April Favourites 2016

Hi guys!

There were SO many wonderful and newly discovered things I loved all through March and April and so I thought I'd do a monthly favourites and as usual, just share with you some products and random bits and pieces I've been loving and that are worth giving a try! 

LUSH Happy Hippy Shower Gel- 

I haven't tried many of the LUSH shower gels before but have really taken to this one! It was given to me as a gift and I just love it! It is citrussy and grapefruit scented and just smells so nice, especially for the mornings. 

LUSH Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub

Another LUSH product... like I said, I tend to usually stick to the LUSH bath bombs and bubble bars, etc. and so haven't given much chance to all their other products before, but I really love them. They are such great quality and feel really good and natural for your skin. This is a salt based exfoliator, and whilst I also enjoy sugar-based ones, this one foams up and lathers really nicely, feels super good and exfoliating to the skin, and of course, smells lovely. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Perfume

Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVE this scent! I pretty much use it as my everyday perfume, and it is just very much the type of scent I love, sweet (but not too sweet), fresh and floral. I think it feel like a good mixture between young and still slightly more mature than some of the other sweeter scents on the market. I previously used 'Daisy', which I also really like, but am currently just loving this!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick- in the shade 330 "Sloane's Plum"

I went into the shops the other day, knowing in mind that I really wanted like a deep plum/berry colour lipstick, and after a while of looking through all the counters, I found this and fell in love with it! I don't usually wear dark lipstick as I feel quite self-conscious in it, especially in an everyday setting, but there's really no need to, and I really love it, so I have been wearing it a whole lot over the past few months. It is such a gorgeous shade, Rimmel is always very cost-effective and it has relatively good staying power too. 

Mac 217 make-up brush

I am sure I have spoken about this brush on this blog before, and I know that it is definitely one of Mac's most favourite and popular brushes, and it has definitely earned its good reputation! I love this brush, and as I have been using an eyeshadow palate recently, I have just realised how amazing and helpful it is! I basically use a different eye shadow brush to put the various shades on, and in my crease, etc. and then use this one to basically just blend all over and above the lid so that the shadow doesn't look quite so stark and suits a more everyday, smokey look. So yeah, this brush just basically does what it's meant to do really well. 

Academy of Colour- Metallic brown smokey eyes kit

This is a little quad palate with some really gorgeous shades. I have actually had this for ages and never used it as I didn't know the brand and thought it wouldn't be much good, but I love the shades it includes, and they also have very good staying-power. There is a silvery brown colour, a more reddy brown tinged one, one that's matte and very similar to "Cork" by Mac, and then lastly a very dark shimmery brown, and I just love them all a lot, and they are quite natural and work for a simple smokey eye for either a more casual or dressed-up look. 

Essie Millionails Clear Polish

Oh my goodness, I love this stuff! You can use it as a top coat on top of a coloured nail polish, which helps it last a lot longer. But I also like to use on my nails when they don't have anything else on them, and it just seems to really help keep them healthy and much stronger than usual, especially cause I bite my nails, so they need all the help they can get. 

Yankee Candle in the scent Black Cherry

This was another gift, and you can only imagine my excitement when I realised that not only was it a Yankee Candle, but it was cherry scented!! And it definitely lived up to my original expectation, this smells absolutly beyond delicious! Even when it's not lit, if I leave the lid off, it scents the whole room and like I said, it is just SUCH an amazing scent. 

Nespresso coffee

We recently got a Nespresso machine and this has had a very direct impact on my coffee drinking! This coffee is just so delicious, like can't even compare to the instant coffee I usually make at home, and so yeah, I basically have been drinking a ton of it, especially through exams. 

Woolworths Wake-me-up Peppermint Tea

I mentioned this already in my "Studying Tips" post, but yeah I really love this stuff a lot! It tastes as good as it smells, which is amazing, and it is very calming and delicious. 

So that's everything I loved over the past couple of months, sorry it's so late, but still I hope you enjoy some of these products! 

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! 

Christmas/New Year Make-up & Beauty Haul

I wasn't quite sure exactly what to name this post, cause some of these items I bought and others were christmas gifts, but either way, I just thought I'd show you some of the things I've got recently that I have really been loving!

Starting with make-up first:

So these first few things were all Christmas gifts from my parents. I love Mac make-up so much, but it is so bloody expensive, so I was so excited when I saw my mom had spoilt me  with some items I've been wanting for ages! 

MAC 'REDD' LIPLINER PENCIL
I've been wanting a red lipliner for ages, because it makes it SO much easier to apply red lipstick perfectly and I think, just give the lip a fuller look. I don't usually use lip liners, but after hearing so many people recommending using a lipliner for a red lip, I thought I'd give it a try, and it's definitely worth it! I love this lipliner, it comes out nicely, very pigmented and a beautiful bright red colour. 

PEACH BLOSSOM CREMESHEEN MAC LIPSTICK
I have wanted a very pretty pink lipstick for quite some time, and have never really had one. I initially wanted to give 'Angel' a try, cause it is so popular, but it was sold out, so I got this one, and it is just such a pretty, everyday pink colour, and so easy and smooth to apply. 

'CORK' - MAC SATIN EYESHADOW 

It looks quite a bit lighter in the picture than it actually is, it is a light, almost matte pretty brown colour, which I like to use in my crease and sometimes just below the eye too. It lasts for the whole day and is such a pretty, subtle colour. 

Next were two items I ordered off Feel Unique, because sadly they aren't sold in SA, so they needed to be ordered online.... they took their sweet time, but yay, I've finally got them and I am loving them both SO much!

