April haul

Well another month has gone by, and it's mid May, and I'm clearly being slow at getting this post up. Anyways, here's what I bought in April....

Tressemme heat protectant spray
I've used this in the past, and for a quick cheap protectant spray, it's the way to go!
Rate it: 9/10

NYX lip liner in Plum (roll up)
I bought this as I don't have a lip pencil in a shade even remotely close (I don't know why, but I'm really into lip pencils atm...), but this formula stinks. I find it just goes everywhere and blends super easy (over my lip line say) and it's just... Not right. I definitely prefer lip liners you can sharpen vs roll up. I won't be buying this style again. It's a shame, coz the colour is awesome.
Rate it: 2/10

NYX white cream liner
I bought this after seeing Chloe Morello's tutorial on YouTube (pastel coloured eyeliner). I've only used this as a base but on the use it's had, I do quite like it, although it think it will need a few layers to create the eyeliner look I initially bought this for.
Rate it: 7/10

Moroccanoil
I love, love, LOVE this! It's a repurchase and my fave hair product. The smell, omgggg the smell. I wish they'd make this into a fragrance or candle or something!!
Rate it: 11/10

Acrylic drawers
Soooo handy! I've started to buy proper storage for my makeup as it's all unruly and everywhere. I'm someone who'd rather spend my money on actual makeup rather than stuff to actually hold it lol. I got these ones off ebay for super cheap. They hold all my liners... Just. ;)
Rate it: 10/10

Gift Guide: Mothers Day

This year is going SO fast, and mothers day is just around the corner. These are some nifty ideas if you're struggling (and what I also personally send to my mother for mothers day/birthdays/ xmas…).
Don't forget the card too!


* Perfume *

A very nice touch! Most mothers love to receive a nice perfume as a gift, and with gift sets you can definitely get the "full experience", as most contain, the fragrance, a body lotion and a wash. HINT: do some sussing out to see what she likes. There's nothing worse than receiving a not-so-nice fragrance (read: one she'll never wear), and they're also pretty exxy. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

Available: David Jones, Myer, Priceline, Perfume Parlour, chemists…
Price: depends on size, fragrance, place etc…


* Peter Alexander winter socks *

Socks you ask? That's a bit boring! Not at all!! I promise you, these are so luxe and scrumptious to wear. These seriously feel like you're walking on marshmallows. The inside of these amazing socks are lined with a soft "sheepskin" like fabric. I don't just buy these for my mum, I always buy every pair, every year. These socks are one of my favourite parts of winter.





















Available: Peter Alexander stores and www.peteralexander.com
RRP: $49.95 (please note these were the ones from last year, as they haven't been released yet)

Disclaimer: Not sure if these are being released this year, but they have for the past 3 and they're amazing so i'm guessing they will!)


* Tea *

Is your mum a tea drinker? You can't go past delicious T2 teas and of course a decorative teapot and cup/ saucer to match. Soooo many flavours, hot or cold, you are bound to find something she will love!





















My personal faves:
Toasty Nougat (which, if you like iced tea, goes AMAZING with Turkish Apple!)
Geisha green
Honey Vanilla
Detox

Available: T2 stores and t2tea.com
RRP: tea boxes from $13; teapots from $24 ; cup & saucer from $10


* Glasshouse candles *

Yep, you all should know by now how much I love these candles, and for the picky mother, these are such a great gift. Amazingly and richly scented, these will win anyone over. My fave is Tahaa. Trust me these are not your average "boring candle". These come in 2 sizes 80g and 350g.





















Available: Peter Alexander and David Jones
RRP: 80g: $18.99 & 350g: $39.99


* OPI gift packs *

What mum doesn't love a bit of pampering? OPI do high quality nail polish like no other (personal opinion), and these sets are great. If you can only afford one and can't decide, get these 4 shades for the same-ish price. (if you want to go above and beyond, do them for her).

Available: David Jones, Myer, Price Attack
RRP: $24.95


Or if you really feel none if these would be up her alley, I'm sure a gift voucher for a day spa treatment/ massage would go over VERY nicely for your mum (most mums, never think about themselves and it really is the perfect treat!).

