My Birthday Round Up! 🎉

My birthday falls towards the end of January and if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a few pictures I already shared from the day. I intended to write a blog post as well sharing what I treated myself to throughout January. There were a few items I wanted to get my hands on and I totally used my birthday as an excuse!

A couple of days before my birthday I booked in for an hour long therapeutic massage and it was lovely to be pampered. My muscles were a little sore the next day but thankfully the day after that on my birthday the aching had subsided.

My birthday was very chilled out. I woke up at 4:30am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I got up around 6am to feed Halo, tried to go back to sleep for a little while but wasn’t able to. At 8am I got up properly and started the day with a coffee in my favourite cup. Mum and I went out to get a chocolate sponge cake and for the majority of the day I did chores around home. I showered, listened to music and did my makeup in the afternoon ready for my boyfriend to pick me up in the evening. We’d decided to do an evening treewalk through the local forest and it was magical, all the lights are beautiful! My favourite section was one that looked like the lights were specks of glitter. I took plenty of photos and videos and loved the experience. I’m not worried about heights so being up in the trees didn’t scare me and because it’s dark you can’t see the ground and it doesn’t feel like you’re up high.

I don’t expect presents from other people and it’s truly the thought that counts. People say that I’m hard to buy for but I joke in response they don’t know me well enough! I don’t mind spoiling myself anyway, it’s the whole independence thing. My mum gave me money and my boyfriend got me a beautiful pair of earrings. My brother is giving me a Sephora gift card which I plan on putting towards the Pat McGrath Mthrshp Mega: Celestial Divinity Palette.

Here’s what I treated myself to:

Bras from Triumph

I find bra shopping difficult as I have very narrow shoulders and I’m petite but curvy. A lot of straps are too wide set and slip off my shoulders. I purchased two bras from Triumph last year and they fit incredibly well, they’re stylish, comfortable, good quality and the straps don’t fall down. I purchased three bras at the start of January and the order came to less than $100 which is very reasonable for lingerie. Understandably I’m not going to share pictures of me wearing the bras but the collage above shows the styles and colours I chose.

BECCA Highlighters

BECCA highlighters have the most beautiful formula, they’re soft, buildable and blend like a dream! Pretty much all of my highlighters are BECCA and it’s fun to mix and match which shade I wear based on my makeup look that day. I purchased the BECCA x Barbie Ferreira set from Sephora which contains three mini shades: Vanilla Quartz, Rose Quartz and Champagne Pop. I already own a mini of Champagne Pop so I will gift this to someone. Vanilla Quartz is stunning and a great one for day to day.

I also purchased the full size of Prismatic Amethyst (not from Sephora). I love purples on me and the duochrome shift in this shade is surprisingly wearable and doesn’t look too intense. This can be applied with a subtle hand or really built up to intensify the purple, it looks great with all purple makeup too!

BECCA Lipgloss Trio

I actually made two Sephora orders in January and this lipgloss set was the basis behind the second order. This set is also part of the Barbie Ferreira collaboration and the glosses are absolutely stunning. There are three shades Sparkle (a sparkly gold), Facet (a sparkly purple and my favourite shade in the set) and Foiled (a sparkly pink). Foiled is the most pigmented in the set but honestly all shades are wearable and are great as lip toppers. The gloss is not sticky at all and the small size is great as it won’t be difficult to use these up!

Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow

I’m having a moment with lipgloss lately. I’m loving wearing glosses on their own on no makeup days to keep my lips nice and plump and applying glosses as toppers over lipsticks. Fenty Glow is the original gloss bomb shade and it’s supposedly universal and suits everyone. On first impressions I did find the shade a little warm but it’s still nice. I look forward to wearing it more and finding lipsticks in my collection to pair it with.

Benefit Pencil Sharpener

This is the most basic item to purchase but it’s a necessity. My old pencil sharpener from school days is cracked and everytime I’d go to sharpen my Rimmel brow pencil the lead would snap and I’d end up wasting a lot of product. This sharpener caters for three different sizes and it even comes with a handy little cleaning tool. This sharpener is also baby pink so it’s totally my aesthetic.

Marc Jacobs At Lash’d Mascara

I added this mascara to my order on a whim so I could qualify for free shipping. I have really enjoyed trying sample mascaras this past year and this sample was $24 for 8.4g of product which was a lot fairer priced than sample mascaras from Tarte or Benefit. I haven’t tried anything from Marc Jacobs before but this mascara sounds good, it aims to lift and volumise which sounds great for my lashes. The black and gold striped tube is neat too!

