Priceline GWP Haul

Every year Priceline do a couple of "goody bag" GWP. You may remember me posting last year about the skincare bag? When this GWP deal was announced, I was unsure as to whether it was worth getting. Although $220 worth of products sounds like an offer too good to refuse, I didn't want to get the deal just for the sake of it. Anyway, after evaluating what was inside I realised it was actually a prettty good chance to try out some new products that I wouldn't normally spend money on.

To qualify for the offer, you only needed to spend $60 on participating brands. Considering how expensive cosmetics are here, that part was easy. I bought two Revlon Colour Stay Ultimate Suede Matte lipsticks (wanted to try since they came out), a Rimmel foundation, and I stocked up on some nail polish remover.
And what did I get for free?

Nude by Nature Undercover Airbrush Mineral Primer; Bourjois Volume Glamour Max mascara; Models Prefer Brow Highlighter; Revlon Lip Butter; Rimmel Wake Me Up instant radiance shimmer touch; 

Savvy make up remover wipes with vitamin E; Ecotools bath sponge; 

Natio lipstick; Manicare Cuticle Therapy oil; Sally Hansen nail polish; Press&Go Manicure; Kiss Everlasting French press on nails; 

Overall I think it was a pretty good deal; I'll use most, if not all, of the products I received. Unfortunately the lip butter came in a colour I already own, so I'll probably be squirreling that one away for a giveaway.
I have some reviews already in mind for some of these products too, so keep an eye out for that!

Have you used any of these products before? Did you snag up the GWP offer? Worth it?




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Review: Arbonne Cosmetics*

Arbonne is a Swiss company, mostly known in the beauty community for their skincare range. I'd heard a little bit about them on youtube, but never much from this side of the pond. I was asked if I'd be interested in trying out some of their cosmetic products, and after checking out the company, I absolutely was. Arbonne's products are based on botanical principles; products that are going to highlight your natural beauty whilst remaining safe and beneficial for your skin. 

Perfecting Liquid Foundation with SPF 15

I'm very, very fussy with foundations. I like something that is going to give me a fuller coverage and even out my skin-tone without being heavy, yet is going to last me all day. I was sent this in the lightest shade, 'Alabaster'. Unfortunately, the problem with matching someone's skin-tone on the computer is that you're probably not always going to get a match. This colour is quite lighter than my natural skin tone, which is unfortunate. I had the idea of mixing it with a darker tinted-moisturiser I have sitting around but decided that wouldn't be fair for the review. So, the first day I wore this without mixing it, and without bronzer. I looked way too pale, but it held up really well! It lasted a 13 hour day at uni without any need for re-application. I felt that it applied really nicely, and wasn't drying on my skin. This product also contains no parabens, phthalates or talc. 

The second day I wore this I brushed some bronzer over my entire face with a powder brush, which brought the colour closer to my natural skin-tone; this seemed to do the trick! I absolutely love this foundation; it's non-comodogenic, it increases the moisture content of your skin and the finish it gives my skin is just beautiful. I also really love the packaging; the glass bottle has a really luxurious feel to it, and I love that it has storage instructions AND a use-by date written on the glass. Genius. 

RRP: $55.00

Mineral-Infused Eye Shadow

I got two eye shadows, in the colours "Cabarnet" (left) and "Blue Slate" (right). Both of these colours are quite pigmented, without being too intense. They're easily blendable and  go well with most colours I already own. I love Cabarnet for a muted, day-time look, whilst Blue Slate provides a really beautiful pop of colour. Arbonne eye shadows are currently available in 20 shades, and all are infused with anti-cakeing agents, such as Zinc Stearate, to ensure that colour remains smooth and even. 

RRP: $26.00

Lip Polish in Posh

To be honest, I've never really been much of a lip gloss girl. Whilst I love the idea of shiny, sexy lips I absolutely cannot stand stickiness. And I actually can't believe it, but this product has lived up to its claims of shiny but not sticky. The applicator is quite similar to most lip glosses, and when I saw it I was kind of scared...hoping it would not be like every other lip gloss product that just leaves me furiously rubbing at my lips with a tissue. Oh how pleasantly surprised I was! The colour is quite a feminine pink, that definitely leaves my  lips with a nice sheen (which I feel is the grown-up version of shiny). As for how it feels? Ridiculously moisturising and super smooth. It feels more like a lip balm than anything, and I LOVE that. 