March haul

March has been a bit uneventful with my purchases sadly. Been too busy focusing on saving. But these little bits and pieces are what I did manage to purchase! Promise next month will be more exciting haha (although, LOOK at that clutch!!! Just LOOK. AT. IT!!!!)


YSL Moire liquid eyeliner in #11 light blue.
So pretty, I just had to have it! (See review post below)
Rate it: 7/10

Olay fresh effects Powered cleansing system.
For years I've heard about the clarsonic but it's pretty pricy so when I saw this in store I thought I'd give it a shot. Why not, it's only $17. Probs not as good but a stepping stone from the everyday wash.  Also comes with a small face wash sample of their new "fresh effects" shine, shine go away shine minimising cleanser. It's pretty good and definitely feels like a deeper clean and my skin feels clearer.
Rate it: 8.5/10

Cherry Batiste dry shampoo.
This stuff smells so good! Not too overpowering but a delicious candy cherry scent (which happens to be one of my fave!). I heard this stuff was really good and saw a few recommendations on this one in particular and had some super old nak stuff so I thought I'd grab something new to try. Really easy to work through my hair too. Although, gotta make sure you really work it in otherwise you get that *awesome* grey hair look.
Rate it: 9/10

Mimco gunmetal mesh clutch.
This is my first Mimco piece so I was really excited to get this baby, although, quite possibly starting me on the road to being another crazy mimco fan/ collector. I saw this clutch on ebay and if you know me, you'll know I absolutely love anything iridescent which this is (teal and purple), rather than gunmetal. The style is a few months old which is why I got it from ebay (also slightly cheaper: bonus!). Regardless, it's pretty so I bought it. Looking to add the Rose Gold mini mesh pouch to my mimco collection next!
Rate it: 11/10 lol

Top Trend: Leopard print

One of my most favourite prints in the entire world is Leopard print. I think I own pretty much everything in leopard print. Coats, scarfs, shoes, underwear, bikinis and pretty much anything else you can think of. No matter what item it is, I'm sure I own something featuring it. Lucky for me, it's also what is currently trending this season, in a big way!

These are some of my favourite pieces I've seen around!

Leopard Print bodysuit:
Very sexy. Great paired with some faux fur (like a vest or jacket), and some black wet look jeans.





















Bardot
RRP: $69.95

Leopard print jacket:
Amazing over anything! Perfect for winter.





















Bardot
RRP: $189.95


*Not sure about a major piece, how about some leopard to accessorise with instead...*

Leopard print scarf: 
Looks great teamed up with a pair of Boyfriend Jeans, a black or white tshirt and some nude or bright coloured wedges.

Forever New "stella" scarf
RRP: $24.95


Leopard print clutch:
Looks striking against a black ensemble when going out. Team with these gold accessories.

eQuip
Clutch: $29.99
Necklace: $17.99
Statement earrings: $9.99
Ball earrings: $6.99 (pk of 2)
Bangle set: $12.99

Leopard print shoes :
Another small but statement touch of leopard.

Novo "Bentley" pumps
RRP: $79.95

How do you wear leopard? Small touches or a big statement piece? Or do you avoid the trend completely?

Review: YSL moire liquid eyeliner #11

I only found this eyeliner by chance. I went into David Jones to ask when the new leopard print touché éclat was due to hit counters in Aus and as I was waiting to speak to a salesperson, I had a look at the display. I saw this delicious beauty, and as I am pretty obsessed with anything turquoisey, tealy, duo chromey goodness, I HAD to have it! It's SO pretty. So I purchased it, now I didn't know the price but one of those things that I had to have. Get to the register, $59 thanks. Sorry what? Yep $60 odd for an eyeliner. I have never spent that much on a single eyeliner, and I almost couldn't justify that price. Expensive but I bought it anyway (are you understanding how pretty I thought it was?!). So I get home and look up reviews for it (I don't know why, I already bought it), and honestly, I could not find anything of substance about this eyeliner (Hence why I'm doing this review). I did find out that it was released about 2011 and I guess that's one of the reasons very few reviews or anything exist on the thing. I also blame the fact that it's expensive and realistically, not many would buy it at that price. Actually, I entirely blame the price tag for lack of anything even slightly reviewy.


It's described (on their website) as light blue. It's definitely teal with a blue duo chrome (and shimmer), and it's certainly not a light colour. I'd call it a medium shade. The brush is thin and soft, no hardness to it at all. I found it easy to glide along my eyelid and no tugging, pulling or anything of the sort. It's easy to manoeuvre and a very smooth consistency. More "runny" than "gluggy" by any means (by gluggy, I'm comparing to MACs liquid last liner).
I first swatched it on my hand (while perusing the display) and after going to the bathroom 10 minutes later, it had washed off. Kinda shitty for a $60 eyeliner. However, it wore all day on my eyes, with no flaking and it washed off super easy. Which is a good thing I guess, so there's no scrubbing your eyes to get it off, which I guess it's where it's actually going right?

With flash. 1 stroke vs colour. You can sort of see the duo-chrome and the shimmer.



















Would I recommend or repurchase?:  Yes and No. Yes: it's really pretty and really easy to use and smooth to apply. No: unless you have money to burn. The price is ridiculous.

Available: YSL counters at David Jones and Myer
RRP: $59

Slimbliss ~ seeing what the fuss is about...

In my quest to be healthier and, ahem, obtain a flat stomach, I decided to give Slimbliss a shot. Slimbliss is one of those detox teas that everyone's been hearing so much about lately. There are a few different ones on the market and they all basically say/ do the same thing:
* to reduce bloating
* to minimize sugar cravings
* to feel fuller for longer
* to assist in losing weight
* to gently detox the body of nasties

Does it even work? I know a lot of people have been asking this, as at $19, it is most definitely an expensive tea, especially if it doesn't yield any results. I decided to do this, not to lose weight, but to reduce bloating (yay, flat stomach) and to stop my sugar cravings. I decided Slimbliss was the one to try as it is the cheapest one I could find, (not being a tightass, but for being experimental = very expensive tea).

Initial thoughts:
I was so excited to receive it and ripped open and had a cup right away. It had a very clean, fresh taste. Closest to peppermint but not a strong taste. Very pleasant. (I'm used to drinking green tea).

After a week:
My stomach definitely feels less bloated. I wake up with a flat stomach which is what I wanted. My sugar cravings have definitely decreased. Instead of wanting/ eating chocolate almost everyday, I've eaten it once and that was out of it being there, wanting to just finish it off and boredom. I haven't really noticed a difference in regards to feeling fuller quicker/ for longer, but it's still early days I guess.

After the 14 days:
I really love this tea and have definitely been recommending it to everyone who wants to know about it/ will listen to my spiel. I definitely have a flat stomach from it and my sugar cravings definitely were not what they usually are. I didn't feel fuller at all but I definitely ate much healthier with the thought of it in the back of my mind. I have repurchased and am waiting for my second pack to arrive I love it that much. I highly recommend it!


As with any detox tea, a clean diet and exercise always works best alongside it to see maximum results. I personally hate/ don't exercise so all results are followed with a clean diet only.

Slimbliss detox tea
RRP: $19
Available: Slimbliss.com.au
Postage: free within Australia. I ordered on a Friday/ Saturday and received it on the second Monday after ordering (5 business days. 1 public holiday in amongst that time).

My morning healthy smoothie + routine

I've been doing this for a while, and I do feel better for it. I do feel more energised and just, healthier. I am starting to read up more about having/ achieving an alkaline body (vs a toxis acidic body), and my morning ritual is definitely on the right track to doing that.

My morning routine:
* 1 glass of warm water with lemon
* 1 glass of cold water with 1-2tsp of Swisse Chlorophyll
* 1 morning smoothie (or if I'm lazy the night before, a bowl of oats with almond milk and fruit)


This is my morning go-to, healthy, breakfast smoothie. I make this nearly every night, ready to kick start my morning off on the right foot...

200ml coconut water
2 tsp coconut oil
1/3 can of pineapple
1/2 can of pineapple juice (from above)
1 large handful of spinach leaves
1/3 cucumber
Small amount of ginger

Put above in blender and wiz away to a smooth consistency. I do prefer mine slightly chunkier as I hear that "chewing" your smoothie actually prepares your stomach for better digestion. I also do drink this as a "meal".


* Chlorophyll is available at the supermarket, health food stores and priceline.
RRP: usually around the $20 mark