor lips which are always dry and cracked and painful. I use it both in the morning and at night after I brush my teeth. Using it regularly helps to keep your lips soft and supple and means that lipstick lasts longer!

Real Techniques Brushes
These are an absolute staple to my routine. Here I've just got four as an example, but am considering doing a review on all the brushes I own. They are seriously worth the money - made from Taklon bristles, they are cruelty free and super soft. I definitely agree with their claims that they make your makeup look airbrushed.

Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
This was another one that I received in this month's Bellabox. I fell so in love with it after the first few uses and knew that I would be buying the full sized. Use it in the shower after you wash yourself with soap and it leaves your skin super supple and smelling of roses! (try saying that sentence five times fast)


Check out the video below for more in-depth ramblings and for an extra favourite not included in this post.


Have you used any of the above-mentioned products? What are your favourites for this month?

 
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August Lust Have It!

Earlier this morning I received my August Lust Have it Box. This is the first one I've received, as I only subscribed last month. As I explained here, I've signed up to two beauty box subscriptions and am going to try them both out.

So it arrived in a white box with a black bow tied around it - really classic, pretty packaging. The box does feel quite flimsy though - and is slightly bigger than the BellaBox. (okay so I know it's just the packaging but we all know we partly pay for that too so yes I feel it's worthy to comment on)

What I did think was strange was that it didn't have the company's name or details listed anywhere on it. But anyway...on to the contents!

 

So this is the card that details what's in the box and a little bit about it. I think that's a slight typo - because on one side it says "July" and the other side says "August". This is the August box? So that's slightly confusing.
This box was pretty good value, with three full-sized items.

1. tanGo Tanning Glove

Fullsize - RRP $29.95

Acts like elastic, gently pulling the tanning pigment away from the skin without the use of any harsh exfoliants or chemicals. 

This was the first full-sized item and to be honest, I am disappointed with it for a few reasons. As you may notice, firstly - it is not a glove. It is a cloth. Secondly - I don't use fake tan so I don't think I'm really the target market for this. Although - that's not really the company's fault.  My third gripe with it though is that it retails for $29.95 and it is essentially a microfibre cloth. I have one almost the exact same which I picked up for about $5 from Coles. So I'll probably just use this to clean my pole or windows or something. 

2. Bioderma Atoderm Cream

500mL RRP: $59.95. Received an 8mL sample.

Moisturises, soothes the skin and helps restructure the cutaneous barrier (skin). 

I'm pretty excited to try this out-  I've heard plenty of good things about Bioderma before, and my dry skin could always do with some smoothin'. 

 3. Tigi Catwalk Session Series: True Wax

50g RRP: $29.95. Received full-sized

Controls and adds shine to your hair. With a medium hold it can be used in wet hair for control and in dry hair to detail your style and can be used to separate strands. 

This was also a full sized product. I've never used hair wax before and am not really sure what to do with it. So this will be a fun experiment. My tin was slightly scratched which - again I know it's just the packaging - but I think is slightly disappointing. It does smell really nice though. 

 4. Aromatherapy Associates: Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser

50mL RRP: $82.80; Received 5mL sample

Highly nourishing moisturiser to lock in moisture and keep the complexion looking youthful and radiant 

I'm pretty excited to try this one. Not much to say on it - it's a moisturiser.

Aromatherapy Associates: Rose Hydrating Face Mask

100mL RRP: $54.95; Received 5mL sample 

Restore vital moisture to dry skin with this hydrating mask. Made with the Wand of Heaven (aloe vera) which is renowned for its hydrating properties. 

Also excited to try this. I love face masks and I love hydration so that's pretty good. Although I've never heard of aloe vera being referred to as the "Wand of Heaven before". Honestly, that sounds ridiculous. 

5. Wet n Wild: Nail Polish

10mL RRP: $12.95; Received full size

Basically the card went on and on about how great the colours of this nail polish were. But mine's a nail hardener so I guess all that's redundant. I already have pretty thick nails so I don't think I'm going to get anything out of this product. Kind of wishing I got a colour instead. 

6. Shiseido Lipstick in "RS 612"

4.5g RRP: $43.00; Received 2.5g sample

The formula of this is just beautiful. It's really hydrating, really smooth and the colour pigmentation is excellent. That being said - I'm not too sure on the colour. It's a bit dark but I still think I could make it work.

What did you receive in your Lust Have it? Apparently some people received a sample of 'Dot' by Marc Jacobs - if that was you did you like it? Have you tried any of the above products?

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My Week in Pictures #5

 

Oh Hello there!

Time for my week in pictures update!

 

Finally nailed that pesky handstand! I can still only do it facing away from the pole though...one day I'll get over my fear and be able to do it facing the pole too.

 

Snuggling up to these cuties is literally the highlight of my day. 

Rommy is adorable - and loves pillows. and the crooks of arms to sleep on. 

Caffeine overload! Had a presentation to do for my history class this week, so watching Hitler documentaries at the coffee shop was the way to go. 

(no you're weird)

 

Intense physio sessions for right shoulder injury. I have such a love/hate relationship with physiotherapy. It's so painful, but feels so good at the same time?

And if you follow me on twitter, you would already know this - but I went a bit crazy and died the ends of my hair bright colours. There's pink, red and purple (which you can kinda see a bit better in the right picture). I'm kind of in love with it (even though my parents hated it) and am scared to wash my hair because I don't want it to fade.

Apologies about the gross bleach-stained Muse shirt as well... meh.


Have you ever done anything crazy with your hair? Ever achieved something you thought would be impossible? Let me know below!

Beauty Tips: Cleaning Your Brushes

I thought that today I'll quickly take you through how I wash my brushes. It's taken me a bit of trial and error to get a method that really works for me and helps get my brushes spotless. Now that I've got it down though, I'm going to share it with you!