Here's a swatch for colour purposes:

The lip polish is available in seven shades, with key ingredients including wild mango butter, sunflower oil, vitamins A and E. Like the previous two products mentioned, it's also completely free of parabens, phthalates and talc. 

RRP: $36.

Check out Arbonne Cosmetics for yourself here.

Are you a lipgloss girl? How do you make the wrong colour foundation work for you? Give me your tips - it would be a shame to let this go to waste!! 

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me for consideration. This has in no way affected my opinion of them, nor has Arbonne Cosmetics influenced this review.   For further details, please check out my disclaimer. 



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My New Journal

So, recently I've gotten back into journalling. I try and record an entry every day, but sometimes I don't do much or I just plain old forget. 

I picked up this "a thought a day" journal in Dymocks the other week, and have been loving it so far. 

The premise is simple; write down one thought a day, for five years. I love that the small writing space means there's no pressure to write a lot...I can literally right a sentence if I feel like and I don't feel like I've "wasted" an entire page. I still use my "page a day" journal to write more detailed entries, but I'm loving this as a "snapshot" of my days. I also love that you keep this for five whole years. I can't wait to see what I'm writing years from now and how I change as a person. 

The book design is really simple. As you can see in the above images, each date gets its own page, with every year getting its own paragraph. Finish off the "20..." with whatever year, write down your thought, and turn the page. I also love the elastic band place holder. 

So far I've kept it up every day. Let's see how long that lasts.

Do you like journalling? Do you like reading back on things you've written in the past, or is that too cringe-worthy?



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My Week in Pictures #28

It's been a tough two weeks here. Uni has been absolutely mental ... not only was everything due at once, but what was due was Hard. With a capital 'H'. It's all over now though (for a few weeks) and I'm really looking forward to having the coming week off. I want to get re-focussed on my blog, and myself, and spend more time doing what I enjoy.

Here's what I've been up to lately...

J bought me home 'Settlers of Catan' after I finished a horrible take home exam last Wednesday. I've wanted this game for the better part of a year, and it was such a nice surprise to come home to this. J bought it because I was anticipating friends coming over on Friday night to celebrate the end of mid-terms. But unfortunately plans changed. We ended up inviting his mate G over for a roast dinner and playing. SO MUCH FUN. I'm now constantly inviting people over to play haha.

Also caught up with one of my friends who used to work with me over Max Brenner. So good seeing her after about a month and catching up over delicious tea and hot chocolates.
I'm reading a new book; I've been on the hunt for this one for about a year and finally saw it in my unishop last week so snagged it up. I'm about 6 chapters in and loving it.

Bus stop Vogue. Funny story; the same morning I was reading this, I stopped into Coles on my way to work to pick up some breakfast. I was paying at the self-help cashier and one of the Coles' employees came up and yelled at me for not paying for the magazine! I was like "uhm I brought this in with me?" She said "NO I saw you bring it up to the register, you have to pay for it!!" I won the fight though with a simple "well...this magazine doesn't have a barcode on it, so it's not from your store" and I walked out. I love when I get the better hand in an argument and walk away graciously winning.
Also bought myself some new boots for winter. Retail really is therapy.

On Thursday was J and my anniversary. We went out to a Turkish restaurant in Newtown. I loved the decor of the place, really authentic and pretty. We chose to sit at the small tables with cushions, which later revealed itself as being a mistake. It was kind of impossible to get our long legs comfortable and poor J had to put up with my squirming for most of dinner. J ordered the meatballs, and I ordered some lamb cutlets. Unfortunately the rice from J's dish took longer than they expected to cook, and my lamb ended up slightly cold and way overcooked, which was a shame. The waiter was really lovely though, and we got some free dip for the extensive wait. J tried 'sour cherry juice', and I had a much-needed glass of wine.

What's your favourite board game? What's your best "winning an argument graciously" story?



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Wordless Wednesday: Hiding Away

 

 

 

Some days, when I'm overloaded with things to do, I wish I could  escape it all and spend my days hiding in a canvas bag like Rommy....



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March Skincare

Skincare is one of those routines that is never really stagnant.
Here’s how I kept the skin on my face happy throughout March.

Make-Up Removal:

I’ve gone off using face wipes, tbh. I just feel like for the amount of effort I put in to scrubbing that bit of cloth across my face, they don’t remove that much make-up. So instead, I’ve been using Dermalogica’s Precleanse. I’ve talked a bit about this one here. Basically it’s an oil, you massage it into your face, then rinse off with warm water. Faster than a wipe, less damaging on your skin and it leaves your skin cleaner.
For eye make-up I use Loreal’s gentle eye make-up remover. I freaking love this stuff. One of my friends turned me onto it back in first year uni, and I’ve yet to find anything that measures up quite as much. Although that being said, I do love Bioderma’s H2O Micellar water for eye makeup removal too; it’s just difficult to access in my corner of the world.

