March Favourites | 2015

Well we're already a quarter of the way through the year, holy moly. I've been back at uni for over a month now and I've been so busy. I've never been this busy before so it's quite overwhelming. I've been trying to cut back on spending as I'm trying to save for a trip to Melbourne in the middle of the year and a trip to Europe at the end of the year! So I haven't been getting a lot of new things, after that big haul I did, so I'm trying to use up a few of my old things before I buy new bits.

Makeup Favourites

I was on the look out for a new mascara a few months ago, and I thought I'd get a Maybelline one because everyone seems to rave about them and I've never tried one. The Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Express Mascara stood out to me and I've loved it since day one. I feel like this definitely does give plush lashes as they look a lot fuller than normal. One thing that was huge in the UK when it came out was the Maxfactor Facefinity All Day Primer. I was so excited to see it at Priceline and bought it immediately. It is amazing at keeping foundation on all day. It doesn't really keep the oil at bay but my foundation does not slide off at all. I'm super impressed with this.

I finally caved and bought the MAC Pro Longer Concealer which everyone and their mother seems o rave about. And I love it. It's really similar to my MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer but with more coverage. The only problem is the pump dispenses too much but I can roughly control it, using my focus face! The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light is like no powder I've used before. It's sets my makeup so well, but doesn't alter the finish of the foundation. It also seems to balance out my skin tone which is amazing. I'm definitely hooked on this and I've got my eye on the Ambient Lighting Wardrobe.

Other Favourites

In terms of music, I've been obsessed with Loreen's new single Paper Lights. Loreen is amazing, she was the winner of Eurovision in 2012, and I've been obsessed with her ever since! For TV, I've been watching That 70's Show from the beginning. I think it's a show that no matter when you watch it or in what order, it's always going to be funny. Kitty, Eric's mother, is just the funniest, I love her! Also, I've been rewatching all the Captain America movies and the Avengers one getting ready for the next Avengers movie. I am in love with Chris Evans! Ugh, he is so beautiful! Hopefully you understand me!

What have been your favourites this month?

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MOTD | Les Miserables

About a month ago, I went to see Les Miserables with my Mum and my Aunty. Les Miserables is probably one of my favourite musicals, and I love the film. Eddie Redmayne as Marius, swooooooon! Anyway, I thought I give a few new products a go, and used all of the above items. Except my foundation, which I forgot to put in the picture! Oops!

Firstly I primed my skin with the bareMinerals Prime Time Neutralising Foundation Primer. It gives a hint which helps to counteract redness and evens the skin out. For foundation, I used my trusty NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc. I like using this for nights out because it has no SPF. To conceal, I used MAC Prolongwear in NW15 for underneath my eyes, and MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 for blemishes. To set that all and give a bit more coverage, I used MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in C2. I used MAC Melba Blush as it gives subtle hint of colour and goes with any eye/lip combo. This blush is definitely a staple in my collection and would be great for anyone starting out with blusher. I then sprayed Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray to make the makeup last longer.

 I filled in my brows with the  Too Faced Bulletproof Brows in Universal Taupe, which is similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade. For my eyes, I primed with Too Faced's Shadow Insurance and evened out the colour with MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. I dug into my new  Lorac Pro Palette and used these shades; Cream all over the lid, Taupe in the crease, Nude  in the inner corner, Gold on the centre of the lid, and Pewter  on the outer corner. I'm still learning when it comes to fancy eye looks but I thought I did an alright job. I lined the eyes with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Corrupt. This eye pencil goes on so smoothly, I'm in love! When Urban Decay launches this week in Australia, I'll be picking up some more colours. I coated my lashes with Benefit They're Real Mascara, which does NOT budge. To finish, I used the Australis Velourlips in Doo-bai, which is such a beautiful colour.

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March Playlist | 2015

There have been some great new releases in the past month in terms of music. A new florence song and an album on the way too. Loren has a new single and it's fabulous as expected! Mumford & Sons released their new track and NO BANJOS! WHAT?! It's gonna take me a while to get used to their slightly different sound but I'm still digging it.

I hope you enjoy this playlist as much as I have! Let me know your favourite songs at the moment in the comments below.

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A Huge Haul + ShopandBox Review

Well I think this is the biggest haul I've ever done.  My wish list was getting long, and I had some extra cash from working extra shifts on my holidays. I ended up choosing to get my products from America because it's a bit cheaper and there are some things aren't available in Australia. I had previously bought things through Shipito, but I found that the service was terrible. They had so many extra fees, and so many problems actually just trying to get the products. So this time I was on a hunt for a better shipping forwarding service.

I ended up going with ShopandBox. My experience with them was amazing. You put all the products you want on a wish list, and they'll pick a shopper that best suits your order. They are always communicating everything with you so you know exactly what is going on. My shopper would help me in getting the best value out of my order which was great. And the shipping was super quick. Another good thing is you're able to get things from multiple stores, and they'll combine it all in one package.

I would definitely recommend ShopandBox if your buying things overseas. They don't just ship from America but a few European and Asian countries too.

Have you tried ShopandBox, and what are you're thoughts?

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The Parcel by Marie Claire | The Autumn Edit 2015

For some reason, I totally forgot to get last season's Parcel by Marie Claire. And it was a good box too! So I made sure I remembered to subscribe this time. This is their Autumn Edit, and it is definitely worth the money. What I was most excited about was the Max Factor Masterpiece Transform Mascara which has had good reviews so far, and I love the look of the wand. The Rimmel BB Cream Radiance, is something that hasn't hit stores yet. I probably wouldn't have picked this up as anything that says radiance sends me in the other direction, but since I got it in the box, I give it a go. Also, everyone was saying they got the shade Medium, which would obviously not suit me, but luckily I got the shade Light! Another base product is the Garnier Skin Naturals Miracle Skin Cream. This looks interesting as it comes out white and then matches to your skin tone, so I'm really looking forward to giving this a go.

Everyone needs makeup wipes, so I was happy to see a small pack of Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes. I've never tried Nuetrogena ones before so we'll see how they compare to my trusty Simple ones. Another handy thing to get is the Schick Hydro Silk, because I actually razors on my shopping list but I don't need to get one now! The  Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, is something I'm going to give to my mum, because it's more suited to her skin. I'm excited to try the L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream in Zesty Lime. This is apparently one of the greatest hand creams, so I'll see if it lives up to the hype. Also, it really does smell of fresh limes. I'm not to sure about the MOR Emporium Classic Snow Gardenia Triple-Milled Soap. The smell is really strong, and not my kind of scent. I might give it to my Nona.

Did you get this season's box? If so, what did you think?

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My 2015 Reading Challenge

As I talked about in my 2015 goals, I wanted to read 40 books this year. To some people that doesn't seem like much but for me that's a lot. I used to be so into reading and I go through a book a week. But as uni got busy and I spent more time on my laptop, I didn't read for a while. But his year, that's going to change. I use Goodreads to keep on top of what I'm reading and to track my progress. I also love seeing what my friends are reading and it gives me inspiration on what to read next.

So far I've read 5 books, which means I'm behind schedule. At the moment I'm reading two books, one for leisure, and one for uni, which means it's taking me longer to get through them. But when I get days off from uni, I know I'll catch up. I love reading at night because it helps me relax, and it's much better than staring at a screen before you go to bed which stimulates your mind. 

It's never to late to start the challenge! Add me on Goodreads, and get reading!

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Maybelline Colour Drama Instant Velvet Lip Pencils

I'm totally obsessed with lip crayons. They even have their own compartment in my makeup collection. Lucky ducks. I had been itching to get my hands on these ever since they were released in the UK, and finally they're here down under! I picked up the 2 shades Berry Essential, a deep berry shade, and Red Essential, a true classic red. You can see these watched on my lips below. Also, I wasn't intentionally trying to get my lips and shirt to match in the first picture.

        

Berry Much

Red Essential

These were so easy to apply on the lips. They're creamy and easy to sharpen to get a defined point to help with precision. I didn't find them too drying on my lips which is good, but I suggest just using lip balm before and blotting it off before you put the colour on. And for $9.95, you cannot go wrong. With 10 shades in the range, I'm sure you'll be able to find the one for you. I still love my NARS ones but this is a great drugstore option.

Have you tried these yet, and what are your thoughts?

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