Review: L'Oreal Mythic Oil Trio

I received these beauties from my boyfriend for Christmas and have been using all three for the past 3 months. I have never really been into hair very much until I realised my hair was quite dry and frizzy on the ends. I knew that I needed to do something about it so I put this trio on my Christmas wishlist. I thought these would be a bit more affordable and I had only heard good things about them. Onto the review...

L'Oreal Mythic Oil Shampoo & Conditioner:

These two on their own are fantastic. The shampoo cleans so well and the conditioner leaves my hair feeling silky soft.

Cost: $25.95 AUD

Packaging: I love they the both come with a pump. It makes it so easy to use in the shower.Repurchase: Definitely will be repurchasing both once I run out.

L'Oreal Mythic Oil:

This oil is what I call L'Oreal's version of the Moroccan Oil. This oil is mainly made up of grape seed oil and avocado oil. The texture of the L'Oreal Mythic Oil is thinner than the well known (and loved) Moroccan Oil - I actually prefer it being a little thinner as I have quite fine hair. It doesn't make you hair feel at ll greasy or heavy and leaves it feeling soft and shiny.

Cost: $37.95 AUD

Packaging: Again, the packaging is a winner, it has a pump which makes it super easy to use.Repurchase?: Of course.

As you can tell, I am quite taken with these products. I would recommend these to anyone who is looking for a bit of nourishment for their hair. These would be great for any hair type.

Have you tried any of these products yet?

My Perfume Collection

Something a little different to usual beauty and fashion posts, I wanted to share my perfume collection with you lovely people. I've always loved perfume but it's something I would rather receive as a gift than buy for myself.

If you recognise any of the perfumes below, you'll probably realize that my favourite types of perfumes are the sweet, fruity and floral ones. Below I'll include a little more information on each perfume in case any of you are looking at buying any of these particular perfumes. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh: This scent a fresh fruity one, which is really inoffensive. The packaging is similar to the original Daisy, just with a mix of pink flowers instead of white. Eau So Fresh is probably my go to everyday perfume, it lasts a good few hours too which is nice.

Escada Sentiment: Another sweet girly one, this can actually be quite strong so one or two sprays is plenty for this perfume. I actually forget how this perfume came into my possession but I do enjoy wearing it every now and then. I also love the tall bottle with the heart shaped lid, I think this is a fairly reasonable price now too. 

Victoria's Secret Candy Baby: A classic cotton candy sickly sweet body mist. I bought this on an impulse at the Sydney Airport a while ago, you can probably tell I haven't used much of this. It's nice every once in a while but I think it's a little too sweet for most occasions. 

Vera Wang Lovestruck: This is my newest perfume, my boyfriend got me this for Christmas actually. I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous packaging, the big square bottle, the ribbon and flowers on top all look beautiful. This is a nice fruity/floral/woody scent but at the same time is not overpowering. My only gripe with this perfume is the staying power, I wish it lasted just a little bit longer. 

Anna Sui Rock Me: I've seen people describe this as floral, but to me it smells like citrus. I'm almost out of this perfume, I've had it for over a year now and I'm definitely thinking of repurchasing. I absolutely love the ombre bottle.

Lush Karma Solid Perfume: This is really different to everything else in my collection, it's a blend of spices, citrus and definitely has a hint of patchouli which I know isn't for everyone but I love it. The packing of this is really simple and you only need a tiny bit because the scent is really quite strong.

Jean Paul Gaultier: Another perfume which randomly appeared in my collection, think I may have snagged this from one of my sisters to be honest. This is quite a strong scent and probably a little heavier than most of my other perfumes. I absolutely love the classic packing of this perfume too.

Burberry Touch For Women: I couldn't accurately describe the scent of this perfume, it's quite a mix of different scents and I love the way this settles on my skin. The packaging is quite plain and small but it's really sturdy and great for travelling.

Brittany Spears Fantasy: I swear everyone owned this perfume when I was in high school, and the scent will forever remind me of that. I would compare this to the scent of candy it's nice and sweet but not sickly like VS Candy Baby. I'm not a massive fan of B Spears but the packaging of this perfume makes me really happy.