Cleansing:

 

I do this step every night in the shower; I just feel the hot steam helps to open my pores up and allows for a deeper cleanse. I use Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel (discussed here) with the Clarisonic. I’ve talked about both before, and done an in-depth review on the Clarisonic here.
The only criticism I have of the SCG is the packaging; I find it hard to control the amount that comes through the slit on the top of the bottle. Also, every night product gets stuck there and then by the next night it solidifies. I just feel there could be an easier, more economical way of dispensing product than this.

Toning



I’ve talked before about how I use Sukin’s Hydrating Mist Toner; basically just as a refreshing spritz to calm my skin after my hot shower. I’ve recently added T.N. Dickonson’s Witch Hazel toner into my routine, after a recommendation from Jess at Neko Aesthetic. I have definitely found since adding this in that my skin is clearer, with fewer breakouts.I also use the Witch Blemish Stick as a spot treatment on active breakouts.

Face Masks



I love a good face mask, and use a couple for different reasons. These were my favourites in March:

- Sukin’s Purifying Facial Masque; I did a full review of this product here. This is absolutely HG for me. It’s a red clay mask, used to clear out blackheads and blocked pores. I am yet to find a product that works as well as this one.
- Apivita face masks: I have tried out quite a few of the masks from this brand, and there is yet to be one I haven’t loved. For a super moisturising mask, I’ve been loving the Express Beauty with Cereals, and for refreshing my eyes, I’ve been loving the Express Beauty with Gingko Biloba.

Moisturiser



Rose hip oil is the only moisturiser I have used for about a year now; I apply it right before I head off to sleep and wake up in the morning with beautiful, dewey skin!


What are your skincare HG items? Do you use oils on your face?

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Nails of the Week - Inspired by University

I'm wearing a really simple nail design this week...so simple I doubt you can even call it a 'design'. 

This is such a beautiful, deep shade of green - I think it's a great colour for the beginning of Autumn. Which, by the way, has only felt like Autumn as of today. 

I tried my hand at a gradient glitter accent nail. It really didn't work out that well, and I think it's because the glitter polish I used is too chunky. I feel like it would work so much better with finer glitter particles. 

Uni has made me so scatter-brained at the moment, as I focus on getting my hundreds and hundreds of pages of readings done each week. I really wish that were an exaggeration. So how has studying inspired my nails this week? 

I have a certain system of highlighting my textbooks. Principles in pink, interesting points in blue, case names and legislation in yellow. Case facts underlined in orange, and case decisions underlined in green. 

So yeah, I was inspired by my meticulous underlining. 

What a dork. 

Colours used in thsi one: 

- Revlon: Jaded Night

- Australis: Nail Glitter Top Coat in Shimmy Shake

Where do you seek out inspiration in day-to-day life? 
Are you a crazy highlighter too? No? Just me? I'll show myself out...



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My Week in Pics #28

HAPPY EASTER!!

What did you all get up to over the long weekend? I dressed up like a bunny at work (much to all of the children's delight!). I've been a total stresshead the last two weeks, so I made a conscious effort to take some time out for myself. 

Got my extended butterfly down. It's still kind of ugly, and my lines are pretty shocking. But you add pretty-ness later :)

In other exciting news, J and I got inspiration from My Kitchen Rules and made our own spelt pasta! Much easier on my tummy than normal pasta, and so much more tasty than completely gluten-free. 

I was kinda surprised at how long the entire process took, but it really was a lot of fun. As you may notice from J putting faces in the dough... I was also really happy that it turned out so well for our first time! 

1. Lots of tea drinking and candle basking was had over the past weekend. 

2. My little brother flew down for his school break, and I'm really excited and happy he's back. We went out to dinner on Thursday night, and I just had to finish the week off with a cider. 

3. I organised and sorted out all my make-up and beauty shiz. My entire work area is a lot cleaner now, meaning my head is less cluttered too. 

4. Cutest tea tin from T2 - part of their children's range. Best thing is that it comes with tea inside it! This is a spearmint-y blend, but is a tisane so no caffeine! 

What did you get up this week? How did you spend your Easter? Apart from being a bunny, all I got up to was studying...fun, hey!?

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