Monthly Favourites: April 2016

Ah I can't believe we are at this time of the month again! But honestly, where has April gone? I feel like I've just blinked & it's nearly all over! Anyway, lets jump into this months favourites.

MAKEUP
This month I have been really enjoying soft brown smokey eye looks. To help me achieve those kinds of looks I have been reaching for the Revlon Satin single shadow in 010 Polished Bronze. It such a gorgeous shade, it has a little bit of shimmer in it but I really like finish & the look it leaves on the lids. The shade blends beautiful & I actually have three other Revlon single shadows & I know they blend just as beautifully.

SKINCARE

I mentioned this product in my 'Morning Skincare Routine: Lazy Edition', but it's The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser. It's super gentle on my skin which is something I adore especially in the mornings which is when I tend to use it most. I really enjoy the scent of it too, super fresh. Love, love, love this product! 

NAILS

For the first time in nearly 18 years my nails have been the longest they have ever been. I've finally stopped bitting my nails which means that I have been loving painting my nails. This past month I have been really enjoying the 'Maybelline Colour Show' nail polish line. More specifically I have been loving the colour, 150 Mauve Kiss. It's a gorgeous mauve colour as the name suggests & I think it is a beautiful shade for the colder months. I'm planning on doing a whole review on this particular nail polish line, where I'll talk more specifically about the product, about what I love & my favourite shades so stay tuned for that. 

CLOTHING

Although the mornings & nights are getting colder, during the day isn't actually to bad. With that being said I have been loving these beautiful floral shorts. I would link where you got them from but I'll let you in on a little secret, these shorts actually use to be a playsuit I brought ages ago. When my bestfriend was staying with me back in January we did a little DIY & now I have my favourite pair of shorts! 

ACCESSORIES 

I don't know if you would count slippers as an accessory but this month I am! I have been loving this cute little slippers that I got from Kmart for $15. They are super fluffy on the inside & keep my feel toasty warm in the chilly mornings & evenings now that the weather has started getting colder. 

What have been your favourites this month?

B x

Morning Skincare Routine: Lazy Edition

In the morning, I always feel like I'm still half asleep until after I've washed my face. I clean my face at least twice a day, morning & night. In the morning I enjoy keeping my skincare routine as simple as possible. But really, at the end of the day it all comes down to how my skin is feeling that morning. Sometimes I can get a bit lazy with my skincare when it comes to the number of products & the amount of time I want to be spending on my skin in the morning so I thought that today I would share the four products I have been reaching for when it comes to my morning skincare routine.

NO.1
The first thing I do when it comes to my morning skincare routine is putting a face cloth on my skin after it has been sitting in some warm water. I find that the warm water opens up my pores, helps waken up my skin & prepares my skin for the next few steps.

NO.2
My face cleanser of choice in the mornings recently has been 'The Body Shop, Vitamin E Cream Cleanser'. I find that these cleanser is really gentle on my skin, leaves my skin feeling soft & moisturised. I think it's a really beautiful cleanser. Plus I love anything that smells good!

NO.3
Next is a step that I don't do every morning but I like to take a gentle exfoliant & gently scrub any areas where I'm prone to getting any dry patches. At night is when I tend to do a all over face exfoliant but just like in the mornings, I don't do this every night because I don't want to over exfoliate my skin because I've done that before & let me tell you, it was not a nice experience at all. I've been trying out a little sample of the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub & so far I've been really enjoying it.

NO.4
Toner water has always been a favourite of mine & I'm actually planning on doing a blogpost soon on how I make my own. However, the one I have made up at the moment is a Tee Tree Oil Toner Water. Tee Tree does absolute wonders for my skin & that's why I enjoy having it in a toner water too. I will just mist that all over my face & just wait for it to settle into my skin. I'm not going to lie, sometimes I get a little bit too carried away with it & put on way more than I need but I really like how it makes my skin feel.

NO.5
Last but most definitely not least is moisturiser. They one I have been joying at the moment is the 'Nivea Refreshingly Soft Moisturising Cream'. This product is designed for hands, face & body. I enjoy the scent, it reminds me on summer & I like that fact the cream has Jojoba Oil & Vitamin E in it as well.