Thought I'd include some of the samples I've received in beauty boxes over the past few months.


Marc Jacobs Daisy: I don't love this anywhere near as much as Eau So Fresh, it's not as fruity so I wouldn't buy the full size.

Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose: I really don't like the smell of this perfume, it's a little old for me and I think buying the full size would be a waste.

Marc Jacobs Dot: I love the full size packing of this perfume, and I really quite like this scent. It smells like berries and is quite different to other perfumes I have - I definitely want to pick up a full size.

Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty: This is fruity and floral which you'd think I'd like but it just doesn't hit the mark for me.

I'm so sorry for the ridiculously long post, so I wouldn't blame you if you didn't read it all. I am going to follow up this post in a few weeks of a wish list of some of the perfumes I've been lusting after recently.

What are your favourite perfumes? Have you tried any of the ones in my collection? 

Bella Box vs. Lust Have It!

With the craziness of December last year I never got around to doing my monthly beauty subscription box posts. This year I'm looking at saving money and using up a lot of what's in my makeup and beauty collection so I'm going to unsubscribe to one if not both boxes - at least for a little while. So basically this post is going to outline the pro's and con's of each box and hopefully with your help it'll make my decision to unsubscribe from either box a little bit easier.

I'll start with Bella Box (pictured is the contents of December 2012's box)

Pros:

• Affordable Price $15.00 per month 
• Monthly membership is available and you can unsubscribe at any time 
• Always include a great amount of quality products
• Bellabox has a great rewards system 
• Great brands including Australis, Benefit, Bioderma, Bobbi Brown, Sally Hansen etc.
• Comes in a great box that can be used for storage later on  
• Their online store has great variety 
• Ships early in the month - usually arrives 2nd/3rd week at the latest 

Cons: 

• Shares some of the same brands as Lust Have It which can result in double up's (not their fault but has happened) 

Lust Have It (also picture is their December 2012 box) 

Pros: 

• Affordable price $14.95 
• Usually contain 5 samples in each box 
• They also have an online store which you can buy products featured in their box 
• Also have a great range of brands including Lush, Laura Mercier, NYX, Benefit, Batiste
• Have VIP presents for annual members
• They seem to be expanding and fixing their business  

Cons: 

• Have had product issues for the past couple of months, products in boxes have been sub par
• Come in a makeup bag - not a huge issue but I have so many they're just going to waste at least you can use boxes for storage
• Their samples haven't been as generous as other boxes 
• Shipping - they seem to constantly be having shipping issues, boxes almost always arrive in the last week for me or sometimes even on the last day of the month. 

So as you can see I've discovered more cons for Lust Have It than Bellabox but on the other hand I have thoroughly enjoyed a lot of Lust Have It boxes. I think they just need to go back to how they were at the beginning. I know each brand has a lot of different pro's and con's and I'm sure I've probably missed some. So at this stage I'm torn on wether I should stay subscribed to Lust Have It, Bellabox or either of them.  

What are your thoughts, who would you choose? 

Obsessed: Candles!

Starting in 2013 I wanted to start incorporating a few other lifestyle things we are interested in including non fashion and beauty products we are obsessed with. So to kick off our new 'obsessed' posts is my current obsession with candles! 

I burn candles a lot, becuase I love the scent filling up my room,  I just think it makes the room feel nicer as a whole. My current favourites have been these three (note: pics were obviously taken before using them) The Lucia damask rose and cypress, Slatkin & Co frosted cupcake and cranberry pear bellini. 

First of all there are a couple of diffences between these candles, the Lucia one is actually soy and here is an article on why soy candles are a lot better than wax candles. Not only that, but this candle smells gorgeous, it's made wuth 100% pure frangrance which means the scent will completely fill up your room. Another plus for this candle is the fact it burns really well, for a little candle it has a really long burning time of 20 hours. I also love the packaging of this candle, the little box is so pretty and I love the simplicity of the actual candle. The Lucia candle is available here at Sapone Soap

The other two Slatkin & Co candles smell ridiculously good, you've probably heard a lot about these if you watch some of the American youtubers. Once again the scent of these can fill up a whole room, my particular favourite is frosted cupcake because it's so sweet and smells delicious. Unfourtunately they're very hard to get your hands on here in Aus but you can try eBay because I've definitely seen them on there before otherwise befriend an American and hope they might send some your way.


What is your favourite brand and scent of candle? Can you recommend some to me?

*The Lucia candle was sent to me, but in no way does it affect my opinion of this product. My reviews are 100% unbiased. 

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque Review

Today I thought I'd review this little gem. I had heard so much about the Macadamia Natural Oil range and had seen some of the products in quite a few beauty blogger/youtubers monthly favourites. I always sort of dismissed these products due to the prices of them but the day came when my hair was really dry (well, more dry than usual) so I bit the bullet and decided to try this masque and I am so glad I did.

The first time I used it, I could not believe how soft and knot free my hair was. I also felt that my hair  stayed cleaner between washes, I'm not sure if that was because of this but it was just something I noticed. After using it a few more times I noticed my hair become much less dry and less frizzy. I now use it once every 1-2 weeks, just when my hair needs it. I think the fact that it contains macadamia and argan oils makes it really work. Also, it smells amazing.

I have used it about 5-6 times and I still have heaps left. I got the 250ml one but it also comes in two other sizes.

Cost: $39.95 AUD (250ml)

Where to get it:  Hairhouse Warehouse and any good hair salon.

Would I repurchase? Definitely.

Have you tried the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque?

What did you think?

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation Review

I bought this foundation about 2 and a half months ago. I was really excited to try it as I am a big fan of creme foundations. I accidentally (like always) bought a shade too dark. I have the colour "Buff Chamois".

As you can see in the photo of me above, it is a little bit patchy - I am not wearing any concealer or powder. I think this foundation is best applied with a brush, unfortunately when I took this photo I had already applied it with my fingers, I would ordinarily use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Like most creme based foundations, it does tend to stick to the dryer areas of your face. If you have really dry skin you might not like this.

I especially like the fact that this colour is yellow based as I find with a lot of cheaper (drugstore) foundations they tend to be very pink toned.

Cost: Around $30.00 AUD.

Coverage: Medium but can be built up to a full coverage.

Packaging: I love the look of this packaging, although not very practical.

Wear time: Anyone that has used the original Revlon Colorstay would know that this foundation does not budge. It is the longest wearing foundation I have tried.

Repurchase?: This is a really nice drugstore foundation. I just think the price is hard to justify...

This foundation would be perfect for someone who wants to try a creme foundation but doesn't want to spend a lot of money on something like Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. Also the fact that it stays on and doesn't break down after a long day at work is a big plus.

Have you tried this foundation? What did you think of it?

Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit Review

I was recently apart of a trial for the brand new Veet Easy Wax Electrical Roll-On Kit, and I wanted to share what I thought of the kit. A bit of info on my waxing history, I have used hot tub wax before and also the pre waxed strips. I am not usually a huge fan of waxing my legs as it can be really messy and sometimes even painful. 

Included in the pack is: 

1 x Waxing Device

1 x Wax Cartridge

1 x Stand

1 x Cord

12 x Wax Strips

4 x Finishing Wipes

What they say: 

Veet EasyWax™ Electrical Roll-on Kit is a hand-held, self-heating home-wax system with a roll-on applicator that helps deliver an even layer of warm wax and delivers salon-quality results at home. The wax is formulated with the same ingredients as the wax used in salons and is enriched with natural beeswax, making it suitable for sensitive skin.

The Pros and Cons

Overall this product does everything it says, I loved that it  heated the wax to a perfect temperature which helped avoid any nasty wax burns. I found the applicator worked really well and the wax went on smoothly and evenly. The cartridge was easy to install and setting up the product was extremely simple. The stand included was a nice touch especially for messy people like me, I didn't get any wax where it wasn't meant to be. 