MAYBELLINE 24 HR COLOUR TATOO IN 'ON-AND-ON BRONZE'
Unfortunately, even the swatch doesn't show how stunning this colour is! It is a shimmery bronze colour, that just comes out so beautifully! I LOVE this product and can't wait to get to ordering other colours in the range. They are so easy to apply and on most days, I will literally just swipe this across my lids with my Mac 217 and not add anything else except mascara and you're set for the day. It makes it look like you've put a lot more effort in than you actually have, the pigment is great, and my favourite thing about this product, is that it lasts SO LONG. If I put it on in the morning, when I get home late at night, it will still be on just as well as how it was applied! I highly recommend this product, and it is also very affordable. 

REAL TECHNIQUES SETTING BRUSH (PINK)

Finally, I have found the perfect shape, firmness and brand of brush for concealer. I have been struggling to find one the right size for what I want to blend in concealer, particularly under the eyes and T-zone, but this brush is perfect, and I am really loving it. 

Then lastly, there were just a couple of others I bought over the Christmas and new year period.

WOOLWORTHS EYELASH CURLER
Just a basic eyelash curler, but so far so good!

MAYBELLINE DREAM BOUNCY CREAM BLUSH IN #20 'PEACH SATIN'
This is my first time trying a cream blush and I am enjoying it quite a bit, what I really like, is that it does tend to last a lot longer than a powder. I think this peachy pink, is such a pretty colour for summer, and it is so quick and easy to apply. 

And now onto a few beauty items I've bought/recieved recently.

Okay, so I've gone through a bit of a Body Shop-obsessed phase recently and picked up a couple of good old shower gels and body butters, fuse you can never have too many of those, right?

HONEYMANIA SHOWER GEL

My brother gave me this for christmas and I am so excited to have it because this is my all-time favourite scent that The Body Shop do! Seriously, if you haven't tried it, give it a sniff next time you're there, it's amazing!

SWEET LEMON SHOWER GEL
I bought this mainly because I used to love the Sweet Lemon scent and I thought they'd discontinued it, as I haven't seen it there for years, and now suddenly, it's popped back up, but only in shower gel form. So in fear that it might not come back again, I bought it, and it smells SO delicious and fresh. 

FROSTED CRANBERRY BODY BUTTER (Christmas range)

I always love to see what the christmas scents are and this year this cranberry one was one of them, and it smells so good, so I picked it up, because I've just about finished my last body butter. 

and lastly one last shower gel (another gift) VANILLA CREME BRULE SHOWER GEL (Christmas range). I was so happy to get this for christmas from one of my aunts, because it is also one of the christmas scents and you can't go wrong with vanilla! I've actually not used it yet (clearly I have a huge over-supply of shower gels) but I plan to give it a try soon!

I have been loving the Lush christmas range and my other brother bought me the SNOW FAIRY SHOWER GEL which is SO amazing, and I have never tried it before but have had my eye on it for ages, so I was so pleased to finally get to try it. It literally smells like sweets and candy floss, and while it is a bit sweet for everyday, I use it every now and then, and it is pink and shimmery and just so lovely! Not to mention that all lush products are always packed with good oils and things for your skin.

And the last beauty thing I bought recently is the JOHNSONS REFRESHING GEL FACE WASH. This has a really fresh and subtle smell, and I am enjoying it. For me, it still doesn't quite beat the Nivea Daily Essentials Face Wash, but comes in a close second. 

So that's it for all the make-up and beauty sort of things I've got over the past few months. 
Hope this helps if you've been wanting to try any of these products or, if nothing else, maybe just gets you inspired to do some shopping soon :D 

PS: I just want to add that I am sadly already back at varsity and have been for a week, and I hate that I have posted so little in December and January. I have lots of ideas for posts, so even though work is very hectic just for this first month of varsity, I'm still hoping that I can keep some posts going!

My First Mac Products

Something a little exciting happened, I ordered some stuff from Mac, well very little actually, but yeah, basically I have been wanting to try out some Mac make-up for ages but have never been able to bring myself to splurge on it yet. And then I discovered that you can order Mac stuff online here, I didn't realise SA did that, so was excited to try a couple of things out. 

Being very much on a student's budget, I in no way could do a haul or massive order, but I ordered two things I have been wanting for ages and were top on my Mac list, and am so happy with them so far!

1) So the first thing is a good Mac lipstick. Yeah, I guess they are a bit pricy, but I have wanted one for ages and so finally ordered this one, called Ravishing and the finish is Creme Sheen. Deciding on a colour was tough because there were SO many, and also because I couldn't swatch it (cause it was online) I didn't want to order one that may look different in the thumbnail. I knew the colour I wanted the most was a corally sort of lipstick because I didn't have one and I think it will be very pretty for spring/summer coming up! 

I have no experience in picking a finish either, and there were so many, so I sort of just went by colour, but the Creme Sheen finish is actually so amazing, because it is a little creamy and so doesn't clump on your lips and just has a very nice overall finish. I am so happy with this colour!

Mac- Ravishing (Cremesheen)

2) The second, and last thing I bought (yeah, only two things for now) was actually a brush I have heard people rave about for a long time, which is the Mac 217 blending brush. It's designed mainly for eye shadow blending and contouring I think, but can also be used with cream rather than powder, so works as a small concealer brush too. I am using it mainly for concealer because I don't wear eye shadow much, but have washed it out and tried it for both and it's just really nice! It's the perfect size for your crease and is soft and doesn't loose bristles, which is always a plus!

Mac 217 Blending Brush

So yeah, this is a very simple, quick little post, but I am so excited to finally have some Mac stuff and I am just enjoying them both so much, that I thought I'd share them with y'all :)

The bug has definitely bitten me, and I can't wait to get more Mac, I'm thinking I want a nude-y lipstick next, comment if you know of any good ones!