Feel free to let me know what some of you favourite skincare products are at the moment. I enjoy reading your recommendations!

B x

Love List: April 2016

📷  // www.weheartit.com

I'm excited to be writing the first ever 'Love List' here on my blog. If you didn't have the chance to read my 'Monthly Favourites: March 2016' then you may not know about my plans for my 'Love List' posts. Basically, the idea behind them is that it is going to give me more of an opportunity to go into more detail in my regular 'Monthly Favourites' without the post getting to lengthy & then I aim to upload at least one, maybe the occasional two 'Love List' posts every month which will contain all the extra bits & pieces I'm loving.

APP 

Recently, I have been finding myself use Instagram a lot more. Not necessarily just in the way of posting but more so in the way of taking the time to explore other people creativity. If you're interested in following me on Instagram, I'd love for us to be friends over there >> http://bit.ly/1NCbMao

BOOK 

I'm really looking forward to reading 'Binge', by Tyler Oakley, which I've borrowed from my sister but the past week I've actually been reading,  'Sins Of A Father' by Fleur Beale. 'Sins Of A Father', is about Phil Cooper who at the age of 27, at the time father of 5, walked away from the religious cult his father Neville Cooper had created. This is Phil's story & the story of his seven children, their mother Sandra & their struggles to live in a family that is split between the outside world & what is now called the Gloriavale Christian Community. In 2008, Phil & his oldest son, Israel, decided it was time to tell their story & that's when Fleur Beale was approached to help them do it. This is all based here in New Zealand & something even crazier, what I didn't realise until reading this book is that, while living in Christchurch, I went to youth group & church with three of Phil's children & I cannot  even begin to tell you what an amazing family they are! They're all so genuine & kind. I feel blessed to have meet such amazing people & a genuine family. 

FILM 

A couple of weeks ago, for the first time I saw the film, 'We Brought A Zoo' & I absolutely adored it. I love the story that goes along with the film, I found myself connecting with the characters & I guess my love for animals was what really made me enjoy the film. When I first saw that this film was coming out in the theatre I wasn't particularly fussed about going to see it, it just happened to be on TV one night & I'm now sitting here telling you all how much I love it, I mean, I loved it so much I even went out & bought it on DVD.

SONG 
An oldie, but a goody. Thanks to my Ma, I've been enjoying the song, 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn', by Poison. I don't listen to Poison a lot but I for sure enjoy listening to this song.

ALBUM 
My favourite album recently has hands down been Charlie Puth's latest album, 'Nine Track Mind'. I would always catch myself singing along to his songs but ever since I seen his latest interview with Ellen on her show & I can definitely say I fell in love with him all over again. He's just so down to earth & then there's his cute wee face?! How could someone not love him!

YOUTUBERS
I'm not going to go into to much detail about each YouTuber because I'll leave links to their channels so you can get to know more about them over their if you don't know who they are already. Firstly I want to start with 'shaaanxo' akla Shannon Harris & I'm sure I've talked about her on my blog before if not, I know I've talked about her over on my Twitter, but she is absolutely one of my favourites. Not only do I adore you main channel beauty videos but also her vlog channel where we get know a little more about her & see what her, Hamish, her boyfriend & her two puppies Louis & Zeus get up to on a daily basis. I honestly couldn't even begin to tell you guys how much I love her & how much she inspires me, honestly Shannon is one of the most genuine, honest, caring people. Next, I briefly want to talk about Alfie Deyes. A lot of you probably are subscribed to him already but his daily vlogs are some of my favourites. I enjoy putting them on when I'm getting ready in the morning, I find them really easy & enjoyable to watch. Three weeks ago he uploaded a vlog with a few YouTube friends of his including Sam Evens. I decided to check out his channel & I knew straight away that is content was something that I was going to really enjoy watching. He's from Australia & I wanted to support a fellow neighbour! Definitely check these three out if you haven't already & let me know what you think!

BLOGGERS
One particular blogger stood out to me recently & I believe I came across her in a blogger chat we both regularly partake in every Sunday. Angela from 'astylecollector' is so genuine & her blog is incredible. We've spoken on several occasions & she has the most adorable kitten called Turbo. Go check her out, give her some love & let I her know I sent you!