Body butters from The Body Shop

Ever since The Body Shop store in my city closed down I have missed it greatly. I now am strategic when I buy and try to make a bigger order as I can’t pop into town for a look anymore. I wanted to utulise my 20% off birthday discount and I was running low on body butter so purchased two in scents I hadn’t tried before. I purchased a 50ml of British Rose as I didn’t know if the scent would be too strong (it’s not on first sniff) and a 200ml of Japanese Cherry Blossom Strawberry Kiss. I finished up the regular Japanese Cherry Blossom a little while ago and it’s one of the best I’ve tried. I love the strawberry range too so the combination of both scents is a match made in heaven.

---

Do you treat yourself for your birthday? Have you tried any of these products?

Follow me:

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

October Favourites + Highlights 2020

October has zoomed by! I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since my tonsillectomy and I’ve been back at work two weeks already! I did get more spendy in October compared to a usual month and I haven’t been reading a lot either. I will still meet my Goodreads target of 40 books for the year but I want to spend more time reading again in November. I haven’t really been up to much this month, mainly sleeping, relaxing and taking it easy. It’s been nice to have time for self care.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Colourpop Easy Bake Ultra Glossy Lip – Easy Bake was released by Colourpop last year as part of their Strawberry Shake collection. This shade is a sheer strawberry pink that can be worn on its own but I love wearing it over top of lipstick for added shine. This is the perfect neutral gloss that looks good on top of everything without altering the lip colour underneath. The scent is nice, the formula isn’t sticky and goopy and the packaging is adorable!

2. Revlon – Gel Envy Nail Polish in Silky Negligee – I was placing an order online for magnesium for my mum and needed something else to add to the order to qualify for free shipping (it was a chemist website). I had seen this polish in a store the same day and snapped it up immediately. Silky Negligee is a glossy metallic silver grey and it looks stunning on. Two coats is perfect and the polish lasted for almost two weeks with Revlon’s Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat (which I have loved for years) applied over top. The polish was a little difficult to remove but nothing like removing glitter polishes. I also picked up another shade from the range called Standing Ovation (glossy metallic lilac pink) which I’m yet to try.

3. Trilogy Hydrating Jelly Mask – There is a facial oil from Trilogy I love and I saw this jelly mask on sale for half price so decided to give it a try. The mask contains rosehip, hyaluronic acid and manuka honey and it aims to smooth the appearance of skin as well as deeply nourish and refresh it. There is a little spatula that comes with the mask and makes it easy to scoop product out. The texture is like jelly and feels very cooling on the skin. Product is easy to spread and after a few minutes it sets a little but doesn’t feel uncomfortable. The mask only needs to be left on for 5-10 minutes and washes off with minimal effort. This is a lovely mask that I’ve been reaching for once a week and a little goes a long way.

4. The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom body butter – I purchased this body butter over a year ago and I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned it on the blog before! I didn’t start using it until around lockdown but the scent is gorgeous – it’s light, fruity and floral and a nice feminine scent to use after a shower. The texture of this body butter feels slightly more luxurious compared to the standard ranges The Body Shop is known for. The price point of this is slightly higher as well but it doesn’t bother me.

October Highlights

• It was nice to have a break from work after my surgery. I hadn’t had a proper break since February.
• Purchased some comfy tracksuit bottoms and the most gorgeous purple hoodie from Nike. You bet the first cold day that comes I’ll be wearing them!
• Finally got to watch Knives Out this month. Not going to lie though, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t like the fake accent Daniel Craig’s character had.

October’s Spotify Playlist:

---

How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!

Follow me:

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

May Favourites + Highlights 2020

I can’t believe we are at the end of May and it’s monthly favourites time again already! I’ve only got a small selection of products to talk about this month but they are really good ones.

New Zealand is also no longer under strict quarantine, most people have returned to work and businesses and shops have re-opened. Currently I split my working day between home and the library, I work from home in the morning and go into the office in the afternoon. This means there are less staff in the building until we fully re-integrate.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Colourpop It’s My Pleasure Palette – I purchased this palette in July 2019 and I feel like it isn’t until now that I have really started to appreciate it. Don’t get me wrong I’ve always liked It’s My Pleasure and before purchasing it I saw so many people raving about it but I didn’t start to gel with it until recently. For May, June and July I’m rotating through my Colourpop nine pan palettes week by week and I’m already looking forward to revisiting It’s My Pleasure! I’ve got a better idea how the colours work together and what combinations I like. My favourite shades are Do Or Dough, Earthshine, Fan Fiction and Sleeper.

2. Wella Oil Reflections Shampoo and Conditioner – After getting my hair cut in February and being impressed with how the Wella products that were used made my hair feel I started looking at products online with the intention of purchasing some. I decided on the Oil Reflections range as it’s suited for all hair types and aims to leave hair cleansed and luminous. The scent is lovely too, a mix of vanilla, white tea and fruit. The products make my hair feel amazing and since I started using these my hair looks nourished, soft and more sleek. This is more pricey than regular shampoo and conditioner but I’m proud of my hair and I want it to look good so I don’t mind paying a little extra.

