Tuesday 20 May 2014

24 Questions Tag

Hey guys! 
Came across a 24 questions tag and thought seeing as i've been doing a lot of beauty reviews i'd add this to the mix! Just so you can get to know me a little better but feel free to read and post your own one on your blog! =] 


A picture of me last christmas! :) 


1. What is your middle name?: Alyce
2. What is your favorite drink?: Coke for sure
3. What is your favorite song at the moment?: Signs by Bloc Party
4. What is your favorite food?: Don't really have a favourite, more of a beverage lover but I do enjoy salad a lot, as boring as that appears haha.
5. What is the last thing you bought?: Groceries
6. Favorite book of all time?: I don't really read often, there was a book called Saving Jessie I loved however I can't remember the authors name
7. Favorite Color?: Red
8. Do you have any pets?: Yes, a beautiful bird named Bubbles.
9. Favorite Perfume?: LAMB by Gwen Stefani, I still count it even though it's been discontinued.
10. Favorite Holiday?: Birthdays! If they count
11. Are you married?: Nope, tad young for that! haha
12. Have you ever been out of the country, if so how many times?: Never left the country before
13. Do you speak any other language?: Only English
14. How many siblings do you have?: I have one brother and one sister
15. What is your favorite store?: I don't particularly have a shop I go to a lot. I love online shopping so I will say Pure Fiji or BooHoo is also a good choice.
16. Favorite restaurant?: Outback Steakhouse for sure!
17. When was the last time you cried?: About two weeks ago from memory
18. Favorite Blog?: None in particular
19. Favorite Movie?: The Wedding Singer, everything about that movie is perfect. However i'm loving Pineapple Express at the moment
20. Favorite TV show?: Coronation Street, every time!
21. PC or Mac?: I'm going to say Mac
22. What phone do you have?: iPhone 5 baby!
23. How tall are you?: 5’4” last I checked, but who knows! I wear heels all the time so it changes regularly haha.
24. Can you cook?: Soups and Salads yes if you can call that cooking. 

Monday 19 May 2014

Pure Fiji: Coconut Milk Shower Gel

This shower gel is one I love to use! Admittedly because of the price I use it sparingly but it's still a nice treat, it costs $22 for a 250ml bottle so it is on the higher scale in price. As it is pretty obvious on my blog I love pure fiji pretty much anything, so it doesn't come as a surprise that I've been loving this shower gel. It uses cold pressed coconut oils which is meant to hydrate and moisturise your skin.




Pictured is the coconut infused scented shower gel which I liked but so far have preferred their mango and pineapple infused the best. 
If you've ever used this i'd like to know what your favourite scent is so feel free to comment below! =] 

Saturday 17 May 2014

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel Review

When I first came across a post which had a picture of scented nail polish I was pretty excited to think this would come to Australia soon. It kind of seems like an idea which is along time coming and kind've made me wonder how someone hadn't thought of it before but I wasn't sure how long it would take for these scented polishes to appear on the shelves. 
They finally appeared a few months ago and needless to say I was pretty excited to give them a go and see how long the scent would last if you could smell it at all. The bottles I got cost $15.95 each, I found the scents I liked came in colours I didn't like so it took me a while to make a choice. I ended up choosing black which was expresso scented and a creamy white colour which was scented fresh linen. Not my first preference in scents but they were the only scents I didn't mind in the colour I liked. One difficulty when deciding which on you want is that the smell doesn't come into effect until after the polish has dried so you don't really know how accurate the smell will be until giving it a go. Thus this review to tell you how I found it. 


(Left: Expresso, Right: Fresh Linen) 


As far as basic nail polishes go these are easy to apply and don't streak which is a pet hate of mine when using nail polish so there are some plus points there. With the scents I chose I found after the polish had dried that the scents were pretty accurate to what they claim to be. However the scent doesn't linger very long, roughly a few hours after application, which to me kind of makes the price not worth it. As I didn't find the colours very attractive the only real reason I would chose to spend that much on these polishes would purely be because of the smell more than anything else. The polish didn't start till chip until 2 days after wearing it which in my experience is pretty average. I wouldn't be buying these polishes again mainly because they are pretty average considering the expensive price tag but also because the smell only stays for a few hours which doesn't seem worth buying in my opinion. 