As I said the application was easy and the bright pink wax rolled on my legs at the perfect temperature - so far so good. I would say I am a novice leg waxer so this may be my problem but I found the strips supplied weren't that great, I would suggest a fabric strip as I find they tend to get the wax off better (there seemed to be quite a bit of wax that wouldn't budge)

I would also recommend heating the wax longer than it states on the box as I found it didn't roll on properly after just 20 minutes, but after a good half hour it seemed to do the trick. The wipes included worked a treat and helped remove the residue and left over wax the strips sometimes left behind, I'm glad these were included. This product retails for $39.99 AUD which seems expensive but you will have the product forever. 

Overall this product did a great job of getting rid of the hair and wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. It was mess free at and the application of the wax was a breeze which I really enjoyed. I think I may have to use it a few more times to get the best out of it, as I know I'm quite inexperienced in the waxing department. I definitely enjoyed how my legs stayed smoother for longer, and for those that enjoy waxing their legs I think this is definitely something worth checking out! 

In Australia you can purchase the Veet Easy Wax Roll On Kit at Priceline stores

Have any of you ladies tried this? 

*I was sent this as part of a trial but it is 100% my honest opinion.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation Review

I bought this foundation quite a while ago. I always seem to have a love hate relationship when I try new foundations. I never like them straight away and this was no exception.

Unfortunately I don't have very good skin to start with, not because of blemishes (spots/pimples) but I have freckles, pigmentation and a lot of redness...and being pale doesn't help! I am always looking for full coverage to have so I have a flawless complexion and that is what you get with this foundation.

In the above picture I am not wearing any powder or concealer which is quite amazing. I have the shade "Cream Ivory" which is the second lightest....I'm not entirely sure why I went for this colour as it is WAY too dark for pale skin although it is perfect when I have a little bit of a tan on. I am thinking of testing out the "Soft Ivory" so I can wear it everyday.

I like to apply this foundation with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush - you do need to blend this in well because it is a quite thick consistency seeing as it is a creme. A little bit goes a long way with this foundation. I do find this colour it is very yellow based which I actually like because I feel it counteracts my redness. You can see me apply it in my Getting Ready With Me video here.

Cost:  $59 AUD.

Coverage: Full.

Packaging: I like the simple packaging of this product. Very easy to carry with you as it's a tube.

Wear time: I find this lasts around 7-8 hours before you need to apply some powder to take away the shine.

Repurchase?: Definitely. I will be getting the lightest shade soon.

Overall I am very impressed with this, as are a lot of other beauty bloggers I have seen recently. If you are looking for a true full coverage foundation, I would recommend this for you.

Have you tried this foundation? What did you think?

Lust Have It August!

This month's box is to celebrate Lust Have It's 1st birthday, instead of the makeup bag we've been getting, this months came in a pretty white box with a black ribbon - I much prefer this packaging it's so chic, not to mention I was running out of things to use the bags for. 

As for the contents this month included: 

Tan Go Tanning Glove - $29.95 

Tigi Rockaholic Rock Out Shine Blaster - $27.95

Model Co Eyeliner Black - $26.00

Marc Jacobs Dot Fragrance - $160.00

Appelles Skin Detox Shower Gel - $12.95

Appelles Body Booster Skin Lotion - $12.95 

Appelles Body Bar Vegetable Soap - $4.95

So this months box seemed to have a bit of a better selection, than what the July box did. When I opened it I was instantly drawn to the Dot perfume and the Tigi Shine Blaster, the shine blaster smells really great and I can see me getting some good use out of this. Again it's always great to get perfume samples especially the Marc Jacobs ones because I usually enjoy his scents. 

Now onto the things I was less impressed with, the tanning 'glove' is more of a tanning cloth. I haven't worn fake tan in years and I usually exfoliate it off anyway. They did say you could use this as a makeup remover so I might give that a whirl. There's nothing wrong with the Model Co eyeliner, but I feel like I've got a million black eyeliner pencils from sample boxes. I would have much preferred a liquid liner or something. The last products were shower products, these all smell really nice and I'll probably use them, I just thought for their first birthday Lust Have It would have gone all out. 

I also noticed the annual subscribers received a pair of pearl earrings as a special birthday gift. I feel like that's a bit upsetting to the members including myself who have been subscribed as monthly members since day one, and even the other people supporting their business. It would have been a nice gesture for us all to receive something special. 