3. The Body Shop Rose Face Mist – I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I have. I recently finished up the mandarin face mist from The Body Shop and I didn’t really like it so I was apprehensive about this one. The rose most is in an entirely different league and it really does make my skin and makeup look beautiful and dewy. The mist is fine and not too wet which is why I didn’t like the mandarin one, it didn’t feel refreshing and the scent wasn’t my favourite either. The rose scent is spot on, it’s very subtle and one I wouldn’t imagine would irritate you if you are sensitive to smell.

4. Colourpop Berry Good Lipgloss – This gloss was released alongside Colourpop’s Strawberry Shake palette. I have checked the website and this is no longer available but it is a beautiful shade that I have been reaching for a bit recently. Berry Good is a juicy pink-red that gives a lovely strawberry coloured tint to the lips. I purchased this gloss last year and the first time I wore it I wasn’t sure I liked it but I every time I have tried it since it has really grown on me. I purchased the other gloss from the Strawberry collection called Easy Bake (still on the website but showing as out of stock) and I personally prefer Berry Good.

May Highlights

• I’ve been feeling more body confident recently and I very bravely shared *THIS* photo to Instagram. The comments are all so sweet!
• I came up with an idea for a semi-regular Instagram series to share some of my favourite songs relating to a theme. For example, the first one featured five of my favourite feel good tracks (new and old). Feel free to leave any theme ideas in the comments!

May’s Spotify Playlist:

---

How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!

Follow me:

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Another Colourpop Haul!

I think I can officially say Colourpop has become my obsession for 2019! This is my third order since February and I genuinely have been impressed with the quality of products and the price point. The constant releases can be a little overwhelming but I’m nowhere near as intimidated by the brand as I used to be. Part of the reason I waited so long to try Colourpop is because they didn’t ship to New Zealand and I had no clue which products I wanted to try. I find myself meeting the $50 international free shipping mark easily but at the same time I’m getting a decent amount of product.

From the time I ordered until the items arrived at my door it was around two weeks. Everything arrived in perfect condition and nothing was damaged.

On with the haul!

Strawberry Shake Palette

Swatches:

Top to bottom: My Milkshake, Whipped, Woke, Paper Straw, Take a Sip, Delish, Berry Fine, Daiquiri and Shake It Up.

The Strawberry Shake palette is the main reason behind this order and the item I most wanted! When the palette launched I didn’t take much notice but I started to see more pictures of it, watched eye makeup tutorials and read reviews and it skyrocketed to the top of my wish list. The pink hues are not normally what I go for on my eyes but the majority of the mattes are neutral tones and great transition shades. The shimmers are really pretty and I couldn’t wait to dive in and start using this palette – I’m very much enjoying it so far. I think this will also pair nicely with Sol as that has orange-red warm tones too.

Ultra Glossy Lips x 2

Top: Easy Bake
Bottom: Berry Good

I am totally on the lip gloss/lip topper trend at the moment and am loving juicy, glossy looking lips. Originally I was only going to purchase Berry Good but once I’d used the coupon I was sent after receiving a damaged Super Shock Shadow in my last order I wasn’t over the $50 free shipping threshold so added Easy Bake to my basket to get me over the line. These glosses are so beautiful and smell divine! The brush applicator is growing on me and does help product spread evenly. Easy Bake is described as a sheer strawberry pink and contains small flecks of shimmer. If you have shades like this already I wouldn’t say you need this but I’m happy to have it. Berry Good is described as a pinky peach with gold pearl and has much more of a tint than Easy Bake. Both of these are comfortable to wear and will pair nicely with the palette. The strawberry packaging is super cute!

Super Shock Shadows x 3

I am very much a single eyeshadow lover, if I can get away with doing a look using one or two shadows, 80% of the time I will. Super Shock Shadows are definitely great to swipe on the lids if you’re short on time and want a pigmented wash of colour. At the time of this post I have seven Super Shock Shadows and I love how glittery they are, I’m not sure I’d like matte shades in this formula. I’m glad to say none were damaged this time around.

I picked up:

Dare (shockingly neon purple with hot pink and violet glitter) – This shade would fit perfectly in the It’s My Pleasure palette. I will say this shade isn’t as pigmented as other Super Shock Shadows but it’s not overly noticeable on the eyes. I also want to try wearing this alongside a few shades from It’s My Pleasure to really make a statement.

Weenie (ultra metallic true rose gold) – Weenie is like Bellini from the Zoella x Colourpop collab in powder form and is so pigmented when swatched. This shade was first released as part of the Where the Night Is quad in collaboration with Kathleen Lights.

