January Favourites!

So January's come and gone. How's 2013 treating you so far? I'm still forgetting we've hit the new year - and keep dating everything "2012". C'mon Michaela. Get with the TIMES. 

Not too many favourites this month, on account of the hot weather and my refusal to wear make up that will just slide right off in those circumstances. 

Hair Care

I feel like I'm the last person in the world to figure this out, but those sock donut bun makers are truly genius. They make your hair look so put together and polished in under 2 minutes. I've been relying on this for those mornings that I'm rushing to work, and usually style it by teasing around my crown so I don't look toooo prim and proper. 

I've also been playing around a lot with my new hot roller set, and have been using the Toni&Guy Spray Gel for Curls. I think this was about $15 in Coles, which is okay for what it does. I hate the way it comes out of the bottle though - I would prefer a fine mist, whereas it prefers to come out more concentrated. That being said, it does hold curls pretty well without weighing them down. 

Skin Care

My skin has been acting up something shocking these past couple of months. Nothing I was doing was settling it down, and not only were my pores more blocked than usual, but I was getting acne type pimples all along my chin. Gross. So I decided to try out Dermalogica's Special Cleansing Gel and my word is this amazing. It has cleared my skin up really well in the two weeks I've been using it. Total convert. 

I've been using Sukin's Hydrating Mist Toner for the better part of a year now, but I truly appreciate it in the hotter weather. It is just so refreshing and cooling. I use it once I get out of the shower and spray it all over my face and neck. If I'm at home and it's been a particularly hot day I'll give my skin a quick spray with this and I'm feeling all good again! 

Make-Up 

Not much make-up has been worn this month. Unless I'm going out to a special occasion or to work, I've tried to avoid it as much as possible. Again, the heat (In case you haven't heard me whine enough about it). I love a good neutral palette for those mornings when I don't want to think and I've been loving playing with the MUA Heaven and Earth palette. The colours in this are all really pigmented and all go really well together, so you can't really go wrong - even if you haven't had your morning coffee yet. 

For those times when I have wanted it to look like I've put a lot of effort in but I haven't I've slathered on Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush. It's a bit vampy for Summer, but whatever. I love it. 

A couple of months ago I also ordered this Inglot blush palette online. I've been loving the coral colour (second from the right) - (I think it's number 30. I matched it up to my receipt order and swatches online because the damn thing is so hard to get out of the palette now that it's in there.). It's a lot subtler than it looks in the pan and I think it's a really nice colour for Summer. 

To hear more ramblings, check out the video below - my kitten Romulus makes an appearance!



What were your January favourites this month?



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Get ready with me!

Today I posted my first 'getting ready with me' video - a small insight into what I do to get ready in the morning before work.

I spent most of today editing the video and fighting with the voiceover timing, stopping only to do the dishes and fit in some Assassin's Creed. I was so pleased with it when I finished I uploaded it immediately to youtube only to find out I'd saved it in the wrong format, so it was lesser quality than I wanted. All good, right? I'll just re-save it.
Oh...

Wait...

What is this error message? What do you mean you have to restart the program? Okay I can do that.
So the program opens back up to a completely blank slate. I re-open the file... to exactly where I was at 9am this morning with it. All my hard work gone.

So I'm sorry, this is in not-so-great quality but that's better than not being there at all.
Let this be a lesson to you all to save your work regularly (and check it's in the right format when you do!)



Do computers hate you too? Or is it just me afflicted with this curse?




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TAG: 5 Minute Makeup Challenge!

I've decided to do the 5 minute makeup challenge tag that's been floating around Youtube.
(In other news: check out the massive bitch face going on in that thumbnail!)

It's exactly what it sounds like; do a full face of makeup in 5 minutes or less. The challenge was a bit easier than I thought it would be, but you definitely feel a bit pressured as the timer counts down!

Check out how I went here:


How long does it take you to put on make-up in the mornings? 



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Stila Eyeshadow Reviews & Swatches

A couple of months ago I bought these Refillable 4 pan compacts from Stila. I've had quite a while now to use them and play with them so I thought I'd share what I think, and some swatches. 

These are all mineral eyeshadows, and have a really nice consistency; easy to blend, easy to work with and a pretty massive colour payoff. Basically, I love all of them! (almost)

This post is a bit picture heavy, so post is continued after the jump. 

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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Review: Stila Tinted Moisturisers!

Man was this post a pain to get up! I have had it sitting in drafts since Tuesday, and wanted to post it on Thursday but the universe would not co-operate with me.
So anyway, almost an entire week after I intended to post it, here it is. My thoughts on tinted moisturiser:


To be completely honest with you guys (and I feel I can, because that's the kind of relationship we have) - I am not much of a tinted moisturiser-wearer. On a day-to-day basis I do prefer a higher coverage, but there are some days that you just don't have time or it wouldn't necessarily be appropriate to wear full coverage (when exercising for instance). As such, I only own three different types, and I'm not going to pretend to be an expert. But here's my thoughts on the two Stila ones I own.

NB: I also own the Garnier BB Cream - if you're interested in hearing my thoughts about that check out my video below!

So here are the two I own, in all their tinty-moisturising glory. One is "illuminating" and the other is merely "oil-free and sheer colour".

I think even if the packaging didn't tell you outright, it would still give it away.

Yes, the one on the right is kinda ugly.

But see my friends, this is where you that age-old adage comes into play: "it's what's on the inside that counts". Surprisingly, packaging will sometimes lie to you.

Anyway, first up we have the illuminating one:

The consistency of this one is quite thin, which I guess is what you want in a tinted moisturiser, yeah? Not too heavy. Here's a swatch on the back of my hand:





I don't know if it will be totally apparent in that picture, but maybe you can see tiny red dots in the swatch? I'm not too sure what that's all about, but maybe it's to help with the illuminating?



What you may have noticed in that above swatch is that it is a little light on my skin. I own this in Shade 02, which unfortunately does not match me very well. I have tried to buff it out, and that kinda works, but I think I might have to mix it with a darker colour for it to sit right.

That being said, I do love the way this applies - it is smooth, it blends easily and it is "illuminating".

I think the packaging is cute - easily identifiable in my makeup drawer. One more note about the packaging is the applicator - I really like it because it's easy to just get the product out and go on your way.

That can not be said really for this one.

It's application is a little bit different - you may notice the pointed tip in the pic above. There are things I like about this packaging though. For one - it is incredibly sturdy. I can throw this in my bag without worrying that it will explode open or squish out over all my things. Which is definitely a good thing. So, it may not be pretty but it is practical.

And, just because I know you were wondering, the "Light 03" shade is a much better match for my skintone. 



This one does take a little more work to blend in than the other one, but I think that's definitely because it is a higher coverage than it too.

The fact that this has SPF 30+ is also such a win for me. It does smell a bit like sunscreen which is offputting, but the scent dissipates quickly.

If you want to hear me talk some more about these products, or you want to know my thoughts on the Garnier BB Cream, watch the video below!



Do you wear tinted moisturiser often? Love it / Rate it / Hate it? Any recommendations? Leave your thoughts below!

VLOG!! - My Fav Beauty Products

So I thought I'd try giving vlogging a go.


Here's the much-promised post - my favourite make-up and etc.

Apologies in advance for the bad editing - I've never done this before!!