How often should I wash my brushes?
This is a question that is often asked. And its answer really depends on how often you use your brushes, and with what products. If you have a foundation brush that you use daily with liquid foundation, then you should wash that about once a week to help keep germs away. If you use a powder foundation, you can get away with washing your brushes a lot less often - maybe once every three weeks, or once a month.
I spot-clean my eye brushes every time I use them. The method I am going to show you is super quick so not only is it really easy, but you don't really have the excuse of it being too much of a hassle.

The method I'm going to show you below is my montly full-on clean. But it also includes spot cleaning at the beginning.

What do I need?

This is literally all you will need to clean your brushes. The brushes (obviously), some paper towels, olive oil and a cleanser. Some people like to use shampoo - but I don't like the way that it makes my brushes smell (I'm really particular with scents...) so I use Cetaphil. This is a really gentle cleanser, with no scent. I've heard of people also using anti-bac dishwashing liquid but I feel that not only is that taking it a bit too far, but you don't really need anti-bac since you're cleaning everything off the brushes anyway.

How do I clean my brushes?

I start with a paper towel, and fold it into ninths so you end up with a little square. 

This is how you're going to spot clean the brushes. 

Dab some olive oil on it, and then wipe the brushes in the olive oil. This is going to get all the colour and product off the brushes to begin with. This is why this part is so good for spot-cleaning, especially with eye brushes. If you're going from a dark to light eyeshadow, just wipe the dark colour off, leave it to dry for about 5 minutes and continue on your merry way. 

Continue to do this with all your brushes. You'll probably be a bit horrified at first at just how much product comes off them. Gross, yeah?

But once you're done that, your brushes are more or less clean. It's just on to giving them a bit more of a scrub. 

Get a tiny amount of the soap / shampoo that you've chosen to use and put it in the palm of your hand. Add a bit of water, and just gently swirl the brush into your palm. This will really help clean it. 

NB: If you're using Cetaphil - this product doesn't lather that much. But! Fun fact of the day: Lathering is a marketing scam and makes no difference to how well the soap actually cleans. So don't be put off by that. If anything, I think it's better for your brushes because it's not as harsh. 

Anyway, continue to do this with all your brushes, and make sure they're rinsed thoroughly. Be careful to not let any water or soap get into the ferrule. That's the metal bit that binds your brush hairs together. Getting water in there can upset the glue and make your brushes fall apart. And, I'm guessing, that since you've paid good money for them that's the last thing you want to happen. 

 

Finally - lay them all flat to dry, on top of a paper towel. I prefer to use quality paper towels (like Viva) because they do actually absorb more water. 

Be careful that you don't pull on the brushes, and don't fan them out or tug on them while they're wet. Again, this can damage them and pull the fibres out. 

I usually leave them laying flat like that on my kitchen bench for about an hour or two, then will move them so  the brush heads lean over the edge. That way, they continue to air-dry. I'd leave them there overnight, come back in the morning and have them all dry and fluffy!

Wordless Werdnesday

Cleopatra Dress-Up

The Eye Make-Up

 

And the Wig...

What's In My Wallet..

Keeping up with the "What's in my... ?" theme, I've decided today to do a post on my wallet!

I first saw this on Sue's blog - over at Voyage Dans Le Temps. Last night, I had dinner with my good friend Meg, and she gave me my birthday present which she picked up from Vienna:

 

Isn't it beautiful? This girl knows me so well, because I adore quality leather, and this is stylish, as well as being really functional. Here's the back:

It also had this insert slipped inside - which can be used for holding cash, and can also be removed to use in smaller bags;

 

So let's take a peek at what's inside!

I did start off with putting my licence / ID in that window - but you could hardly see it anyway, and it would be a pain to take out. So I replaced it with a photo. Which I think is nicer anyway.

 

 This is the back pocket - which is the perfect size for fitting notes as well as shrapnel. 

And on to what I know you all really want to see: my card collection. I had to throw out / take out quite a lot of cards from my old wallet, as this one has fewer card slots. But once the leather stretches a bit I can probably slip some back in. Am I the only one who has "loyalty memberships" with almost every store? I mean, I even had one for Athlete's Foot...I think I've shopped there once, maybe twice, my whole life?

The standard: Priceline Card (probably the best loyalty program I'm subscribed to), Asthma card, Medicare, Centrelink, QBD and Dymocks, Boost, SMH Uni Pass (allows me to pick up the paper for free at uni!) and my uni ID. 

So I know it looks like a bit of overkill with all those "Rush" cards - but 2 of them have free coffees on them. Yep, I hoard free coffee cards. I'm unbelievable like that. (Btw Rush is the best - if you're ever in Wollongong they come highly recommended by me!). My T2 membership card, Myer and my local library card.

Also pretty standard - Centrelink card, Monthly train pass, 10-use bus pass, blood donor card, ATM Card, gift card given to me last year that has like $3 left on it, my licence (Yes I'm on my Loser licence. Shuddup), and my health care card.

And just because we're friends I'll show you all the cards that I culled last night:

Some gems you may notice from that pile:

My brother's high school ID. I think I stole this once for blackmail? It's pretty cute though, and I will be keeping it, FlyBuys and Woolworth's Everyday rewards: I stopped using these so effing long ago, I don't know why I haven't just thrown these out; cupcake business cards? Because you never know; Galaxy World? No idea where these even came from, I don't think I've ever even stepped foot in a galaxy world.

And if you were wondering - yes all my personal information is edited out. Sorry for the shoddy editing, but you can never be too careful on the interwebs!

See my: "What's in my pencil case" post here, and my "what's in my bag" post here

What's in your wallet? Do you excessively hoard cards too? Or are you more ruthless when shopkeepers ask you to sign up to their "loyalty" programs?