August Favourites

Where on earth did August go- my gosh, I had so many blog ambitions for this month and it has literally just slipped away! 

So there have been a few really lovely things I have been enjoying this month! Some new, but I also went back to a few old products that i fell in love with again... So I wanted to share those, and some other bits and pieces I've been loving, with you. 

Okay so let me start with make-up: 

The first thing I have been loving is 

The Body Shop: Honey Bronzer (shade 04)

I will start by saying that I did unfortunately get one or two shades too dark, but luckily, with bronzer, you can sort of get away with that cause you can just use less. This is slightly more on the pricey side for bronzer and I finally decided to splurge and buy one cause I have been eyeing them forever! This is fantastic bronzer, in fact, I think maybe I even like it more than the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer, which has been my staple for years. This just has so much pigment, makes perfect contours, lasts long and is just beautifully packaged, which always makes a difference!

Rimmel: Wake Me Up Concealer (Shade 01)

For some reason Rimmel in SA doesn't stock this concealer, and it is one I have heard people rave about for ages, so I actually ended up ordering it online, and it was definitely worth the wait. This just really does the job at covering up any spots, and is also good for like overall redness or puffy eyes and all that... I like concealers like this that are quite liquid and almost like a more pigmented base opposed to concealer crayon sticks... This lasts well and just feels nice and light on your face, so even if you put a lot on, your skin doesn't feel cakey or anything. 

Maybelline: 24hr Colour Tattoo Shadow (Shade: Permanent Taupe)

I had to order another shade of this cream eye shadow because the stay power is actually ridiculous! Like I've never found a piece of make-up that will honestly not budge from when you put it on in the morning to when you take it off- it's crazy. That aside, this is the prettiest matte brown colour, that I generally just wear plain over my eyelids with some mascara and that's it. It is very natural but just so pretty, this is currently my go-to thing to do with my eyes on an everyday basis. 

Rimmel: Match Perfection Foundation (Shade 100)

This is an oldy but a goody- I have been religiously using this base for years now, and every time I try out a new base, I always come back to this. The reason I'm putting it in my favourites is because recently I've had so many people asking what base I'm wearing, and it is always this. It doesn't ever feel cakey or sticky on your face and when I put it on, I can see an instant change in terms of overall eveness and colour of my skin, and yeah, it's super affordable, I love the pump bottle and is just a really solid, good-quality product. 

Now for beauty, I just have one thing, which is the

The Body Shop: Shower Gel- Fuji Green Tea

This is a pretty new scent that The Body Shop have released and I absolute love it! It's not as sweet as some of the other, more fruity, scents they do and so I find myself using it pretty much everyday because it's a very natural and suuper fresh scent, which is perfect for everyday. I also find that it doesn't clash with perfume or deodorant that I wear, which is sometimes a problem I have with a few of the other Body Shop scents. So yeah, it just smells really good! 

Now onto some random favs:

The first is a book

Paper Towns- John Green

I am not a big reader, mainly because I really don't have much time. So I finally finished this while I was overseas in June/July, because there's nothing better than reading a good book while lying in the sun on a boat- so that's pretty much what I did a lot of the time! This book is really good, I love John Green, he's just a super cool guy and always manages to create very real characters. The story is completely unique and yeah, I just thoroughly enjoyed it! It's an easy read as well, so nothing too heavy. 

Shameless: TV Series

I am pretty addicted to all the TV series' I watch but this one is kind of on a new level and honestly, I didn't actually watch too much else besides Shameless last month because I was just enjoying it so much! I think this show is kinda an acquired taste and is a bit brash in ways, so isn't for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoy it! I can't pin point what exactly about it either, but it's just really good and worth checking out, I was hooked within the first few episodes! I am only only season 2, cause I started pretty late, but it's already great! 

Is There Anybody Out There?- A Great Big World: album

I have been listening to this CD all the time recently. I only knew a few songs by A Great Big World before, but really liked them, and then I decided to listen to the whole album and all the songs were just super good. I love the main singer's voice and the use of piano in their music, and I also just think that the stuff they sing about it different and positive, and always puts me in a good mood. My favourites have to be Land Of Opportunity and Already Home. 