If you've tried these out i'd love to know what scent you chose and how it faired with you so feel free to  comment thoughts below! =] 

Friday 16 May 2014

Bed Head Ego Boost - Split End Mender & Leave In Conditioner

The idea behind this product is pretty much within the title, a serum which can be used to mend split ends and repair damaged hair. The advertisement of the product and website don't actually explain how this works so it's something that once you try you can see if there is a difference. I am pretty sceptical that aside from cutting it out I don't really see a way that split ends can be mended, however thats not too say if something claims this can be done that I wont at least try it to see what happens. I got the 200ml bottle for just over $20 so this doesn't come cheap but as TIGI is a well known reliable brand it is to be expected that it will cost a little extra. 



I had been using it for a month or so and at this point have discontinued using in favour of other products i've purchased and tried out. I still have it however haven't really felt a need to include it in my hair care routine. This product can be used in dry or wet hair so I opted to try both and see what results I got to see what worked best. As far as my experience goes I couldn't say either way would make a difference as I didn't notice any changes in my hair. It is safe to say that my split ends remained which didn't really surprise me but also my hair didn't feel better conditioned or smooth as the product claims. This would be an anti frizz serum at best however even then I barely saw any changes in my hairs health which is why I stopped using it. When I stopped my hair felt exactly the same while using it leading me to believe this didn't do anything to benefit my hair. 

This isn't to say that it will be the same for everyone and one thing I love about the Bed Head products is they look gorgeous and are packaged so well. Which makes it all the more a shame that I was so unimpressed with this product so I wouldn't be purchasing it again. 
I'd love to hear what anyones favourite product in the Bed Head range is too see what else might be worth trying so feel free to comment below! :) 

Thursday 15 May 2014

Essie Nail Polish: Rock the boat




Before embarking on the gel polish i've recently been using which you can check out here, I had been looking at a few different nail polish brands to try and compare to see which ones actually last without chipping straight away. But also how well they coat your nails without giving a streaky effect, through the web I had heard a few things about Essie all good so thought it was time to try it out. The nail polish I purchased was their colour "Rock the Boat" which is basically just a pale bluish purple colour would be the best way I could describe it. I purchased it for $16 so it doesn't come cheap and theres an expectation that it should be better then your generic $3 bottle but I think similar to OPI you're paying for the brand more than anything. 

I really liked the colour and this polish didn't streak which I find is common among a lot of the nail polishes you can buy these days. In terms of chipping I went 3 days chip free which is pretty average for a nail polish so I didn't find it faired much better than a much cheaper bottle. Overall I did like the nail polish but comparing it's price it doesn't seem worth it to me, as the Sally Hansen gel polishes are only 3 dollars more and last a lot longer. It is a nice polish if you have some extra cash and they offer a better colour selection then most brands but I wouldn't be purchasing this one again anytime soon. 
If you know any cool nail polish brands or have tried this one i'd love to hear what you think so feel free to comment below. 
Take care <3 

Wednesday 14 May 2014

The Body Shop: Banana Shampoo & Conditioner Review

As some of you may be aware I like the body shop, especially the smell when you enter the store, so buying things from there is always exciting to see if they not only smell great but also do whatever said product is supposed to do. About a month or so ago I purhcased their Banana Shampoo & Conditioner, you can get a 250ml bottle for $17.95 each. Needless to stay this product isn't particulary cheap espeically as it is a fairly small sized bottle. But sometimes paying that little bit extra can be worth it but you'll never really know how well it works without taking that chance or reading some reviews to see what the majority of people think so here is my thoughts. 

Both products promise fairly similar impacts on your hair, the shampoo claims to: 
- Gently Cleanse 
- Leave hair shiny

The Conditioner claims to: 
- Condition
- Leave hair soft/tangle free
- Nourish and protect hair




As far as both products go I found my results to be pretty similar to any supermarket bought shampoo & conditioner. The shampoo, which from what I can tell is no longer available online at least works like any regular shampoo. After a month of using I didn't notice my hair looking any shinier then normal, the best thing about this shampoo is it's really nice scent. 
The conditioner I found very much the same as any regular conditioner with a particularly nice scent but no results different to any other regular brand. 

I wouldn't be purchasing either product again, apart from the nice smell which doesn't linger I wasn't particularly impressed. Sometimes hair products can have varying results depending on your hair so it's worth a try however they are fairly expensive so if you're looking for value for money i'd give this one a miss. 
If you've tried it feel free to comment below because i'd love to hear what your thoughts on these were. 

Wednesday 7 May 2014

Pure Fiji: Nourishing Exotic Oil

I have been using this product for a while now and while thinking of what I would include on my blog next I figured this little gem was worth a mention. It is the Pure Fiji nourishing exotic oil which I purchased on their website, it comes in two sizes the larger 235ml bottle for $39.95 and the travel size 90ml for $14.95. It also comes in a range of infusions I love fruity scents so my favourites are the mango and pineapple. The great thing about this product is the smell is strong and lingers, my train of thought is I want a scent to be powerful and last a while. 




This products oils are designed to hydrate the skin and nourish so it acts like a body butter but because it's an oil it feels a little more indulgent. This product does turn solid if it is cold so you may find you need to put it in a bucket of water just to heat it up a little bit which feels great when you use it. The oils used in it can also help nourish your hair what I do is put it on the ends of my hair before bed then when I wake up shampoo and condition it out of my hair. This leaves your hair smelling awesome and taking care of it is important if like me you regularly style it with heat and bleach it. 

I have been loving this product and their website regularly has discount codes emailed to you and they ship quickly so I definitely recommend you check it out and maybe start with the travel size if you aren't to sure. 
I love pure fiji and you can check out my review of their sugar scrub by clicking here
Have you ever tried anything from the Pure Fiji range and if so i'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below so feel free! 

Monday 5 May 2014

A Product Review: Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Colour Freeze Silver Shampoo

Being blonde is all well and good however if you aren't a natural born blonde then there is a fair amount of maintenance involved in keeping it looking good. One thing I hate is if my hair gets the brassy yellow tone to it, before it was basically a wait until my next hair dresser visit so they could use a toner to resolve the problem for me. However recently looking at the shelves and talking to my hair dresser about the products available he recommend silver toning shampoo. There are different brands available but these shampoos are a life saver at refreshing your blonde hair and giving it an ashy tone which I like. 


The product I am currently using is Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Colour Freeze Silver Shampoo its a 250ml bottle which I got for $24.95, so they are little more pricey then your super market shampoo but in my opinion is worth the money. Generally speaking maintaining blonde hair is an expensive process as it is, so spending all that money the extra little bit to maintain in between hair appointments is worth it. 




This shampoo is designed to protect the colour by balancing out the pigments to remove any brassy tones in your hair colour. I like to follow this by using a deep conditioning treatment just to repair my hair from any damage caused in between washes. This brand also does have a conditioner available which you can use however I have yet to try it to know how good it is. As this shampoo is a little on the pricey side I use it but if I need to rinse and repeat I tend to use a different shampoo. When using this shampoo I find leaving it in for 5 minutes gives a lot better results, often after using it I am asked if i've had my hair done which always makes me happy to hear.

                                                              Before


After  




Here is an image of a before an after shot of my hair using the shampoo to give you an idea of the results and what happened with my hair. The lighting in the photos isn't great but you can see the lightness in tone in the after shot and get the idea of the effect the shampoo has in your hair. 

Sunday 4 May 2014

Liebster Award

I've  been nominated by the lovely Jess to take part in the Liebster award, basically from what I understand those new to blogging nominate someone to take part then that person nominates someone. It's a great way to get to know people in the blogging community, so Jess nominated myself if you haven't checked out Jess's blog you defienetly should. It's about fashion, travel, make up and life in general so it's a good read. 