INSTAGRAM 
I have three Instagram accounts I want to mention. Dani Mansutti, dizzybrunette3 & Rachelleea. I'm going to have them all linked but I just generally enjoy looking through their content & I'm positive you will too.

FOOD
This is a really odd thing to be enjoying but I have been loving red onion. I have been especially enjoying it on toast with avocado & tomato. It is so delicious, you guys must try it sometime!

BEVERAGE
While the weather is still slightly warm, I have been loving a good ole classic lemonade. Of course you can drink lemonade all year round but I enjoy having it as a treat & it always goes down so much nicer when it's a little bit warmer. If I'm not drink lemonade, which it is only something that I have as a treat, I'm just drinking good ole water from my water bottle.

QUOTE
"150 years ago, they would've thought you were absurd if you advocated for the end of slavery. 100 years ago, they would've laughed at you for suggesting that women should have the right to vote. 50 years ago, they would've objected to the idea of African Americans receiving equal rights under the law. 25 years ago, they would've called you a pervert if you advocated for gay rights. They laugh at us now for suggesting that animal slavery be ended. Someday they won't be laughing." - Gary Smith
Keep an eye out, at this stage at the end of May, for a post regarding this quote.

B x

Compliments & Smiles Are Free

📷  // www.tumblr.com

" Facebook 'likes' are free. It doesn't cost you anything to hand them out. So go for it!" 

"Throw kindness around like confetti!' 

"Kindness does cost a damn thing, so sprinkle that shit everywhere!" 

It doesn't cost anything to click 'like' on somebody's post, status update or new group page. So why not? Be an encouragement to someone by clicking the like button, or even the new 'love' or 'wow' button. You're already on Facebook, so why not?

This first quote I mentioned changed my perception of how I use my social media. I just use to quickly scroll through my social media & kind of just look at what everyone is doing & every now & then I might like someone post, or maybe leave a comment. Now I put in more effort to actually like posts, favourite tweets, & comment positive things on those posts that I really love & agree with. This applies to all social media, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs, YouTube Snapchat. 

The same also applies to podcasts, books, apps & so on. If you love a particular app leave a five star rating along with some positive encouragement & the same applies with books! If you read a great book leave a five star review on Amazon. One of the most important things you can do for these people is leave reviews, your positive comments & encouragement. They're important & totally free to handout. 

I've mentioned this before but these simple actions cost nothing, take only a few seconds to complete & provide valuable encouragement. It's a simple act with a huge impact to whoever may be receiving it. 

From experience, I know how hard it can be to keep in touch with everyone that you want to especially when life gets busy & little overwhelming. Liking or posting positive, encouraging comments allows them to know that you're still thinking about them & you haven't completely forgot. 

And in our internet world with so much constant negativity, shouldn't we be passing on as much positivity as possible?

Even far beyond social media. And perhaps even more importantly, our in person relationships. 

Compliments are free. It cost absolutely nothing to use kind words. So why are we not using them as much as possible?

Don't get me wrong, as amazingly lovely as it is to receive long, thoughtful drawn out compliments, sometimes just one short sentence can be enough to change the entire course of somebody's day. 

Small things like, 'You did an amazing job', 'It's really nice to see you', 'I'm glad I get to work with you', 'You look really nice today', 'I'm so proud of you, well done', 'You never fail to brighten my day'. 

Each of these comments only take a few seconds & don't cost a single thing. So why not just go for it. Even just a smile can change someones day. 

In a world full of negativity, I think everybody can use a little more positivity in our lives. 

B x

REVIEW: Konjac Sponge

📷  // ME

I mentioned in my 'Monthly Favourites // March 2016' that I was going to do a review on my Konjac Sponge & here it is! My Konjac Sponge has been my holy grail skincare tool for awhile now! I absolutely love it & I think it's something that you guys will love too! I'm not going to talk to much about the actual product because I think that it would be more beneficial for you guys to check out the website, the website has loads of information & they have everything you need to know on there. What I will talk about is my opinion & my experience with Konjac Sponges. 

