Youtuber inspired stocking filler ideas.

It's no secret that many Youtubers and other social media stars are turning to merchandising as another way to reach out to their fans. And as one of those fans, I have bought into it, spending way too much money on things I don't really need. However, with many of these product lines having Christmas ranges, I thought I'd show a few of my favourites that are probably going to end up in someone's stocking this Christmas.

I love the Zoella Beauty range (you can see a post on some of the other products here), and when I heard there was a Christmas range, I had to pick up a few things. The whole aesthetic of all the products in Zoe's range are gorgeous.

Firstly I got the Mini Fizz Bars, which are $17.36, but you can get about 6-10 baths out of the trio. I have tried the original Fizz Bar, and it is a nice subtle addition of scent and moisturising properties to your bath. 

Next I chose the Bath Bombinis, which are $21.70. They have the same scent as the original range, with soft inoffensive floral notes, which will appeal to many. The packaging of these is beautiful, and the jar can be reused after all the bath fizzers have been used. 

The cute Christmas packaging of the Two Balmy Lip Balm Duo ($10.85) had me putting it in my basket without even a second thought. The lip balms have a subtle smell and a slight tint to them as well. The packaging and price is perfect to pop in someone's Christmas stocking, or to split up and give one to a friend and keep one yourself! 

I've been wanting to try the Blissful Mistful fragrance since Zoella launched her range, but customs doesn't allow perfume to be sent via mail to Australia... So the next best thing was the Blissful Mistful Solid Fragrance ($10.85). Again, it has the soft floral fragrance of the rest of the line. Personally I don't think the scent is strong enough, as it doesn't linger very long on me, but it would be a perfect gift for a younger girl getting into makeup and perfume.

Another blogger who has recently released a makeup range that would be the perfect gift for Christmas is FleurDeForce. I purchased her Eyeshadow Quad in Cosmic Bronze ($17.34) and Lipgloss in Starry Starry Night ($15.17). 

The eyeshadows (as someone who is a relative newbie to eyeshadow) seem quite pigmented (especially the darker colours), and blend quite easily, with two mattes and two shimmer shadows in the quad. They also come with a brush, instead of the usual sponge applicator.

The lipgloss goes on very smoothly and is the least sticky lipgloss I have ever tried. It also has a gorgeous vanilla scent. 

Starry Starry Night on the lips.

 Have you tried any of these products? What would you like to see in your stocking this Christmas?

Beth. x

Huge Lush Haul.

It's that time of the year again! The time when Lush bring out their huge range of Christmas products, and as you will be aware from this post, I can't resist it. The scents of the Christmas range are ones that I love all year round, so I always stock up!

So I popped into Lush recently to pick up some of the many things I'd seen talked about online, to find them completely sold out... Thank goodness for the online store!

Here's what I picked up this year.

"Cinders" is a bath bomb that I have to pick up every year from the Christmas range. It smells of cinnamon and has popping candy to make your bath fizz.

In a gift pack with Cinders I got "Intergalactic". This one smells fresh like peppermint, and has a gorgeous colour that will look amazing in the bath. I don't think you can buy this one individually in Australia, but you can buy it in 'The Night Before Christmas' gift pack. 

Next from the Christmas collection I bought the "Holly Go Lightly" bubble bar. It smells very similar to Cinders, with a hint of lime freshness. 

When I saw the "Five Gold Rings" bubble bar, there were two main reasons why I instantly put it in my basket. Firstly, there are essentially five mini bubble bars, which saves you having to break it up, so you get the most uses possible out of it. And secondly, the vanilla scent! Although some people may think vanilla is a bit of a boring scent, I absolutely love it, and can't wait to use it!

My last pick from the Christmas range was the "Peeping Santa Bubble Bar". This one would have to be the cutest of the bunch, and it smells sweet and fruity like strawberries. It also has cocoa butter and shea butter, so will hopefully be very moisturising! 

"Phoenix Rising" is the bath bomb I buy from the normal collection when Cinders isn't available. It has a similar cinnamon scent, with a bit of extra spice, and it makes your bath a beautiful purple sparkly colour. 

I'm not normally drawn to the bubble bars, but when my sister picked this one up for me to smell, I was sold. the "Brightside Bubble Bar" smells like a glorious citrus blend, and according to all reviews has bubbles that last for ages!

What have you picked up from Lush lately?

Beth. x

Head to head: Micellar waters.

Micellar water is a game changer when it comes to removing your makeup efficiently and effectively. They have gained cult status over the past few years, with Bioderma being the name that comes to mind when you think of what sparked this skin care revolution.  I personally love the concept of micellar waters, especially as someone with very sensitive skin.

I have tried three different micellar waters from different ends of the price spectrum, and two I've already repurchased, while the other didn't make the cut.

The one that I tried first was Bioderma. I'd heard beauty bloggers and vloggers talk about it for ages, and so when in landed on the shelves of Priceline in Australia, I was all over it. It's not cheap, at about $30 for 250mL, but personally I think it's worth the money. My skin is irritated quite easily, but this doesn't affect it at all. It removes make-up (and even waterproof mascara) easily, without having to pull and tug at your skin. There is no scent, and it leaves your skin feeling clean and refreshed.

I had put off trying the Garnier Micellar water, because I didn't think anything could be as good as my beloved Bioderma. It is at the other end at the price spectrum at $13 for 400mL. It does a very similar job to Bioderma, although it does require a bit more product to do the same job, but at that price, that isn't an issue. Again, it didn't seem to irritate my sensitive skin, which was great. I rarely wear waterproof mascara, so I am unable to say if it effectively works on that. I personally find that there is a weak scent with this one, that did initially put me off, but I have gotten used to it now. So all in all, a brilliant lower end micellar water.

Lastly I tried the Sukin Micellar Water. I have tried other Sukin products in the past, and found that my skin doesn't seem to be irritated by them, so I thought I would give this a go. It's paraben and sulphate free, and organic. The floral scent of this is much more pronounced than the others, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, when I used this it made my skin tingle and go red and patchy. I also found that I needed to work harder to get my eye makeup off than I did with the other ones. It's $10 for 250mL.

What is your favourite micellar water? Is there other ones I should try?

Beth. x

Shuffle to the shuffle: My music, mixed up. #2

You're Not to Blame (But It's All Your Fault) - Hayley Warner (video)

This song is off Hayley Warner's first solo full length EP in 2010 after coming runner-up in Australian Idol. It's a pop/rock song that will have you belting out the chorus in no time! The whole EP is worth a listen.

I've also heard rumours that a full length album could be on the way very soon! So keep your eyes peeled if you like Hayley's sound.

https://www.facebook.com/HayleyWarnerOfficial

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/hands-off-ep/id388076872

Call Your Name - Saskwatch

This is a track off the Melbourne 9-piece's record 'Nose Dive.' It's an eclectic mix of soul, R&B and rock that makes them stand out from many bands. I love their use of brass instruments to really broaden the sound, and Nkechi Anele's vocals are so powerful, it leaves you wondering how fair it is that someone got all the talent and you got none.



http://www.saskwatch.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/saskwatchmusic

Chasing Pavements - Adele

The song that I thought was the hero of '19', chasing pavements ebbs and flows like a the beautiful river of sound it is. It also shows just how far Adele has come in three albums... I mean, how brilliant is 'Hello'?

http://adele.com/

https://www.facebook.com/adele

Feel free to recommend your favourite songs at the moment!

Beth. x