The rules are as follows:- 

1. Post the award on your blog
2. Thank the blogger who presented this award and link back to their blog
3. Write 11 random facts about yourself
4. Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter and ask 11 for your nominees to answer
5. Nominate 11 bloggers who you feel deserve this award and who have less than 1000 followers
6. Let the nominees know you have nominated them

So i'll start! :) 

11 Facts about me

  • I am a gemini
  • I have been a vegetarian for 10 years 
  • I play bass in my spare time 
  • I am afraid of snails/slugs basically the same thing
  • I only wear high heeled shoes and have done for years 
  • I am naturally a brunette if you haven't sussed that out already
  • Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a psychologist, I even went to uni to study it then dropped out as I decided it wasn't for me
  • I have a pet cat named Drake after the rapper and a pet bird named bubbles after The Power Puff Girls (My bird is 13 years old so at the time it seemed like a good idea) 
  • My favourite show is Coronation Street, i've been watching it since I can remember 
  • I am double jointed in my thumb
  • I've never left Australia

The questions Jess asked :) 

1. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

It's cool to have a place to share my thoughts and opinions, it's like making my mark on the world in some small way :) 

2. What was your first foray into makeup?

When I was younger I love entering in competitions and one was a halloween themed one, so I put on make up to look like a witch and won! 

3. Which F.R.I.E.N.D.S character are you?

I feel like this is not going to look good, but i've never seen that show before so I have no idea who I would be.

4. If you were travelling on a budget would you prefer camping or hostels?

Hostels for sure, not a big fan of bugs.

5. Have a look at your iPod and check out what your most played song is, and explain why you love it. 

I actually did a post about this very topic earlier which you can check out here but I think it has since changed, Too Much By Drake Feat. Sampha. I've been loving Drakes latest album and this track has to be one of my favourites from it. I am the type of person who over thinks all the time and this song has been so relatable to my life right now that i've been listening to it heaps. Not only this but it has a great beat to it and Drakes rap lines are amazing in this track. 

6. Who is your most loved blogger?

I don't think I have a most loved one but I guess I regularly check out the beauty department, Zoella & Jess who nominated me. 

7. Are you more of a city person or a country person?

Neither but definitely not country. 

8. Name your favourite movie or TV show. 

As mentioned Coronation Street, I love that the show is 53 years old and is still going strong. I think the story lines and acting are amazing but not only that it's a show i've grown up with to the point where the characters almost seem like friends. This sounds super lame but I really do love the show and it brings back happy childhood memories for me. 

9. Of all the food you can buy at the cinemas, what is the one you go for the most?

Popcorn every time! mixed in with malteasers preferably so I will say Popteasers! 

10. Do you think that uggboots are acceptable to wear in public?

I never say never and I guess if they were really cute stylish ones maybe, but from what i've seen out there no not for me. 

11. Which season is your favourite and what country would you like to experience it in the most? 

I love winter, nothing better then being in bed with a hot chocolate on a day off when it's cold or even driving through Starbucks to grab a caramel hot choc. Winter is preferable on a day off though, I also love that you can layer, wear scarves and basically there's more fashion oppurtunities. I would love to experience England mainly because all my family is from there and I love television shows there. 

My Questions for the nominees are 

  • What's your most embarrassing moment?
  • Biggest fear? 
  • Sweet or Salty? 
  • What made you start blogging?
  • You can only wear one make up item, what is it?
  • Flats or Heels?
  • Dream job?
  • Special talent?
  • Spread one has on their toast?
  • Coke or Pepsi?
  • Short or Long hair?

I nominate.....

Friday 25 April 2014

A Product Review: TGA Professional Frizz-Out Leave In Smoother

I was recently at a hair discount shop buying new shampoo when I thought it was time to try another product that you can apply to dry hair which claims to repair it. I have tried a few with varying results but nothing too impressive that I would buy again. 
The gentleman behind the counter recommended this to me, he used to be a hair dresser himself and said this was good and could also be used as anti frizz. I find my hair is only frizzy the day after washing it so i've never really looked for anti frizz items. 