So this is my second Konjac Sponge & it is safe you say that I absolutely adore this tool. You can use it with your daily facial cleanser or you can just use it wet. You have the sponge under running water until it inflates, very similar to a beauty blender. Then you would either apply your cleanser & go straight in with the sponge on to your face & start massaging! I find that it is a light exfoliant & really helps remove that extra bit of gunk from your skin. I love how the sponge makes my skin feel after I've been using it. From what I've been told the sponge lasts up to three months which I think a reasonable amount of time. When finished with the sponge you simply just rinse it out & hang it up somewhere to dry. They have lots of different products so I recommend doing a little bit of research so that you can find the right product for you. 

B x

Empties No.001

📷  // ME

Welcome to my first ever 'Empties' post! I've been wanting to do this post for awhile now but I was waiting to finish a few more products before I did.  I have a few skincare & makeup bit & pieces that I've finished recently that I wanted to talk about. I'll give a mini review, what I thought of the product, whether I'd buy it again & all that good stuff. I'll also leave links where I can to the products if you're interested in doing some of your own research. Please remember that these are my thoughts & opinions. I can only talk from experience & how these products have worked on my skin. I highly recommend doing your own research before purchasing any of these products yourself.

ST IVES APRICOT SCRUB 

I absolutely love this product. This is the first ever St Ives product I've ever tried so when purchasing it I wasn't really sure what to expect, although I had heard some amazing things. This particular scrub is a deep exfoliant & I love how it left my skin feeling. It really felt like I had removed all the gunk from my pores, which I feel is super important. The packaging states, 'Salicylic Acid Acne Cleanser, 100% Natural Exfoliants, Sulfate Free & Paraben Free'. I recommend giving this product ago if you're looking for a new exfoliant to try. They have a massive range so maybe give something else a go. I'm definitely looking into trying some more of there products. 

CLEAN & CLEAR ESSENTIALS SELF FOAMING FACIAL WASH

I personally did not like particular Clean & Clear product. I have enjoyed using other products of theres but I felt like this one was really super drying on my skin. I just didn't like how it left my face feeling. That packaging does state, 'Oil Free, Won't Clog Pores, Light Foam Gently Cleanses Without Over Drying, Helps Prevent Blemishes & Blackheads'. Unfortunately, I don't agree with them in this case. What I will say is that because it is a foam, it is very light on the skin. 

SIMPLE KIND TO SKIN SOOTHING FACIAL TONER 

I just want to quickly mention that I love Simple Skincare products. I've tried a big range & the Facial Toner did not fail to impress. It left my skin feeling refreshed & soothed, which I loved. It doesn't have a scent much of a scent, if any scent at all. It claims to be great to sensitive skin which I thought was quite nice just because I've previously found some toners to be quite harsh on my skin & I wouldn't consider my skin to be that sensitive, but I didn't have any issues with this toner being  to harsh or irritating on my skin. 

THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN E HYDRATING TONER 

Holy crap, I can not rave about this product enough. The skincare line from The Body Shop is one of my favourites. As a gift for Christmas I received a mini skincare set from this range which gave me the chance to try  few of the products. The Vitamin E Hydrating Toner was one of them & all I can say is that I'm in love. It's super hydrating which I love, duh? I love a good hydrating toner. It didn't irritate my skin, I really don't know what else to say. 

THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN E MOISTURISING CREAM

This was another mini that came with the Vitamin E Skincare Set from The Body Shop & again I adore this product. It's a beautiful day cream, it's light on the skin, leaves your skin feeling amazing & looking super fresh. I found that it also sits really well under makeup. There's really not much else to say, apart from the fact that I love this skincare range, if it wasn't already obvious! (; 

GARNIER SKINCARE NATURALS 2 IN 1 EXPRESS EYE MAKEUP REMOVER

I love Garnier products & I talked about this in an 'Makeup Removers' & I'll link it so you can read that post if you haven't already. The packaging states, 'Gently Removers Makeup, Even Waterproof' & I couldn't agree more. This is probably one of my favourite waterproof eye makeup removers. I can not stress how easily this removers waterproof mascara. This is definitely my favourite eye makeup remover! Definitely a product I'm going to be repurchasing. 

