Merry Christmas!

Picture: Stuart Milligan Gown: Leiela

As this post is going up on Christmas Day, I thought I'd write a quick message to say Merry Christmas to you all! Thanks for popping by my little space of the internet, and seeing what I'm buying, loving, listening to, and thinking.

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year (apart from the working in retail part... Those of you in retail at this time of year will understand!). But for the most part, I love spoiling my friends and family by choosing gifts that are (hopefully) perfect for them, I love opening the surprises they have for me, I love having a dedicated day to spend with my family, where none of us have to rush off to work, and I especially love belting out my favourite Christmas tunes while watching my favourite TV show of the year, 'Carols By Candlelight,' on Christmas Eve.

So wherever in the world you're reading this, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and an exciting and successful New Year!

Beth. x

Super Sephora Spending.

As many of you may know Sephora has just landed in Melbourne! (And online too! http://www.sephora.com.au/) And I happened to be in Melbourne the day after it opened, so of course I braved the crowds and had a look. There was literally hundreds of people in the store when I went, which made it not the most enjoyable experience ever, but it is a beautiful store, with so many amazing brands, so I will definitely be going back!

I've been jealous of people who can access Sephora easily for quite a few years now (as materialistic and shallow as that sounds). However, because I've seen so much of what everyone else has bought from Sephora over the years, I knew exactly what I wanted to get!

The main thing I wanted to get was the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01. Every blogger who has been to Sephora has bought this and raved about it, so being the red lip lover that I am, I had to pick it up.  And it lives up to the hype! It's long lasting, non-drying, very pigmented, and cheap too (only $17)! It also smells like vanilla.

The next thing I'd heard a lot about and wanted to get was the Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in a purpley plum colour caller Aubergine.  Bite Beauty makes all of it's products with food grade ingredients, which considering we supposedly eat a lot of lipstick in our lives, is probably a good idea!  These are really creamy, an although it wasn't as matte as I would normally like, it still lasts quite a while.

I also picked up the Sephora Pro Brush Flawless Air #56. I haven't used this one yet, but the bristles feel really soft. These brushes were a bit more expensive than I had expected (the one I got was $45), but I've heard they're really good quality.

In the aisle of doom on the way to the checkout (whilst queueing for over half an hour... It was that busy...), I had two impulse buys.
I got the very highly spoken about Elizabeth & James Nirvana White perfume, which is absolutely gorgeous. Elizabeth & James is the Olsen twins perfume brand, and there is a black and white version of Nirvana, with the black one being deeper and stronger smelling.  Nirvana White smells very rosy, and I think it would be perfect for day or night. I will definitely be going to get the full size, next time I'm in store!

And last but not least, I bought the Make Up For Ever Smoothing Primer , which is a really good primer, and makes makeup last all day, but is expensive for what it is ($30 for only 15mL).

What have you recently picked up from Sephora? What do I need to try next?

Beth. x

Natural Harry Goodness.

I stumbled upon Natural Harry about this time last year.  At my favourite place, Barwon Heads, stood their 1950s style caravan selling delicious vegan smoothies and raw desserts. I tried one, and then returned every day after to get my fix.

Fast forward just a year, and Harriet one of the masterminds behind Natural Harry, has written a recipe book! It not only includes recipes for many of the amazing smoothie and raw desserts that appear in the van, but also yummy breakfast and dinner ideas, and recipes for home and body products for good measure!

My attempt at the Skin Glow Smoothie.

I purchased a copy of the book, and as someone who isn't the most keen person in the kitchen, it has really inspired me to get involved and try things out of my comfort zone. I've made many a smoothie, and acai berry powder is now a staple on my shopping list. But I've also got many of the other recipes bookmarked to try on my family and friends!

You can get the book here: (http://naturalharry.com.au/product/natural-harry-recipe-book/), but be quick, because it's been super popular!

Beth. x

Priceline Haul. #feelingspendy

Every time I go into Priceline I seem to come out with something... It's hard not to sometimes! But this time some serious damage was done. So here's the overview of my shopping spree.

Most of this haul were repurchases of products that I love. Firstly, I got another bottle of the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer. This primer isn't as siliconey as others I've tried and it feels quite light on the skin. It also really helps to make my base sit nicer on my skin and last much longer. 

Another repurchase was the Maybelline Colour Drama Lipstick in 310 (Berry Much). These are kind of a cheaper version of the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, but they're a bit creamier, and don't have the same staying power as the Nars ones, but they're a quarter of the price!

Next was the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Liner Magique in Transparent. This lip liner is perfect for all lipstick colours, which saves you having to buy a different shade for all of your favourite lipsticks. It has a kind of waxy texture, but it definitely helps stop my lipstick from bleeding, and makes it last longer.

L'Oreal Collection Exclusive Reds in Latitia's Red. These were a limited collection, and I had so many compliments when I wore this dark wine shade, I decided I needed to get a back up before they weren't available anymore! 

This shopping trip was the first time I picked up the Garnier Micellar water, and I was glad that I did! For me, it rivals Bioderma, and is very affordable. And even better, it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin!

The Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eye Shadows are incredibly popular products, so I picked up a couple more shades, from the Metals collection I got Inked in Pink, and from the original collection I picked up Bold Gold. I've tried other shades in this range before, and while they are brilliant eye shadows, I would say the lighter colours, (such as the pink) don't seem to last as long or be as pigmented as the darker shades such as the cult favourite Bad to the Bronze. 

So that'll leave me broke for a while!

What have you picked up from Priceline or the drugstore lately?

Beth. x

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