So yeah, that's it for what I was loving throughout August, check in with you soon :)

Love

March Favourites 2015

I haven't done a favourites post in ages, and that's mostly due to the fact that most of the things I've been loving recently are old favourites that I've raved on about on this blog for years, but in the last month or two, there have been some things I have been absolutely loving throughout the summery months, and before autumn comes and goes in a second, I wanted to post on some of my favourites from the last couple of months!

MAKE-UP AND BEAUTY FAVOURITES

REVLON COLOURBURST LIP BUTTER- TUTHI FRUTI

I am a loyal fan of these Revlon lip butters as they are smooth and creamy, but still highly pigmented, long-lasting, and have a very pretty array of colours. I ended up with this shade by chance actually... I had asked my mom to buy me one in the shade 'Juicy Papaya' for my birthday, as I'd had it before, run out, and absolutely loved it! But they were out of stock, so she got me this one instead, and I have to say, I am really enjoying it! It is a fairly bright, vibrant orange colour, however, what I like is that it is still muted enough to look good and not too bold on an every day basis. I just love these lip butters, and can't wait to build up my collection and try more of their shades. 

MAYBELLINE 24HR COLOUR TATOO EYE SHADOW- 'ON-AND-ON-BRONZE'

You may have seen me post about this in my new year's haul post, but I felt the need to tell you all about it again, because I am obsessed with it! In the last few months, I literally haven't used anything on my eye except this, or a another eye product I've been loving that I'll write about just now.... I think my favourite thing about this eye product is that it really does last the 24 hours it promises. It is SO long-lasting and stays put the whole night, which is always something I look for in a good eye product. I love this shade as well, a bronzy-pink colour that is so pretty, and a tiny bit goes a long way, so I see this little pot lasting a super long time as well. 

MAC PRO-WEAR SATIN EYESHADOW- 'CORK'

This is such a beautiful matte brown colour, and has quickly become one of my staples. I love just using a little bit along my lash line, or in my crease. It is great quality, long-lasting and while it is pretty pricey for a little pot, it is definitely good quality for money. 

REAL TECHNIQUES SETTING BRUSH- by Sam and Nic Chapman

I ordered this with the hope to use it as a concealer brush, and it is the perfect size, shape and quality for concealer blending. I absolutely love this brush, it is soft, the bristles stay put, is washes easily and is the perfect size as a concealer brush. This is my first realTechniques brush I've had, and I am so impressed, I can't wait to try out some more!

DERMALOGICA 'CLEAR START'- EMERGENCY SPOT FIX

After trying out a few samples of this stuff, I had to buy a proper tube, because it is really a miracle worker for spots and blemishes. This stuff is perfect for those times when your skin just seems to have a tantrum and break out everywhere possible. For so long, I have just piled my face with concealer to hide it, but since I've discovered this stuff, it literally clears my skin out completely within a week and makes it feel a lot healthier. You don't use it everyday, but rather when your skin seems like its about to break out or in smaller problem areas. It is so good and always works 100% for me as it is very strong and anti-bacterial. 

ESSIE NAIL POLISH- 'BORROWED AND BLUE'

I posted this is a favourites last year sometime, but recently whenever I reach for a colour to paint my nails, I just always find myself choosing this one! It is just the prettiest light baby blue colour that goes with almost everything. I also love it because of its amazing quality! It lasts at least a week without chipping, paints on smoothly without any streaks and isn't too thick or clumpy. 

GENERAL FAVOURITES

MOVIES

There have been so many great movies I have watched recently, but I will just tell you about  3 (very different) ones that I absolutely loved: 

1) STILL ALICE

This is super sad but such a genuine and captivating movie! Julianne Moore is so brilliant in this, and it is definitely a movie to put on the list, definitely worth a watch as it is so heart-warming, touching and is a true display of amazing acting an directing!

2) THE IMITATION GAME

This is definitely one of my new all-time favourites and I have watched it a few times already. Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera Knightly are so amazing in it, and the whole story-line, history, cinematography and cast are just all-together brilliant!

3) STUCK IN LOVE

Looking for something a little lighter? This is a cheesy rom-com done well, and I really loved every second of it. The cast is amazing and so lovable, not to mention my complete girl-crush on Lily Collins. It is original and cute and perfect for a Friday night in with a huge bowl of popcorn. 