I Heart This (taupe with silver ultra-glitter) – I have always adored silver eyeshadow and the taupe in this shade warms up the silver and makes it slightly more warm toned. This shade is also on the sheerer side but it will be great to layer on top of others and I can see this being a go to everyday colour.

BFF Volumising Mascara – Purple Prose

Coloured mascara is not something I have ventured into much before but I was intrigued by all the different colours of this mascara. From watching reviews and hearing people talk about the shades, Purple Prose stood out for a number of people. The purple isn’t a pastel and on the eyes it’s quite a natural looking shade, it doesn’t look out of place. I have tried this on but not with a full makeup look. The formula is good, not too dry or too wet and the wand is a nice hourglass shape and easy to work with. The tube however does feel a little weighty.

Fun fact: my mum only wears cobalt blue mascara so I picked up a tube of Blue Ya Mind for her (not pictured).

---

Have you tried any of these products? Have you got your eye on anything from Colourpop at the moment?

Follow me:

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

September Favourites + Highlights

September has been a month of two halves. For the first half of the month I was on leave from work and it was so good to have a break, sleep in and cruise through each day without feeling like I had to be on a time limit and have a schedule. The second half of the month I have jumped straight back into busy work life and in some ways it’s like I was never away. I’ve made a few purchases this month including my first ever high end foundation! I am yet to try the foundation as I’m close to finishing another and want to get that gone first but I am waiting with excitement. When I do finally get around to trying it, of course I will do a blog post!

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Paco Rabanne – Olympéa – Not so long ago I purchased three new fragrances and Olympéa happens to be the one I have reached for most. This perfume is excellent when you want a scent that is going to last all day and I’ve found myself choosing this one recently when I’ve been out for dinner with some of the girls from work. This perfume is different and more mature than what I usually opt for but in a good way.

2. MAC Fix+ Setting Spray – I purchased this setting spray at the end of 2018 and it is my favourite out of all the setting sprays I have tried. I have the 30ml size but I don’t use this particular one every day. The spray nozzle disperses a good amount of product and the spray doesn’t feel too wet when it hits the face and doesn’t disrupt the makeup underneath. The scent is fresh and this also works nicely to spray on brushes before dipping into eyeshadow when you want a more intense eye look.

3. Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip in Snow Day – I purchased this gloss in my second Colourpop haul and it really is beautiful! My favourite wear to wear this is as a lip topper as the little bits of shimmer bring out the lipstick colour underneath. The formula is not overly sticky and it has good lasting power throughout the day. I am getting used to the brush applicator now too.

4. MAC Mineralize Blush – Warm Soul – Warm Soul is a blush I lusted over for a while before purchasing it. In the pan the colour may not look the most exciting but it is a gorgeous natural, nude colour that is extremely versatile. I’m not sure how this colour would look on darker skin tones but if you’re fair like me I think you will like this. I will say the packaging isn’t the easiest to open but other people have said the same so I know it’s not just me. My MAC highlighter in Soft & Gentle has the same packaging but is easier to open, possibly because it’s bigger.

September Highlights

• My two weeks off from work was bliss – so nice to have a break!
• Nice to feel included and be invited out to dinner with work friends twice this month.
• I made my third Colourpop order. A haul post will be up soon.
• I’ve been listening to Tove Lo a fair bit this month and can appreciate how catchy her songs are.

September’s Spotify Playlist:

---

How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!

Follow me:

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

July Colourpop Haul!

One Saturday in July I spent hours browsing the Colourpop website and added a bunch of eye products (and one lipgloss) to my cart. I have been impressed with the quality of products since my first Colourpop haul and knew it would only be a matter of time before I did another order. A few items I’d seen and heard about before but others I bought simply because I liked the look of them!

The items took around two weeks to arrive which is pretty standard for mail from overseas. I wasn’t charged customs when the package arrived in New Zealand but there was damage to one of the Super Shock Shadows. I contacted Colourpop about the damage and was given credit but I am a little bummed because the broken shade is the one I was most looking forward to receiving. The shade has been discontinued so I can’t use the credit to repurchase another one in my next order. The product is still usable but I’ll have to be careful how I store it and I won’t be able to travel with it.

Let’s get on with the haul!

Super Shock Shadows x 3

Colourpop are known for their Super Shock Shadows and after picking one up in my previous haul and enjoying the formula I wanted to try more. I picked up the shades Bouncy (cool toned bronze with gold and violet duo chrome), Nillionaire (bronze with pink and gold ultra-glitter) and So Quiche (soft olive with violet and gold sparkles). Seeing the shades written like that makes me realise how similar they sound and whilst they do look similar in real life there are subtle differences.

Bouncy – This is the shade I was most excited for and the one that arrived damaged. On the eyes the colour comes through as equal parts bronze and pink and the duochrome is prominent.

Nillionaire – I heard Emily Noel mention this shade in her Colourpop Top 5, Bottom 5 video and Googled it instantly. It’s such a pretty everyday shade. Nillionaire has the sheerest colour payoff and is the most golden of the three I purchased.

So Quiche – The olive tones in this shade make it the coolest toned out of the three but also it’s the only shade I picked up that leans slightly towards green-violet on the colour spectrum. This reminds me of a more shimmery version of Smokey Rose by Teeez Cosmetics (both products will make a great pairing).

Left to right: Bouncy, Nillionaire and So Quiche.

Group Hug Supernova Shadow Bundle

Top: OG
Bottom: Bellini

I saw this bundle when Zoella’s collaboration with Colourpop was revealed at the end of February and I was always curious about it. After trying some mini Magnificent Metals from Stila and not loving them I half expected not to love these but, spoiler alert: I do! The formula is more like an eyeshadow once product has dried down and the glitter/shine is a lot more pigmented and long-lasting. The texture is smooth and unlike the Stila product these don’t flake off my eyelids and wear away throughout the day.

Looking at the two shades online, OG and Bellini look similar to each other but they are different. OG is a golden champagne with silver glitter and Bellini is a metallic rose gold. OG is more glittery (still with good pigmentation) and Bellini is comparable to a foiled eyeshadow. This kind of product is great for a quick and easy eye look and the milk carton packaging is the cutest! I knew this product wouldn’t be around forever so I wanted to grab it while I had the chance!

Snow Day Ultra Glossy Lip

I purchased this lip gloss because I thought it would make a beautiful lip topper and it does! Snow Day is described as a prismatic champagne but it’s more like a very light pink with flecks of gold glitter. The gloss does look pretty on it’s own and will be nice for simple makeup days but I wore this over MAC’s Kinda Sexy lipstick and it was super pretty! The formula isn’t overly sticky and goopy and is comfortable to wear. The one thing I don’t like is the applicator, it’s a small brush with individual hairs and isn’t the best at spreading product. The brush works well when using the gloss as a lip topper as you only need a small amount of product but if I want to wear the gloss on it’s own I have to dip the brush back in to the tube a few times to get even coverage.

It’s My Pleasure palette

Purple is a hard eyeshadow colour to get right but people I follow online have been singing this palette’s praises. Purple is a colour that suits my skintone and complexion and that’s what excites me about this palette. I get to play up my love for bold colours with the shimmers but there’s also lighter shades to compliment the shimmers and create more wearable everyday looks. Smaller palettes like this are good as I find it overwhelming when there’s lots of shades to choose from in a palette. I prefer limited combinations that work and mean I don’t have to try hard to come up with looks. It’s My Pleasure contains four mattes and five shimmers and is a nice combination of purples and pinks that lean towards purple.

Swatches:

Left to right: Kittenfish, Do Or Dough, Pretty Cruel, Bare Minimum, Earthshine, Chick Lit, Mr Sandman, Fan Fiction and Sleeper.

Custom 12 Pan Eyeshadow Palette

This palette is what I was most excited for because I curated it and selected the shades myself. I was also nervous because I only had myself to blame if any of the shades ended up being similar and if I didn’t like it. My inspiration for this palette was gold. It’s hard to find nice gold shades so I ended up purchasing four for this palette and they’re all unique. From there I came up with a mix of warm toned mattes and shimmers with a hint of pink and mauve thrown in. When the shadows arrived I organised them in a specific way, the top row is classic base and transition shades, the middle row is pinks and mauves and the bottom row is golden goodness.

Top row: Hear Me Out (matte white peach), Wake Up Call (matte warm sand), Side Tracked (matte terracotta with gold flecks) and Bel Air (matte cool taupe).

Middle row: Liar Liar (metallic pale pink), Ringer (metallic champagne), Chic Happens (matte cool mauve) and Goody Two Shoes (metallic gunmetal).

Bottom row: The Game (antique gold), Baby Lights (metallic green gold), Karat Cake (metallic chartreuse) and Night Show (metallic yellow bronze).

Swatches:

Left to right: Hear Me Out, Wake Up Call, Side Tracked, Bel Air, Liar Liar, Ringer, Chic Happens, Goody Two Shoes, The Game, Baby Lights, Karat Cake and Night Show.

---

Have you tried any of these products before? Is there anything from Colourpop currently catching your eye?

Follow me:

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

May Favourites + Highlights

I got sick this month and my asthma hasn’t been good for the second half of May. I have been taking things easier than normal to conserve energy and get back on my feet. My breathing has been the biggest concern, a cold usually starts in my nose and drips down but it went backwards this time, it started in my chest and the blocked nose came later. I’ve noticed in the past year my immune system has been weaker than usual. Also, as a result of the cold my skin looks tired and blotchy and products aren’t looking as nice as they normally do because my skin is drier. Apart from being sick I have also had some yummy food this month, I treated myself to Indian which I don’t have very often and I got a little spendy!

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder – Light – A couple of months back a thought I wanted to give contouring a go. I was browsing Beauty Bay and saw the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder for a price that yes, was an investment but nowhere near as expensive as MECCA sells the product for and decided to pick it up. I did my research, I knew it was well loved and had the right undertone I was looking for in a contour for pale skin such as mine. I didn’t want to buy a sculpting palette with six shades and only realistically use one or two. This powder gives my face a slight hint of shape/shadow which is what I’m after and it really is the perfect shade for fair skin! I’ve applied this with both soft and dense brushes and currently my favourite brush to apply it with is the Real Techniques Setting Brush. The brush is soft and diffuses the product but still small enough to get in under the cheekbones and blend.

2. The Body Shop Shea Eau de Toilette 30ml – Shea is one of my favourite scents from The Body Shop and the range I have tried the largest number of products from. These small 30ml bottles of fragrance are compact and fit nicely in my handbag if I need. This scent is lovely as a spray and smells just like the body butter. It’s nice when I want something light and natural and not too girly. I know I say this all the time about this scent and I mean it in the least weird way possible but I would love to smell this on a guy. There’s something masculine about Shea that I love.

3. Essence Shine Shine Shine Lipgloss in Dress Up Your Lips! – This lipgloss was given to me by a work colleague when she returned from a trip to the Philippines. Her and I often talk about makeup and it’s nice she thought of me. Dress Up Your Lips! is a nude gloss and I think of the colour as a cross between MAC Brave and MAC Velvet Teddy. The gloss is nicely pigmented, super comfortable to wear and has a fruity scent which I like. It won’t last a whole day but it’s easy to reapply.

4. Silver Pendant Necklace – I picked up this necklace for 50% off in a pharmacy and it was a total bargain! It is simple and beautiful and that’s what I like in jewellery. I like dainty, elegant pieces that compliment an outfit but aren’t the main attraction. The chain isn’t adjustable but the pendant sits in the right place on my neck. The amount of sparkle the pendant gives off is really pretty.

May Highlights

• I’ve been loving a couple of British crime dramas – The Bay and Prime Suspect: Tennison.
• I purchased two dresses from Glassons that I can’t wait to wear; a triangle print long sleeve peplum dress and a floral, short sleeve high-low dress.
• The Zoeva makeup brushes I mentioned in last month’s favourites arrived.
• I placed my first Sephora order! A haul post will be up in the near future.

May’s Spotify Playlist:

---

How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!

Follow me:

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

My Everyday Makeup Bag

Hi everyone! I have been meaning to write a post along these lines ever since I organised my makeup collection. I have a small-ish black and white makeup bag (which you can see in THIS post) that sits on my drawers which houses my favourite products. I define favourite as products I tend to use more often and products that I can always rely on for a go to look. This is essentially the crème de la crème of my makeup collection.

1. BYS Fuschia Surprise 

This is my favourite lipstick and one I’ve mentioned many times on the blog, it needs no introduction. Fuschia is my shade and the formula of this lipstick is fab! It’s creamy and pigmented and is a steal at under $10.

2. Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipstick #45

There are so many beautiful nude shades out there and this is the most recent product in my bag. Again, the formula is really nice, the lipstick is comfortable on the lips and I don’t see myself getting sick of this for a while.

3. Bourjois Frambourjoise

Bourjois was my first foray into liquid lipsticks and this raspberry shade is incredible! This is probably the red I reach for most (even over Ruby Woo). The formula is like a mousse when applied but dries down quickly. The applicator is small which I prefer as it allows for more precision which is important when it comes to liquid lipsticks.

4. Tanya Burr Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea is probably the nicest lipgloss I’ve ever tried. The packaging, scent and shade is gorgeous. This lipgloss is the perfect light pink when you don’t know what to wear and you want lips to look naturally plump.

5. Dainty Doll Blushes

Billion Dollar Babies is the only cream blush in my collection but it is the most versatile and wearable nude shade. If my cheeks look like they are lacking something I tend to dab on a bit of this and I’m good to go!

You Are My Sunshine is the most gorgeous peachy-coral and a dupe for Orgasm by NARS. I tend to wear this more in the warmer months and it looks lovely paired with light pink and peach lip colours.

6. Maybelline ‘The Nudes’

This is the eyeshadow palette I reach for the most! I never get sick of the shades and the number of combinations they bring. This palette works for everyday and glamorous night-time looks. I honestly like the pigmentation, others have said it can take a while to build up but I don’t find that at all. The shadows are soft and apart from the matte black don’t feel powdery. This palette travels well too.