BY NATURE REJUVENATING EYE CREAM

This By Nature Rejuvenating Eye Cream was a little sample I got from somewhere but it is something that I'm looking into buying in full size. It's infused with Organic Rosehip Oil, Collagen, Argan Oil & Aloe Vera. It has a super nice scent & it leaves your under eye area looking & feeling plump. 

PALMER'S SHEA BUTTER MOISTURISING HAND CREAM

This is probably one of my favourite hand creams I've tried in a long time. It has no parabens, no phthalates, no mineral oil, no gluten, no sulfate & no dyes. I think the fact that it is made with natural Shea Butter is what makes it so moisturising & have such a lovely scent. I've used Palmer's Body Creams before as well & they're super lovely on the skin as well. 

AUSTRALIS STAY PUT FOUNDATION 

This is the second time I have purchased this product & I'm going to link a more in depth review I did about it as well if you would like to check it out. But to say it simply, I love it. I purchase the shade Nude & from what I remember that is the lightest shade they have. The foundation is also SPF 15 & last up to 16 hours. I really enjoy the foundation & I would definitely repurchase it again. 

COVERGIRL OUTLAST STAY FABULOUS FOUNDATION

This Covergirl foundation is one that I've been trying for a little bit & I'm not a hundred percent sure how I feel about it. I do like how it looked on my skin but I'm still not a hundred percent sure. I have it the shade 805 which I think it a little bit light for me so maybe at some point in the future I'll re-purchase it in a better shade for me & give it another go. 

THE BODY SHOP HONEY COMB BRONZER

This was the first ever bronzer that I purchased & I loved it. I think it's great if you're looking to start using bronzer but don't know where to start. I found that product really easy to blend which is great especially for a first time bronzer user. The colour is beautiful, I believe I brought it in the lightest shade & it just looked gorgeous on my skin. It's something that I'd definitely repurchase. 

B x

Five Things Nobody Tells You About Working From Home

📷  // www.tumblr.com

I've been working from home for nearly coming up a year now & with that I thought I would share some of the things that nobody really talks about when it comes to working from home. Like with a majority of things, there are pros & cons but how we view them comes down to ourselves.

1: IT CAN GET VERY LONEY
I think this is probably one of the main things to remember when deciding to make the decision whether working or studying from home is for you or not. I'm going to be completely honest, being at home alone doesn't particularly bother me & I think that it mainly comes down to being an introvert & I couldn't imagine introverts having an issue with this however extroverts, those that throughly enjoy the company of others, try & get out more during the day. Remember you're aloud to take an afternoon break just like everyone.

2: YOU ARE YOUR OWN MOTIVATION
Being able to motivate yourself is super important when it comes to working from home. Whether you are studying or working from home it is so important to be self motivated or you would never get anything done.

3: YOU DON'T NEED TO WORK ALL THE TIME 
What I mean by this is that you don't have to conform to any kind of schedule. This is perfect for myself personally as my health varies from day to day. Find what works best for you & run with it.

4: YOU CAN GET A LOT MORE DONE IN LESS TIME 
Although a lot of people think that when you work from home you can choose to not work, which is true but the opposite, which is being able to get more done in a less amount of time is just as true as the first statement. Focusing on a single task can be a lot easier in the comfort of your own home opposed to working in an office or a classroom. You can manage your time more efficiently & get into your own zone. Personally, I never found an hour, which is the length of your classes here in New Zealand, was never really long enough for me to fully get in my own zone. Once I'm in my zone I can work super efficiently & get a load of work done but for I knew it class was over. I found that I wasn't able to do that while I was at school.

5: YOUR CLOEST BECOMES MORE CAUSAL 
A bit of an odd one I know but the majority of the time I'm just in casual, comfy clothes. Let's be honest, us home business gals have worked in our PJs or sweatpants more times than once.

A little bit of a disclaimer, working from home whether it's for work or study is something that shouldn't be rushed into. Work out the pro's & con's & really think about if it's something you want & if it's something that you might think will work for you!

B x

Vaseline Beauty Hacks?!

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I never really knew what vaseline was ever used for. We always had some stored away somewhere in the bathroom but I never really saw anyone using it. I did a little research & some experimenting & turns out Vaseline can be used, effectively, for many different uses. I thought I would share some of the things that I now like to use Vaseline for.

#1 TAME THEM BROWS
If you find yourself unexpectedly all out of brow gel, no problem you can use a small amount of Vaseline on them brows of yours until you're able to get your hands on some brow gel again! I tend to just use this in the mid to tail end of my brow & I make sure that I don't use to much product!

#2 DRY CUTICLES 
Every since I've been trying to grow my nails I've been wanting to take the best care of them I possibly can. Vaseline is great for keep your cuticles moisturised & the same with your nails. I find the best time to apply the Vaseline is at night before you head to bed.

#3 PERFUME STAYS ON LONGER
I wasn't sure how this one would work but I was pleasantly surprised! To make your favourite fragrance stay on the skin for longer, all you have to do is apply the Vaseline to the desired area before spraying your perfume & you're ready to go!

#4 TINTED LIP BALM
Maybe you just feel like wearing something that is slightly more moisturising or maybe you coming to the end of a lipstick, & you're at that really annoying point where you can't get the rest? Next time, dig out what is left & mix it with some Vaseline to create your own tinted lip balm! You can also create your favourite shade at the same time!

#5 MOISTURISING YOUR EYELASHES 
I love layering a shit load of mascara on my lashes but as a result of that my eyelashes become weak & can become dry & flakey. I find adding a tiny layer of Vaseline to my eyelashes helps add moisture back into my lashes. I tend to do this after I have taken my makeup at night & let it moisturise my lashes over night.

#6 HELPS TO REPAIR DRY HEALS 
To help keep your feet looking nice & pleasant, apply lots of Vaseline to your feet before bedtime & cover with fuzzy socks to give your skin the moisturising it needs.

B x 

April To Do List

Well here we are in the fourth month of 2016. Honestly, where have the last three months gone! I'm 18 at the beginning of next month & I'm definitely not ready to grow up! Anyway, I thought I'd compile a bunch of things that I would like to achieve this month & who knows, there might be something on my list that you would like to achieve too!

📷  // www.tumblr.com

1 // Eating healthier. After indulging in a few to many Easter Eggs last month, I plan to cut out the majority of all unhealthy foods & snacks. In saying that, we are aloud a little treat every now & then right?

2 // Make the most of all the warm sunny days left before Winter really arrives. I want to spend more time outdoors in those days, once the rain & cold weather is here we're going to be limited to what we can do outdoors.

3 // Pick up a few new makeup bits & pieces. I'm not sure exactly what yet but let me know if there is anything specific you think I need to try out! There are a few new Maybelline & Rimmel products that I'd like to try, maybe I'll start there!

4 // Explore & be more creative in the kitchen. Along with the healthy eating I'd love to explore a bit more when it comes to taste & the meals I create

5 // Find a really nice leather jacket to add to my winter fashion collection. A leather jacket is something that I have always wanted to invest in & I think Winter 2016 is going to be the year where it finally getting added to my wardrobe!

B x 

Recipe: Apple Pie

I thought that today I would share one of my favourite things to make in the kitchen. I grew up with my Mum baking this for my sister & I as kids. We always loved it as a little treat every now & then. Not only is it delicious but it is super simple to bake! It's such a gorgeous light treat for every now & then.

INGREDIENTS 

250g, Soft Butter 

165g, Caster Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp, Vanilla Essence

565g, Flour

2 1/2 tsp, Baking Powder 

400g, Apples 

Icing Sugar or Chocolate Chips to Decorate

METHOD

1. In a bowl or food processor, beat together the butter, caster sugar, egg & vanilla essence until creamy & well mixed. 

2. Add the flour & baking powder & stir or pulse to mix well. 

3. Spread two thirds of the mixture into the base of a well greased & floured 23cm loose bottom cake tin. 

4. Spread over the apple. 

5. With floured hands dots the remaining dough over the top. 

6. Bake at 190 degrees for 40 minutes. When cool dust with icing sugar & serve with lashings of whipped cream. 

HAVE YA'LL READ:

Monthly Favourites // March 2016 >> http://bit.ly/1UB70C0

Washing My Makeup Brushes >> http://bit.ly/1UfbUnw

Bathroom Inequality >> http://bit.ly/1psOQ8v

B x