TV SERIES

In have become absolutely obsessed with Girls recently- I had been wanting to watch it for ages now, as I always hear it being called for nominations for Emmies and Golden Globes and the works, so I finally gave it a try and it is amazing! Lena Dunham is hilarious and really makes the show! It is so good, so definitely worth a watch! 

So that's it for my monthly favourites, let me know if you give any of these a try and love them as much as I do! 

My August Playlist

I haven't posted in a while and it's not because I haven't had time, I actually have just gone back to vasirty after a week vac, but for some reason I have felt a little uninspired about what to post about. I have a sticky note on my desk top with all these ideas, but they all need a little time (like a haul requires me to go shopping, haha, that sort of thing), so I decided I wanted to do a playlist post, because I love sharing the music I have been enjoying with people, and so yeah, I hope that you like this post, even if you just fall in love with one of these songs that I've been so obsessed with the last few weeks! 

LOVE IS WAR- AMERICAN YOUNG

I'm cheating a bit seeing as I only discovered this yesterday, so September rather, but I have had it on repeat literally of all hours of the day since I downloaded it. It's a girl and guy, I assume they're married/together but not 100%, who are just this amazing duet super couple. It's a bit country-ish and just very cute... I love the lyrics, and it's a soft and easy listening folk-y song- do check it out. I heard them sing on Andy's season of The Bachelorette in one of the episodes and went to search them straight away because I love it so much!

FINE BY ME- ANDY GRAMMER

 Definitely my fav this past month, also quite a recent download but have already brought it up into one of my most played songs. It's just so happy and upbeat, I literally can't help by sing along, yeah just a super great tune, check it out!

STAY WITH ME- ED SHEERAN (SAM SMITH COVER)

Don't get me wrong, I luuurve the original, and Sam Smith is so great! But wow, Ed Sheeran's cover of this song is just so genuine and beautiful!

DON'T BE SAYING GOODBYE- HOWIE COMBRINK

 I heard this song on the radio here in SA while driving the other day and when Shazam couldn't find it (cause Howie Combrink is a fairly undiscovered SA artist still), I spent a LOT of time on YouTube and eventually found it! I love this song, it's very simple and cute, but I love his acoustic, chilled style, and yeah, just a sweet little song. 

HEART MADE UP ON YOU- R5

(not 5 rand- for you South African's like me, hehe) I am a bit of a sucker for super upbeat, unbelievably happy pop music, and this is definitely one of those, a little cheesy but really an ultimate pick-me-up song! Yeah, I discovered this band quite recently, and don't know their stuff well, but this song is just very much a traditional pop song, and I kinda love that, so yeah, if that's your thing, check this out!

SHAKE IT OFF- TAYLOR SWIFT

 T Swizzle just doesn't disappoint when it comes to singing about how the "haters gonna hate", and this is just a great new song of hers. I am just a little obsessed. I know a lot of people were disappointed with this, and part of me really does miss her good old country tracks, but you know what, she does pop well, and I love this! I think the music video is really funny, and I love that she can at least laugh at herself. Have a listen, but pre-warning, it's pretty addictive, I knew every word within a couple of hours!

I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE- SAM SMITH

 Like I said, I am a new fan of Sam Smith, ahh his voice is just SO stunning! He's got such a range and just sings with a lot of passion. This is probably my favourite of his.

THIS IS HOW WE DO- KATY PERRY

 This is Katy's newest single, and I seem to have it stuck in my head all the time! Super catchy and very her and pop-y. I just really like it, it's also a really cool, quirky music video. 

BETTER THAN YOU THINK- THE DUBARRYS

 My friend introduced this amazing, but very undiscovered British band to me, and I love them! I'd say their style is kind of indie folk, that sort of vibe, and this song specifically, I just think is so pretty!

BO$$- FIFTH HARMONY

 I wasn't a fan of this song when I first heard it, and I don't know what changed, but suddenly I have been slightly obsessed. It's super sassy and I don't know, I've just grown to like it, it's by Fifth Harmony, who I always support because after watching them through X-Factor USA, I know what amazing singers they are, so it's great to see them releasing a popular single and stuff, have a listen!

MESS IS MINE- VANCE JOY

 I'm sure you'll know of this guy from Riptide, which is one of my all time favourite songs, particularly because I discovered it before it became so popular, which, as you probably know, is kinda just the best feeling. But I have recently been listening to his other stuff, and it is so beautiful! This one is my fav of those others...