This product was $18.95 for a 150ml tube which claims it seals, moisturises, repairs and protects your hair. I don't do much research when buying a new product I tend to just buy it and see what I think then read what other people thought as well once i'v'e made my mind up. This brand is interesting because I had never heard of it when I bought it and can't find anything on it. I looked it up and couldn't see anything about the brand or other products they sell. Which was disappointing because i've been adoring this leave in smoother so much I would buy it again and it's the main product i've been using. 

It is so worth the cost and you only need a tiny amount which you can rub into your hands then run them through your hair. It says you can apply it to dry or towel dried hair. I already have a few things I use in wet hair so i've only applied it to my hair when it's dry. I use it twice a day, once at night and once during the day. I am so happy with the results as my hair feels really soft and looks a lot healthy. Also after a wash and dry this gets rid of frizz straight away which is an awesome bonus. If I am straightening my hair I use this before straightening as it protects your hair from the damages of heat styling as well. I also apply before bed just to keep my hair fresh and look after it for all the hell I put it through.
Overall this product is amazing and i've been loving it! I would love to know your thoughts or if you know more about this mysterious brand as i'd love to see what else they have to offer. 
So as always feel free to comment below :) 

Saturday 19 April 2014

Bows!

Recentlty I have been adding more accessories to my hair just to mix things up a little bit. I am currently loving the addition of bows to my hair do's, I think they are cute and adds a little decorative touch to any hair style. The little ones came in a pack of three for $9.95, the bigger one I got was $5.95 from memory.


These are just a couple of the bows i've been wearing lately :) 

Myself wearing the bigger bow which i've been wearing a lot lately, I am not a huge fan of leapord print but in this case I made an exception ;) 

What accessories do you use in your hair? I'd love to know so feel free to comment below! :) 

Friday 18 April 2014

Photography

A few weeks ago marked the end of the photography course I have been attending, it was an 8 week course on the basics of how to use an SLR camera. My purpose of attending this course was two reasons, one for better photographs on my blog and two, my general interest in photography. During school I did pick photography as a class but that was more developing photo's in a dark room so it was safe to say this class was a much different experience.
The class was great and it was mostly practical, the teacher and other students were so friendly it was something I am really glad that I got the chance to do. I think the idea of getting an SLR camera is exciting but learning how to use it is another story. I thought i'd share some of the pictures I took during the class :) 


Shutter speed 1/160,  F 3 

Shutter speed 1/125,  F 3.2

Shutter speed 1/125,  F 3.2



Wednesday 16 April 2014

Redken All Soft Argan-6 Oil

Hey guys! :) 

This is actually the second product in the Redken all soft range that I have decided to purhcase and give a try so if you'd like to see the review I did for the all soft heavy cream click here.




Excuse the poor lightning in the picture it was getting pretty late so you can't actually see the label but you get the idea of what it looks like. So I loved the heavy cream and thought i'd give another product in this range a go, I liked this one but not as much. It's a leave in serum which contains omega-6 argan oil used to deep condition your hair to make it soft and shiny. The serum is fairly runny and not as thick as some of the other ones I have tried. I like to have a miss between conditioning masks but also leave in products which you can use on dry hair in between washes, this product works well on wet or dry hair which is handy. However because it is so runny you can only apply a tiny amount (I use one to two pumps and rub well into my hands) I then run it through the ends of my hair. My original idea was to use this on a daily basis however I found it made my hair quite oily and it didn't feel great after applying so I used it every second day or when wet just after a wash.

You can get this from most hair product shops and I paid around $17 for the 90ml bottle which is fairly expensive. I haven't really noticed any differences in my hair unlike when I used the heavy cream in this range so I would not buy this product again. I like to use something for a month or two till I expect too see some kind of results and I feel all this product really does is act as an anti frizz rather then actually repairing my hair or making it softer as it promises.

Thanks for reading and would love to know what products you use or what you think of this one so as always feel free to comment below :)

Thursday 10 April 2014

Sally Hansen: Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit

There is nothing like flawlessly painted nails and if you're like me I am not keen on acrylics and prefer to keep my natural nails as I don't like the damage acrylics do to your real nails. I use to get gel nail polish done monthly at this really nice spa but it got to a point where I wanted to save for other things and stopped going. I've spent a fair amount of money trying to find nice nail polishes and ones that don't chip so they claim and have a decent colour. 
I've seen the gel kits around and from going to the spa I used to buy the gels themselves but didn't have the UV light to actually do anything with them. I'd been hearing about the Sally Hanson gel polish starter kit and thought it might be worth looking into as the OPI one is limited to salons and Sally Hansen is a pretty decent brand. You can buy the kit for $100, it comes with 10 alcohol cleansing wipes, a file, cuticle stick, acetone polish remover, a base/top coat and a main colour. With the kit there are three different colours you can choose from and I chose there colour "Wine Not" it is basically a deeper red rather then your classic bright red. 


A picture of the kit with everything that comes in it :) 


The instructions advise you wipe your nails with the alcohol cleansing wipes then apply the base coat, two colour coats and a top coat for 30 seconds each. I found this confusing when first using because after applying the colour and drying under the light I would test to see if the colour rubbed of on my hand to see if it had fully dried. I had it under the light for more or less two minutes and still the colour rubbed off so I was confused as to how it couldn't have dried by this point. So I gave up and applied the next coat anyway. After putting all the coats on once you apply the alcohol cleansing wipe again the colour will no longer rub off onto your hand if you test it. This will happen no matter how long you dry your nails for as it is sticky residue which the cleansing wipe will fix in the end. I thought I would mention this as I found it to be really confusing but once I did this it was a lot quicker to apply and less frustrating. 

A picture of my nails! this was taken on day 2 after the I applied the polish

For these pictures I used the Sally Hansen base/top coat but the OPI big apple red nail polish colour, I wanted to see if the OPI gels would work even though I wasn't using the OPI lamp and they did. This is great for me as I already have a fair few of there colours although the Sally Hansen gel's work just as well. As for the two week no chip claim which the gel colours promise I didn't find it terribly accurate in my experience. The gel tends to peel off in a whole lump rather then chip like regular polish but I find you only get a week's use out of it which is still pretty good for a nail polish. 



The nail gels that come in the kit


I did debate whether or not too return this product as it is a lot of money and I wasn't sure whether it really lived up to my expectations. However the gel looks amazing on and is really easy to apply in comparison to the endless waiting for regular polishes to dry and I found my nails would still always have marks. 
Because the acetone nail polish remover can be pretty harsh I would definitely give your nails a break every now and again but I am really glad I bought this and would highly recommend it. 

Tuesday 8 April 2014

The Body Shop: Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser & Facial Brush

Recently I had been experiencing some break outs and my skin care routine wasn't the best, as I sometimes find it hard of a night to remove my make up and apply a cleanser and didn't put much thought into the cleanser which I was using either. It has always kind of been yep this one is cheap so i'll pick it, I am a huge fan of the Avon facial range however having to order it can be a hassle so I don't often purchase it as much as i'd like. So with this in mind I thought it was about time I actually pick a new cleanser and put some thought into it rather then pick anything. Looking at my previous posts you can pick up on the fact I do enjoy The Body Shop and what products they have available so I decided to check out their skin care range. 

I did find it a little daunting as they have a lot of different skin care products and types (vitamin E, tea tree oil ect.) I had not done much research prior to going in and was in a mood where I was desperate and wanted something right away. Luckily for myself the lady working there was really helpful and nice so I was able to talk to someone about my skin and what would work for me. 




I have sensitive skin so she recommended I give the aloe calming facial cleanser a go as this is good for sensitive skin. It is $20.95 for a 200ml bottle which so far I have been applying once during the day and once at night. I wasn't sure whether to get the facial wash or cleanser so she let me try out both on my hand as weird as that sounds it was actually really helpful. I felt both were good but the cleanser was more creamy based which I felt moisturised my skin more and my skin can be dry sometimes so it seemed to be a good choice for me. 

When applying to my hand she used their facial brush which she also recommended to use when applying the cleanser. It is $4.95 and it's main purpose is to exfoliate to when applying the cleanser to improve the tone and texture of your skin. I have been loving both products at the moment and my break outs ceased within a day or two which I was really happy about. I am really keen to try out there other products in the Aloe skin care range to see how they fair. 
When applying this I like to apply the cleanser on my face then hot water on the brush and exfoliate it off using the brush I have found this has felt the most effective for me. I have been loving these products and would highly recommend them although I think with anything skin care related it's always good to get the opinions of the sales staff to see what they would recommend based on your own skin. 

Thanks for reading and would love to hear your thoughts so feel free to comment below! :)

Sunday 6 April 2014

Body Shop: Limited Edition Jumbo Shower Gel

I think anything limited edition already sounds a little more tempting knowing the prospect that it won't be around for long, it's hard not to take advantage of the opportunity and buy it. The Body Shop has realsed jumbo editions of their shower gels and body butters, I already have a body butter from Pure Fiji I enjoy using but I do love The Body Shop shower gels. The great thing about these is they are only $19.95 for a 750ml bottle which is awesome value for money in comparison to the smaller shower gels they offer. The one I purchased was the satsuma scent which is also a special edition, this is my favorite scent because it's an orange citrus scent. I love anything orange as you can tell it's not the only body shop product I have purchased in this scent. My review for the satsuma eau de toilette is here if you would like to check it out. 





The smell is beautiful and lingers for a little while but not as long as I would like, to be honest. However I still do love how big they are and cheap especially for the body shop as I find some things they sell are a little on the pricey side. 
Overall I would reccomend this product and to give this scent a go, I'd love to know what scents in The Body Shop you have tried and what you think. 
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below =] 

Friday 4 April 2014

Dior: Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

Hey guys! 

So I have been using this product for a long time now and thought it's about time I give it a mention up on here :) 
Basically I am little bit of a brand junkie and like to see what the higher end brands have to offer and whether or not they are worth their expensive price tag. 



This product I got from Myer for $49 which for a lip balm is pretty expensive I am not going to lie, however a little does go a long way so it is a bit of a treat. You can purchase it for around $40 on strawberry net, it's basically a website that sells cheaper make up, it doesn't have a wide selection but you can buy higher end make up brands at a cheaper cost. 
This lip balm is great at keeping your lips moist but it also adds colour to your lips which is an added bonus. I do enjoy using this lip balm however it isn't for everyone it has a nice scent but apart from the added colour it isn't any better then your average drug store lip balm. 
I like to apply it after i've used my Lush lip scrub which you can see my review for here

A picture of the lip balm so you can see the pretty pink colour you get :) 

Overall I do like this lip balm and have been using it for a long time, however would I buy it again, probably not I think it goes to show you that sometimes the most expensive brands aren't always necessarily the best out there. What kind of lip balm do you use? 

Would love to hear your thoughts so feel free to comment below < 3

Friday 28 March 2014

Lush Lip Scrub

I have seen this product around for a while now but to be honest I have never really looked at it that much. However the other day shopping a friend showed it to me and I saw the different flavours and they smell gorgeous. 



A picture I took of the lip scrub :) 


The lip scrub I chose was the bubblegum flavour, it's sweet and tastes delicious. The good thing about this lip scrub is getting to lick it off after you've finished, the basic idea of it is you lick your lips scrub them and lick the excess off. It also comes in a mint and popcorn flavour which both looked and smelled nice but I prefer something more sweet. Although a lip scrub isn't a necessity for everyones beauty regime I do think it is good to do if you can. I've had pretty dry lips as of late and have noticed since using this followed by a lip balm that my lips have no longer felt dry. So the results of using this product are pretty instant. I would however probably opt not to use it if you haven't had any issues with dry/chapped lips as if it's not broke why fix it. 




This 25g jar is $9.95 at lush and I think for a beauty product like this it is a little on the expensive side but it's a product not everyone needs. A little goes a long way for this scrub as well so I think that overall you get your moneys worth. I have read other reviews on this product with people saying it is cheaper to make your own but I feel like this is a nice product to have regardless. 
Lush doesn't test on animals so there is also that added benefit, this was my first time going into Lush and the store smelled really nice. Being my first purchase there after using this I would be keen to go back and see what other Lush products are out there. 

If you have used this product I would love to hear your thoughts so feel free to comment below :)

Wednesday 19 March 2014

L'Oréal Paris: Elive Total Repair Conditioning Restoring Spray


As i've mentioned in blog posts before I am attempting to take better care of it and look after it particularly due to myself not being a natural born. As we all know bleach can be very damaging but unfortunately my natural colour doesn't suit me terribly well. So I have been on the hunt for different styles of repairing treatments for hair, most i've come across have been conditioning masks which need to be rinsed out. They are great however in between washes I wanted to still maintain restoring the condition of my hair as well. 

I am a bit of a night owl and luckily the shops near me are open pretty late, so one night bored I went looking to see what was available. To be fair in my experience shops that specialise in selling hair products tend to sell more higher quality products but I never discount the products available at the local supermarket. I love L'oréal and think it is a reliable brand, the first thing that took my notice was the fact it was a spray that could be applied on wet hair after washes but also dry hair in between washes. 


It cost me $6 for a 200ML bottle which goes a long way so it is pretty decent value for money for what you get. The key ingredients in this bottle designed to repair the hair are pro-keratin and ceramide, these are meant to repair the hair cells and re enforce the strength of the follicle. Therefore repairing any damage that can occur to your hair on a daily basis, its a spray and doesn't really specify the quantity you are meant to apply. After using it you begin to get an idea for what works best with your hair, I recommend starting small as you can always apply more if you didn't put enough in. I spray once on each side/layer of my hair to get full coverage after I have straighten it or in the case of it being wet before I blow dry it. It is a light weight spray which is great because it doesn't weigh your hair down like some of the conditioning products out there. They also do sell a hair mask conditioning treatment in this range which I have yet to try. 

It smells really nice which is always a plus and I think it does repair some damage however I still would recommend using a conditioning mask when washing your hair for best results. As the leave in spray can only repair so much damage and if it is split ends I always cut them off. 
Would love to hear your thoughts on this product or if you know any other leave in conditioning treatments available that I could try! :) 

Sunday 16 March 2014

QV Skincare: Body wash & lotion

I have pretty sensitive skin and as much as I love the scented body washes available sometimes I need to give my skin a break from the fragrances. I love soft skin, I mean who doesn't really? but anyways, I am always on the look out for any body washes which are meant to help with sensitive skin. This was recommended to me by a chemist so I thought I would start by giving their body wash and lotion a try and see how I went. 

With their body wash you can get the standard one which I have purchased or the gentle wash, the main difference between them is the gentle wash has a higher concentration of moisturiser so it is more designed for dry skin. My skin isn't particularly dry so I felt the standard wash was a better choice for my skin, this one is doesn't have a fragrance, colour, lanolin and propylene glycol. This means it wont irritate the skin as these main ingredients aren't particularly good for your skin. The body wash is clear and liquid so it isn't as thick as a normal body wash, however it lathers really well and a little goes a long way. I love this product mainly because it does make your skin feel soft and it's also decent to use to shave with. 


Left: Body wash, Right: Body lotion

The body lotion doesn't include a fragrance, colour, lanolin and propylene glycol like the wash so it is made of a very low irritant ingredients. All information about both products is all included in the QV Skincare website if you need further information on the ingredients. The skin lotion is designed to protect and moisturise your skin which I feel based on my use it does. I add a little extra then needed and let my skin absorb it as this can also help soften your skin and give yourself a little pampering treatment. 

Both QV products are really great and give your skin a bit of a break from other more indulgent smell based products. I would definitely recommend as they come at a decent price the body was was $16 for a 1.25 Litre container and the lotion is $8 for a 250ML bottle. 
Have you tried any of the products in the QV skincare range? If so what is your favourite?