Trying False Lashes For the First Time

In February I purchased two pairs of false lashes from xoBeauty. xoBeauty is New Zealand YouTuber Shaaanxo’s brand and a brand I have purchased quite a bit from over the past couple of years. I have watched Shannon apply lashes numerous times in her videos and recently I was curious to give them a go myself. I’ve read glowing reviews praising how easy the lashes are to apply and how affordable they are for the quality.

Along with the two pairs of lashes I purchased lash glue and special xoBeauty tweezers. The tweezers are nicely weighted and have a non-slip grip. The prongs are shaped in such a way to aid application and really let you get the false lashes to sit flush with your natural lashes and clamp the two sets of lashes together.

xoBeauty have a range of different styles of lashes on their website from natural to long and fluttery as well as faux mink styles for when you want extra drama. xoBeauty’s lashes are cruelty free and are 100% handcrafted with soft, synthetic hairs. Pairs of lashes can be purchased individually or in value packs of five. There are also sets of mixed styles available if you want to try more than one. I purchased two individual sets of lashes; The Heiress and The Innocent.

“The Heiress” lashes are beautifully natural and are a medium length. They give a fluttery effect to your lashes, and have a gorgeous curl to them. Perfect for adding volume and subtle length!

“The Innocent” were designed for the utmost natural girls in mind. These are lightweight, natural, and not too long. They have a criss-cross pattern in order to blend with any natural hairs you already have and this pattern will give the perfect amount of volume! If you already have semi long lashes, these will amp up the volume of your lashes and they look almost undetectable.

Close up of “The Heiress” lashes I applied

Application

I kept my eye makeup simple to balance out the effect The Heiress lashes would give. I applied two coats of mascara prior to the lashes and didn’t go in with another coat afterwards in order to prolong the life of the lashes. I want to be able to reuse this set as much as possible. I held the first lash with the tweezers and checked the size of the lash band against my eyelid to make sure it wasn’t too long and to see if I needed to trim the end. No trimming was required so still holding the lash with the tweezers I applied Duo’s clear, latex-free eyelash glue to the band and let it set for 30-40 seconds. I guided the lash into place and managed to place it correctly on the first go which I was very impressed with! I used the tweezers to adhere the centre of the lash band first before making sure each end was also attached. I then clamped the false lashes and my own lashes together and I was done! From applying the glue to the lash being on it would have only taken 90 seconds. The other lash went on just as easily and I couldn’t believe how little time it took.

How they feel

The outer lashes are curled and beautiful and the lashes do look natural and fluttery. The lashes are incredibly lightweight and it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing anything. The length is perfect and the lashes don’t touch my glasses which is what I wanted. I can’t see a shadow from the lashes when I’m going about normal activities, they seem like my normal lashes. The glue doesn’t weigh the lashes down and I can’t feel it on my eyelids. The glue doesn’t have an odour which is good and it dries down clear. The Heiress lashes have a clear band so they blend in effortlessly and look pretty much invisible.

Left: Just mascara vs one lash applied
Right: Full face of makeup 

Other products used:

• Olay Complete UV Sensitive Lotion
• Becca First Light Priming Filter
• Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in 002 Hazel
• YSL Touche Éclat Le Teint Radiance Awakening Foundation in B10 Porcelain
• MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW10
• Milani Eyeshadow Primer
• Zoella x Colourpop Brunch Date Eyeshadow Palette
• YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils The Curler Mascara
• theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
• Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in 10 Nude Mauve
• MAC Viva Glam III Lipstick

I am extremely happy with my first lash trying experience! I didn’t anticipate it would be such a simple process from start to finish and how light the lashes would feel once they are on. The lashes don’t look dramatic, they add a lovely curled effect and natural length. The quality of these lashes is outstanding and they are super affordable. I will reach for these on special occasions or when I want to feel extra glam. I can definitely see myself checking out other lash styles from xoBeauty in the future too.

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Have you tried false lashes before? Do you have a favourite brand or set that you use?

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Collective Clothing Haul (White Fox Boutique + Glassons)

Does anyone else feel like treating themselves to some new pieces of clothing when they lose weight? I haven’t lost a significant amount but I look slimmer and I’m feeling more confident. I was in need of a few basics and the two crop tops I thought would be really cute for summer with jeans, leggings or a skirt if I’m feeling brave enough to get my legs out! Let’s jump straight in!

Starting with what I got from White Fox Boutique:

1. “I’m So…” Slogan Crop White

I don’t really have any slogan tees and this one looks girly and stylish. White tees are a really good wardrobe staple and everywhere at the moment. I love the calligraphy style writing of the word obsessed on the front and it’s a pretty light pink colour. I ordered a couple of sizes bigger so it will be more of an oversized fit. The sleeves are a good length as well and I much prefer round neck tops to v neck.

2. Smoothie Crop White

This smoothie tee is adorable! The little drink detail reminds of a Starbucks frappucino and strawberries are one of my favourite fruits and one of my favourite flavours. This is basically identical to the obsessed crop top and again I ordered bigger for an oversized fit. These two tees are part of a collaboration with New Zealand beauty vlogger Shaaanxo. She designed them herself and I can’t get over how cute they are!

(I’m sorry about the dirty mirror, I really need to clean it!)

Moving onto Glassons:

3. Linen Blend Pleat Back Shirt – White

Like the crop tees from White Fox Boutique this top gives me summer vibes. The colour and linen material make it light and breezy and as with everything else in this haul will go with so many things. I’m a fan of the rolled up sleeves because full length is too long on me and it gives the shirt a more relaxed, casual feel.

4. Long basic legging

Leggings are so comfortable and one of my go to pairs of pants. I haven’t bought a new pair in a while. My mum has a pair of these ones from Glassons and says they’re really good because they’re thicker than pairs she’s tried from other brands. They are not too long at the ankle either which is a bonus when you’re short!

5. Cotton Blend Scoop Neck Tank – White

I have a basic white tank top but it’s very low cut so I have to be mindful when I wear it. I bought this one as a backup. Tank tops are great for layering under blouses when the weather starts changing or on their own under cardigans on cooler summer evenings.

6. Ribbed Tank Top – Navy

This tank top was on sale for $7! I really like navy as similar to black, white and grey it goes with most things and you can mix and match with lots of outfits. This tank top has a ribbed pattern giving it a point of difference from the white one.

Wearing the white shirt, white tank top and black leggings from Glassons. I apologise for the creases in the shirt as it had been folded and I tried it on straight away.

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Which item is your favourite? Have you splurged on any new clothing lately?

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Shaaanxo The Remix Palette

Shannon Harris more commonly known as Shaaanxo is one of New Zealand’s biggest YouTube stars. Shannon also has her own makeup line called xoBeauty and in June I placed an order. I had been eyeing up The Remix Palette as I wanted to incorporate more colour into my eyeshadow looks. Shannon and BH Cosmetics teamed up to bring together nine earth toned mattes and shimmers as well as nine new neutrals and pops of colour.

I don’t own many eyeshadow palettes and the reason is all the different shades confuse me and I don’t have time for 10 different neutral palettes. If there’s an eyeshadow palette I like and use regularly I don’t feel the need to own dozens of palettes. Many eye looks go with my lip colours so I’d rather stick to tried and tested combinations and switch up my lip colour every day.

I have been using this palette almost non-stop for a month now and my first impressions haven’t changed. The texture of the shadows and the pigmentation on the eyes is lovely. The palette didn’t swatch well (I’m putting that down to the palette being new at the time) but the shadows apply well with brushes and fingers on the eyes. Personally, I feel this palette has it all, a mix of mattes and shimmers, neutrals and colour. The shadows blend like a dream, they last throughout the day without creasing and I don’t experience fallout. The double sided palette is good for someone like me who doesn’t like to feel overwhelmed and both sides work in conjunction with each other. This palette suits a range of people from beginners through to avid makeup collectors.

In short, I love this palette and I see this quickly becoming one of my favourites! I was lucky enough to received a palette signed by Shannon in my order which is even more special. The palette is currently SOLD OUT on xoBeauty. I am not sure if it will be restocked.

About the palette:

• Vegan
• Cruelty free
• Gluten free
• Dermatologist tested
• 18 colours – nine on each side
• Mirror on each side

Shades:

‘The Original’:

Row 1

Clarity – matte ivory

Holy Grail – champagne shimmer

Glow Baby – rose gold shimmer

Row 2

Buttercup – warm, matte yellow

Beach Babe – bronze shimmer

Terracotta – matte red-brown

Row 3

Toasted – taupe shimmer

Avocado – duochrome shimmer with flecks of blue-green and brown

Silhouette – charcoal matte

‘The Remix’:

Row 1

Island Glow – light golden shimmer

Need U – medium brown perfect for the crease

Dark Horse – cool toned matte brown

Row 2

Dream Girl – duochrome peach-pink

Stalker – matte maroon

Vampette – matte purple-brown

Row 3

Bestie – matte muted pink

Lover – matte lilac

Baby Girl – matte hot pink

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Eye Looks

Look 1: Moody Grunge

I applied Clarity as a base shade before running Terracotta through the crease. Using a flat eyeshadow brush (also from xoBeauty) I patted the darker duochrome shade, Avocado, all over the lid.

Look 2: Love Is Pink

Again using Clarity as a base shade, I then ran Baby Girl through the socket and crease and buffed out any harsh edges. Using my ring finger I patted Glow Baby over the lid.

Look 3: Ruby Sparkle

Clarity was applied first as a base. Stalker was blended through the crease and the first layer of Holy Grail was patted onto the eyelids. I added a smidge of Glow Baby over the top before going in with a second layer of Holy Grail to brighten things up. Vampette was the final step to deepen the crease and take away some of the redness of Stalker.

Look 4: Gilded

Surprise, Clarity is the base shade once again! Buttercup was blended into the crease before a light application of Island Glow was smattered over the lid.

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As you can gather I’m usually a three or four shadow girl – I don’t like complicated looks that take 20 minutes to blend out. I have experimented with all of the shadows in this palette but I picked my favourite looks to show you. Ironically they all feature a base shade, a matte crease shade and shimmer on the main part of the eyelid. The four looks were applied without primer, I wanted to test the longevity of the shadows on their own. Let me know your favourite look from the ones I created!

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I hope you enjoyed this review, I don’t often review products in depth on the blog but I loved writing this post and sharing my new favourite palette with you!

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