Overall it was a better box than July, and I was mostly impressed with the contents hopefully next month they will improve even more. 

Did you get Lust Have It this month? What did you think? 

Lush "Helping Hands" & "Ro's Argan Body Conditioner"

Everyone knows we are Lush fiends so I thought I would let you know about two products from Lush that I am loving at the moment.

I recently had my birthday and my sister sent me the Lush "Lovely Day" gift pack. In there was the "Helping Hands" hand cream. I have become a massive hand cream fan over the past few months - mainly because it is winter at the moment. This is probably the nicest one I have used so far. It is so hydrating, smells lovely and doesn't leave a greasy feel to my hands after applied.  Mine came in a 45g pump bottle (as I received it in a gift set) so it's perfect to just carry around in my bag during the day. you can get the normal 100g size one here.

Now onto the "Ro's Argan Body Conditioner". This stuff smells absolutely amazing. Like rose jam!
I use it as a moisturiser but you can also use it in the shower to condition your body (like you do with your hair) by applying it to your body then rinsing it off. I have never actually tried using it in the shower because I think the texture would feel a bit odd seeing as it is so thick. A little bit of this goes a long way because it has the argan oil, along with a few other oils in it so if do want to use it as a moisturiser it does tend to feel a little oily if you apply too much to your skin but it makes your skin feel amazing a few minutes later.

So basically these two products are getting me through winter. I love both and will be purchasing again once I run out.

Have you tried either of these?

Do you have any favourite products at the moment?

Lust Have It July!

Sorry for the horrible photos my camera was being ridiculous.

So I know this is incredibly late but I wanted to share my thoughts on the July Lust Have It! So if you follow them on Facebook you know there was some issues with people actually getting their boxes so they actually arrived quite late which is a little annoying but something that probably doesn't matter that much. I recieved my box in the 3rd week of  July it would have been nicer in the second as this post could have gone up much sooner but oh well. 

Now on to the contents: 

Biolage Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner 

Pure Fiji Body Lotion

Bed Head Shine Junkie Lipgloss 

Avene Makeup Remover 

Avene Gentle Purifying Scrub

So you've probably noticed by the above photos there wasn't much in the July Box and nearly all of the products were sample size. I admit I was kind of disappointed with this months selection. I never enjoy getting shampoo and conditioner samples because you only really get one use out of them and never get to experience what they're like. 

The Pure Fiji handcream is really lovely and has a great scent unfortunately once again the size is so small it would barely do my legs. I have opted to throw this in my handbag and use it as a handcream because I really like the scent. When I saw the Bed Head lipgloss I thought it was strange because I never knew they did anything other than hair care, I really dislike the colour I got and probably won't be using this any time soon, would have loved a pink or a nude though as the formula seems quite nice. 

I saw quite a few people get excited about the Avene products, I was probably most interested in the makeup remover which I still haven't gotten to try out yet. I have used the scrub though and can I say I think the name is way off, I don't think this is a gentle scrub and in fact it reminds me a a lot of the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Scrub - I definitely wouldn't buy a full size of this product when I could get the cheaper similar version. 

As you can probably tell I was pretty disappointed with this month's box and felt it didn't really have a wow factor. I love when they include makeup products so I was kind of annoyed to only get one and it ends up being something I can't use. I feel like 5 miniature samples and one full size lipgloss is a step down from what came in the May box and even the June. Hopefully Lust Have It picks up their game and we see the boxes earlier in the month with some more exciting products. 

Did anyone else receive the July Lust Have It - What did you think? 

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Review

I have been wanting to review these products for a while now. We just got back from Melbourne so we had a bit of down time from blogging, but we're back!

Onto the reviews....

Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer:
They say:
"Lumi Magique Primer contains Liquid light technology which infuses skin with a ray of light, illuminating your complexion as if lit from within. The lightweight hydrating formula, evens out skin tone and hydrates for 8 hours of refreshed skin."

Cost: It was $29.95 from Priceline - a bit steep for a "drugstore" primer imo.

Packaging: I love the packaging. It is very "luxe" looking. And it has a pump!

Product:  When I swatched this in store I loved the look of it. It gave off a perfect subtle glow. I was really quite disappointed with this product once I used it on my face. I felt it gave me a greasy look and made my pores look bigger than usual. I have used it under the matching foundation in the range and also under a couple of other foundations and it never looked right on me. I think it is my skin that didn't agree with it. I have quite dry skin so maybe that was the problem seeing as so many other people loved it. I wish I had the same feelings toward this as I think it would be a great product if it works for you.


Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation:

They say:

"Using exclusive liquid light technology, L'oreal Paris brings you Lumi Magique - a new foundation that infuses skin with a ray of light, illuminating your complexion as if lit from within. The radiance of your skin seems recreated. Perfect coverage, without masking."

Cost: $33.95.

Packaging: Once again, the packaging is gorgeous (the rose gold was half the reason I bought it!).

Product:  I really tried to like this foundation. I will admit it's not a typical foundation I would go for - I usually go for the more full coverage ones but after seeing all the reviews on this I thought I woud give it a go and maybe have it as an everyday foundation - something that's not so heavy. I have the shade "Pure Pearl", it has a bit of an organey tinge once applied it to my face...I'm not sure if anyone else had this problem? It also didn't have a long wear time, I felt it was breaking down on my skin about half way through my day. This makes it (for me) at the most about 5 hours wear time. So again, I am sure this would be a great product if you can get it to work for you.


Lumi Magique Highlighter:

They say:
"Powered by Liquid Light Techonology, skin is instnatly illuminated with the click of a pen. With a few starategic strokes of this complexion highlighter - dark circles, fine lines and signs of fatigue virtually disappear so you look rested and refreshed - even if you've been up for hours. Sleek and sophisticated, it discretly slips into a make up bag for quick touch-ups anytime. It's the one beuaty essential no woman can live without."

Cost: $27.95.

Packaging: Again, LOVE the packaging - I think they were going for an Touche Eclat feel.

Product:  There's not too much to say about this. It isn't a bad product but it is not really something that I reach for. The forumla is quite nice. I only really got this because it was "buy two get one free" offer at the time.


So that sums up my thoughts on the above products. I wish I had a better experience with them, they're so pretty!

Have you tried the L'Oreal Magique range? What did you think?

Essence Stay All Day Cream Shadow Review

Taken in natural light no flash, top: a few coats swatched, bottom: blended

I'm back with yet another cream eyeshadow review, something I can only imagine you will be seeing a fair bit of on this blog - can you say obsessed? Today's eyeshadow is an Essence one from the Stay All Day line of cream shadows. I swatched a fair few of them and was really taken by this shimmery gold one in the shade 'glammy goes to'. I think the worst part about this product is the name -  can Essence tell me where Glammy goes? Anyway this pretty gold shadow is another new favourite of mine and I can see myself wearing it a lot more. Now to what I think of it

Price:  I bought this at Priceline for $5.95AUD

Packaging: These come in a plastic tub, which isn't as sturdy as the glass but it doesn't really bother me. I'm not a huge fan of the design on top of the lid but I do like how essence keeps most of their packaging fairly simple. I will say this eyeshadow was extremely hard to photograph - that's my excuse for the horrible pictures. 

Pigmentation/Formula: They're not as rich and creamy as the colour tattoos but they are soft and extremely pigmented, and easily blendable. 

Where you can buy: I bought this at Priceline, Essence is stocked at Target as well but mine doesn't stock this range

Wear Time: I wore these for around five hours before the colour started to fade, I would highly recommend wearing a primer underneath these shadows. I guess you can say these stay all day, I did need makeup remover to get it off but the colour did fade a bit by late afternoon. 

Overall I really enjoy this cream eyeshadow and I'm actually planning on getting a few more. For $5.95 in comparison to the $11.95 of the Colour Tattoos I think they're a steal and a great dupe. They have a decent range of colours and I actually saw a few shades similar to the colour tattoos so I might do a dupe post in the future. I love that these shadows are cheap but have great pigmentation and texture, I think they're definitely worth checking out if you're looking to try out cream shadows.