ALL ABOUT THAT BASS- MEGHAN TAILOR

 I don't know exactly what it is about this song, but I love it! Very catchy, so have a listen!

Okay and then there were two albums that I loved so many songs on that I thought I may as well just mention the whole album!

WANTED ON VOYAGE- GEORGE EZRA
Ahh, this album <3 it's so stunning! It's such a lovely mix of chilled and more upbeat stuff and I just really find George Ezra's voice and lyrics so intriguing! It's such an unusual sound in the music of today and yeah, just super good stuff! Some of my favourites:

BUDAPEST (literally on the radio every 2 seconds!

BLAME IT ON ME

SONG 6 (WATCHING PAINT DRY)

BARCELONA

'V' - MAROON 5

Okay, I am a hard core Maroon 5 fan, everything from their first album (still my best) to this most recent one of theirs. I haven't heard all the songs, but from what I have heard, I will be downloading the rest very soon! It's kind of a bit of a new, synthesised pop sound for them, and at first I was a little skeptical, but Adam Levine is Adam Levine, and I just really love this album! My two favs at the moment:

MAPS (also, always on the radio, very popular!)

IT WAS ALWAYS YOU (LOVE this!)

So that's it for some of the music I'm loving at the moment! Hope you enjoy, let me know if you've been as obsessed as I am with any of these songs! 

Winter Favourites 2014

So I have been meaning to do a favourites post for probably the past couple of months, as there has just been so much I have been loving in June, July and now August too! So instead of choosing one month, I thought I'd pile them all into my winter favs, seeing as it's been winter here for the past couple of months anyway (disclaimer: if you haven't figured, I live in the Southern Hemisphere, so it's winter here from June- August). 

So here it goes:

BEAUTY FAVOURITES:

DAISY EUA SO FRESH- MARC JACOBS
When I put this in my last haul video, I had just gotten it after wanting it for ages, and I have just been loving it for the past couple of months I've had it. I just think its the prettiest scent and is sweet and fresh and I'm just really enjoying it!

LIP HEMP CONDITIONER- THE BODY SHOP

I have mentioned this on my blog before and it is not a new product to me, but this winter I have been specifically loving this lip treatment as my lips have been so dry and chapped, and this is, from what I've found, by far the best stuff for the job!

TRESEMME HEAT DEFENCE STYLING SPRAY
I use heat on my hair quite frequently, and must admit I am quite slack with heat protection, especially cause the one I was previously using was expensive, so I always got my mom to buy it for me (hehe), but I haven't been using one for pretty much this whole year, and thought enough is enough, so decided to buy one. This Tresemme one is not expensive at all (about R70 I think) and is just amazing! Firstly, it smells super delicious (kind of like apples almost), but the way it works, I can already see my hair looking healthier. Also, when I finish straightening my hair after using this all over, my hair feels so much softer! It is also a styling spray, so I have also occasionally used it just to get rid of a bit of frizz or to tease/volumise my hair a bit, so it works in both ways!

ESSIE 
There have been two Essie nail polishes I have been loving! The first is in the shade 10 and is called 'Blanc'. I would definitely say this is my winter favourite overall. I just really have started loving wearing white nail polish, and it goes with everything! So yeah, I wore this a LOT these holidays. 
The second shade I have only just got recently, but wanted to put it in because I have already fallen for it! It's called "Borrowed and Blue' (shade 746). This is literally the prettiest really light baby blue colour and I just think it is so cute!
Not to mention of top of these beautiful colours, the polish is great quality and lasts for a long time! 

MAKE-UP FAVOURITES:
BOURJOIS BRONZER
Bourjois only produce this one type of bronzer (like it comes in one shade, etc.) but I have heard great things about it for song long that I had to get it. Its reasonably priced for what you're getting and is just a really nice golden colour with a tint of shimmer in as well. I just have been loving it a million times more than my old bronzer, and am so happy with it! It is also in a really cute little box that closes magnetically, and the powder is pressed to look like chocolate blocks, and it kind of smells like that too, which is delicious... so yeah, this is a bronzer I've been so happy with, it's super pigmented and so a little goes a long way!