7. Max Factor Excess Shimmer – Copper

This little pot is my favourite eye product! The formula is like mousse and it doesn’t fade throughout the day. It has a gorgeous sparkle. I love pairing this over top of shades from The Nudes palette – it is my go to look when I don’t know what to wear.

8. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealr – 1 Fair

Since buying this concealer it is all I use. I, like plenty of other bloggers sing it’s praises! The shade is perfect for my pale skin and the formula has a nice consistency which feels moisturising. Cheap but definitely not nasty!

9. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation | 010 Light Porcelain

I have been using this foundation for over two years now and it is still my top pick. When I’ve strayed I’m quickly reminded why I like it so much. The foundation is traceless and very natural on my skin which is how I like makeup to look. Another plus is the added SPF and pore blurring technology.

10. Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in 002 Hazel

This is all I have used to fill in my brows for the past year. My brows don’t need a lot of attention and I like the natural look this pencil gives. 

11. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal

I received this highlighter in Stashy’s giveaway and first fell in love with the size of it. I was worried the gold tones would be too much but a light hand makes cheeks look flawless. It doesn’t feel chalky or powdery and a little goes a long way.

---

What are your holy grail makeup items and brands?

Top 10 Under $10 – No. 2

Disclaimer: The currency referred to in this post is NZD. These items will have different prices depending on where you live.

---

Hello, how are you all doing? Luxury beauty products are normally great quality – hence the price tag – but expensive doesn’t always mean better. There are some amazing beauty bargains out there that don’t cost a lot of money at all and today I’m sharing some of my favourites! In 2016, I did my first Top 10 Under $10 post and I’m back with a further 10 items I wouldn’t be without.

#1. Dainty Doll Powder Blush in 004 You Are My Sunshine

If I could only wear one blush for the rest of my life this would be it. You Are My Sunshine is a dupe for Orgasm by NARS and is a beautiful, shimmery peachy-coral. I purchased this blush on eBay a couple of years back for $4. A little goes a long way with this shade because it is shimmery and doubles as a highlighter. I love wearing this shade in spring and summer as it gives a radiant glow.

#2. Zoella Tutti Fruity Beauty Pouch

I don’t watch/follow Zoella religiously and I didn’t even realise she had a beauty line until last year. I was browsing around Feel Unique when I spotted this pouch and instantly added it to my basket. I love the makeup illustrations on the pouch but also that the pouch doesn’t have to be used for makeup. This would make a good handbag insert to easily switch between bags or a little medication holder when you go away.

#3. Manicare Scissor Tweezers

The tweezers in the image above are purple but the pair I have are neon pink. I pluck my own eyebrows and these make plucking easy. They don’t pull too many hairs at once and are really comfortable to hold. I probably pluck my eyebrows once a month. I’ve noticed since I started regular plucking the hairs don’t grow as thick and fast. I know where to pluck, the shape that suits me and the shape I like. Being bright pink makes them super easy to find in my drawer.

#4. Rubi Rose Gold Nail Polish

I purchased this nail polish back in 2015 and every time I wear it I love it even more! This shade leans more toward gold than copper but it is one of the prettiest colours I own. The packaging is a bit plain but the formula more than makes up for it. This polish is pretty much a one coat wonder (to borrow Stashy’s term) but I still prefer to apply two. Love it!

#5. TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray

Before blow drying my hair or using styling tools I always make sure to apply this and brush it through. A couple of spritzes are plenty and the spray keeps hair shiny and soft whilst protecting against heat and friction. After styling my hair I normally finish with another couple of spritzes. This smells wonderful and is enriched with vitamins to keep hair looking its best.

#6. Fudge Urban Miracle Ends

This product goes hand in hand with the TRESemmé heat tamer spray mentioned above. I tend to apply this to the ends of my hair post styling to keep it looking smooth and sleek. I have mentioned this product before on the blog and I always talk about how good it smells, it should be turned into a fragrance! I also use this on the lengths of my hair if it is looking frizzy to tame it.

#7. Typo Spinout Notebooks

I have bought numerous notebooks from Typo over the past few years and I blimmin’ love them! The patterns and designs on the front are adorable and best of all, these notebooks are left-hander friendly. The margin is indented so hands don’t press into the rings when writing. There’s even a pocket to keep loose bits of paper in and an elastic for closure. These notebooks make the best blog planners and list makers. They could also be used to write posts out with pen and paper before typing them up if that’s your preference.

#8. Tanya Burr Lipglosses

I purchased three of Tanya’s lipglosses last year and I still wear each shade regularly. The packaging of these is so luxurious and pretty. The formula is pigmented and the gloss itself isn’t too sticky. It feels comfortable on the lips and has a lovely watermelon scent. My personal favourite is Afternoon Tea which is a light pink.

#9. Dainty Doll Wonderbalm

This is truly wondrous! It can be used on the lips, cheeks, nails, elbows, anywhere your skin needs a pick me up. Wonderbalm contains mango seed oil, natural plant waxes, beeswax and Vitamin E. My favourite way to use Wonderbalm is as a lip primer before applying really matte lipsticks shades such as Ruby Woo and All Fired Up. This ensures my lips don’t get dry throughout the day whilst still making the colour last.

#10. Black Headband

This is really basic but an absolute essential in my makeup bag when I go away or stay overnight with my boyfriend. I always use this to hold my fringe back when I’m applying moisturiser and makeup or washing my face. The stretchy fabric doesn’t leave a kink like plastic headbands. I picked mine up in the supermarket for less than $3.

---

What cheap beauty products do you love?

What’s In My Travel Makeup Bag? | Winter Edition

I am one of those girls who loves applying their makeup and coming up with loads of different looks. I carefully plan out each look in advance (usually the night before) or pick a key product I want to incorporate. When I travel, it’s important the makeup I take is versatile and I don’t take more than I need to. I also like to bring tried and tested products with me. I did a What’s In My Travel Makeup Bag? when I went away in January after my birthday but I have made a few tweaks and updated the contents since then.

1. Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser SPF 10: I may have only worn this a handful of times so far but I have been impressed on each occasion. The size is perfect for travel as it won’t take up too much space and the fact this has SPF is another plus point as my Max Factor foundation doesn’t.

2. Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 101 Ivory Beige: I went through a stage of not wearing this foundation for a while but using it again lately reminds me why I’m such a fan. It makes my skin look flawless and provides fuller coverage than Rimmel’s Match Perfection. I prefer this for traveling as a plastic tube is less hazardous than a glass bottle.

3. Collection Lasting Perfection Conealer – 1 Fair: I am running out of words and things to say about this concealer! In short, it’s great and it looks really nice paired with the Max Factor foundation.

4. I ♡ Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter: I had to bring this along! (#highlightonfleek). This adds a beautiful, subtle glow to any look and if you want a bolder look, don’t apply blush and be a bit more heavy handed with your highlighter.

5. Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 002 Hazel: I wouldn’t go back to not filling in my brows after using this. It’s so quick and easy and I love how it makes my brows look.

Chanelle’s Note: Bronzer features in the picture but I didn’t take it as it didn’t fit in my makeup bag.

1. Max Factor Excess Shimmer in Copper: This is one of those products I throw on when I don’t know what to wear and is one of those colours that goes with everything. I wear this a lot and I just love everything about it, how it applies, the staying power and how pretty and shimmery it looks on the eyes.

2. Maybelline ‘The Nudes’: My favourite eyeshadow palette had to come along for the ride! I am still singing it’s praises because I love how versatile this palette is; there are mattes, shimmers, cool tones and warm tones. This palette is also sturdy and compact which is useful for travel. I love layering shades from this palette with the Max Factor eyeshadow to create deeper, bolder looks.

3. Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara: I’m sure you all know by now that Rimmel mascaras are my favourite! I’ve mentioned this a few times on my blog lately and so far so good, it gets the job done and I don’t have a bad word to say about it.

Day One: Tanya Burr – Afternoon Tea: I wanted something easy to maintain as I was flying early in the morning and didn’t quite feel like applying a bold lip at 6am. Afternoon Tea is such a pretty, everyday shade and easy to reapply throughout the day if required.

Day Two: BYS – Fuchsia Surprise (day) + Bourjois – Frambourjoise (evening): I opted for separate colours (both bold) for the two parts of my day, one casual and the other more glam. Fuchsia Surprise is my favourite out of all the lipsticks I own and because I’m wearing neutral colours, I want a pop of my best lipstick shade. For nighttime, I opted for a more glamourous look and went with a classic red lip! My footwear also represented each look, casual for the day, glam for the evening.

Day Three: Urban Decay – After Dark: I decided to pack another bold lipstick, this time more traditional berry tones of autumn/winter. Again, my outfit was very neutral so the colour wasn’t over the top and added to the wintery feel.

Day Four: MAC – Syrup: I bought this lipstick along because it is such a versatile shade. It would go with all four of the outfits I decided to wear, but I thought the pink/mauve tones would tie in nicely with the stripes in particular.

Re-post of outfit collage for your convenience

I noted which lip product I wore so you could match them up with my outfits. Do you agree with my lip choices for each of the four days?

---

That concludes everything that was in my travel makeup bag this time round! Let me know what you think of my choices and what products you include in yours!