LIPSTICKS BY ESTEE LAUDER
I don't own much Estee Lauder because it is very expensive stuff, but I have come across these two lipsticks in the past few months and am just loving both so much!
The first is
Estee Lauder Crystal Lipstick Pure Colour Creme- in the shade 01, Crystal Baby. This is so beautiful, it is a natural berry pink sort of colour and because it is a "creme lipstick" it is super moisturising and smooth on the lips which makes it  look super natural and just feel a lot nicer, it also means you can still wear it if your lips are chapped, without the lipstick coming out gross and clumpy. I am usually a fan of matte lipsticks, but I actually love the shimmer in this one, maybe because it is so glossy and creamy, but yeah it just looks super pretty on, and I like that it is a similar pink to your lips, so it is a nice everyday type of lipstick and is not too bold. 

The second one I've been really loving is the Estee Lauder Signature Hydar Lustre Lipstick in the shade 'Venetian Rose' (09). This one is actually fairly similar to the previous one, but the colour is a bit more of a coral pink than a berry pink. It is very natural, and when you have it on, it kind of just exentuates your natural lip colour with lots of pigmenting, so it just looks very pretty. It has a few sparkly glints, but is a bit more matte than the other one. 

THE BODY SHOP ALL-IN-ONE BB CREAM: COLOUR ADAPTING TINTED CREAM (SHADE 02)
I really like this BB cream. It comes out of the tube white with little speckles and then you mix it with a brushfor a few seconds and it adapts to your skin colour! I have been wearing my BB cream a lot more than base recently, cause I think it's important to let my skin "breath" a bit and not constantly be covered in a thick layer of base. This leaves my skin feeling so fresh and soft and the actual cream smells delicious.

GENERAL FAVOURITES:
Okay so now onto some non-beauty related favourites. I actually have loads of these, probably because we had such a long holiday in June/July, so there was plenty of time to watch movies, download good music and do exciting new things. 

MUSIC:
I have two artists that I have recently become obsessed with!

1) JULIA CHURCH
This girl is phenomenal and is definitely going far! She is 17 and is from South Africa, so is still in school and doesn't have anything on iTunes or anything yet, but do yourself a favour and go take a listen to her SoundCloud. She does the most beautiful covers of Riptide , Oblivion, Mountain Sound (those are my favs) and just so many more, so go have a listen! You can also download her stuff to iTunes from her SoundCloud if you like her!

2) VAMPIRE WEEKEND
This is not a band that's new to me, I have always loved them, but recently, I have downloaded some of their stuff and have just been really into them. I would say their music is kind of indie rock, electronic and alternative, a little bit like Shortstraw ish. Some of my favourites are Oxford Comma, Kids Don't Stand a Chance, Holiday, Unbelievers and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. 

TV SERIES: 
It will be no surprise to you that I obviously have started watching even more series'! There were two that I really got into this winter!

1) ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
I hadn't heard of this before until a friend swore by it and said it was literally like her favourite show, so I had to give it a try, and of course the bug has bitten me! It has Taylor Shilling as the main character, and I really like her, and the show is just unlike anything I've seen before in a TV series and has such a good plot, definitely check it out! 

2) HOUSE
It has taken me eight full seasons and the actual finishing of the show to start this, but doing medicine and all, I knew I would love it, so have decided to watch it! I finished the first season in about 2 weeks and am now onto the second one already! I just love it, I find it super interesting, and just really really good!

MOVIES:
DIVERGENT
I actually watched this a while ago, but had to include it cause I thought it was incredible. I am obsessed with the two main characters, and I hadn't read the book, so didn't know what to expect, but wow, I thought this was brilliant, can't wait for the next one! I have a new crush on Theo James (oh my goodness) and am very excited that it's a trilogy, I can't wait to see what the others are like. 

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
This was such a stunning movie! I fell in love with the book, and whilst for me, a movie never quite seems to matche up to a brilliant book, this one did a pretty decent job at getting very close. Again, it has Shailene Woodley in it, and wow, it's just so well created, with some amazing acting!

MUSIC VIDEO: 
CHANDELIER- SIA
I know this is a bit odd to put into my favourites, but I cannot even tell you how many times I have watched this music video in the past few months! I love the song (even though it did actually take me a while to get into it), but this video, my goodness #@!&%@$! It is this little girl doing this amazing dance routine to the song! Her name is Maddie Ziegler and she is only 11, but is the most incredible dancer! I just think the choreography is so so cool and really artistic and just so brilliant! Check it out: