A Very Special Engagement Party | Lifestyle

Shoes - Zara $120 // Dress - Bardot $80 (sale) // Earrings - Old // Flower Ring - Old // Rings - Pandora (gift)

hair & makeup by me

the lucky couple

family x

Last weekend we celebrated the engagement of my beautiful little sister and her fiancé. We had such a fantastic night and wish them all the best for the future x

 

3 Tips for Flawless Base Makeup

There is a away to achieve perfect flawless base makeup application no matter which base makeup you are using. I use these same 3 tips when applying both BB cream (which I wear nearly everyday) and foundation (for more special occasions)

1 | Pick the perfect brush

This is the first and most important step towards a flawless base makeup application. Using a good quality brush will ensure the application of your base makeup is even and not patchy. I use these brushes from Bubz Beauty (a Hong Kong based UK YouTuber/Blogger) and absolutely love them. You also want to ensure you are using the right brush for the right product. I tend to stick to my flat brush as I feel I have more control over the  application, however you may achieve similar results with your fluffy brushes!

2 | Don't use too much product at once

The key to flawless makeup application is to not use too much product at once. You will get a more even coverage by layering your product as needed. This also ensures you don't get that "cake face" look.

3 | Take your time blending

I spend more time now on the blending of my base makeup than ever before and the difference is amazing. The more time you spend blending in your base makeup, the better the application and the more flawless the outcome. By using this method, I can even blend in my BB cream to maximize the coverage. This method also ensures my base makeup stays in all day and all night. Always ensure you blend down your neck as well to avoid the dreaded "line!" 

I hope these 3 tips have been helpful! I would love to know your tips for perfect flawless base makeup application.

xx

 

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil | First Impressions

You may remember I received this pack from The Body Shop from my amazing boyfriend for my birthday last year. I have been slowly working my way through the products and there are a few I would definitely purchase again.

One of these products is the Wild Argan Oil for skin and hair. Whilst I haven't tried this product on my skin as yet, I have been using it my hair recently and I am absolutely loving the result! I love trying to leave my hair as naturally curly as possible, however it tends to frizz quite badly throughout the day.

I have been using the Spray Gel for Curls by Toni & Guy on my hair for a few months now. I still love this product, however as much as it makes my curls stand out it doesn't have that all day protection from the frizz!

The pictures below show my third day curls using The Body Shop's Wild Argan Oil. I have never used a product that makes my hair stay this nice for so long! All I do in the morning is get up and go - no styling needed.

One of the things I really love about this product is that although it is an oil, it doesn't make my hair feel or look oily (as long as you keep it away from your roots!)

One spray on each side is enough to keep my hair frizz free for a good couple of days.

Have you every tried the Wild Argan Oil from The Body Shop before? I would love to know which products you use to help keep the frizz away!

What I'm Wearing
Crocheted Dress (Blazae- a few years ago)

xx

Natio BB Cream | First Impressions

I am a big fan of the idea behind BB creams but I hadn't been been able to find one that I really liked. I have tried a few different brands but have found them to be slightly orange or not have the right consistency. You may have seen that whilst I was in National Pharmacies a few weeks ago. I picked up the Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB cream and thought I would give it a try.

After using it for a couple of weeks, I have to say I am pretty impressed with it. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will have noticed I am a big fan of Natio products and this one is no exception. There are a few things I really like about this BB Cream.

The colour is very natural
As I mentioned above, I have found other BB creams to have a slightly orange tinge to them. For me this made it look less natural on my skin and meant it did not blend with the rest of my skin tone.  The idea behind a BB cream is to make your skin look as natural as possible and other BB creams have not done this for me. The Natio BB cream is the perfect colour match for my skin tone. I chose the middle colour, Medium.

The consistency is really nice
It is not as thick as a foundation, but not as thin as a tinted moisturiser. It gives my skin a healthy glow and feels light on which makes it comfortable to wear especially as the weather starts to warm up. 

The coverage and finish looks great
I was looking for a BB cream I could wear when I am not at work but that would still give me enough coverage. I also love the finish of this BB cream and like the way it wears with other products on top.

Have you tried this BB cream? I would love to hear which brand of BB cream you use and why!

xx



** This is NOT a sponsored post

Sneaky Sunday Purchases | Haul

We had such gorgeous weather over the weekend, so I made a trip into National Pharmacies to grab a few Spring time supplies.

Natio Daily Moisturiser Face Protection SPF15
My current favourite day time moisturiser. It it non greasy and wears well underneath my makeup. The SPF 15 is also a big plus for extra protection from the sun.

Natio Pure Mineral Skin Protecting BB Cream SPF 15

I have used BB creams before and loved them during the warmer months, so I picked up this Natio one in the colour Medium. I really like the way BB creams feel on my skin - light but still with a bit of coverage.

Revlon Nail Polish in the colour Fuchsia Fever

How gorgeous is this nail polish colour! I went through all my nail polishes not long ago and realised I needed more bright colours in my collection. Revlon nail polish always look nice on the nails and doesn't chip easily.

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in the colour Cotton Candy (#45)
National Pharmacies had Revlon lip products out 2 for $25! I have wanted to try their lip butters out for a while so I took this opportunity to buy a couple. I really like Cotton Candy as a subtle but pretty / glossy pinky purple.

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in the Colour Pink Lemonade (#47)
I think this colour is going to become a staple nude for me over the next few months. I love how moisturising these lip butters are and the slight gloss finish.

I hope you got out on the weekend and enjoyed the gorgeous sunshine!

- J x

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Product Love | Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

 

I am in love with these lip balm stains from Revlon. I had heard about them from different bloggers around the world but was never really interested in trying them as I wasn't sure they would live up to the hype. However, I was in my local National Pharmacies last week and they had a member special on which meant these babies were only $10 each! I thought I might give them a try and I am so glad I did.

 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in "Precious" 

I picked up two colours to try, "Precious" which is a perfect nude color and the colour I have been wearing everyday to work since I purchased them, and "Cherish" which is a gorgeous hot pink (I could not resist!)

 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in "Cherish"

"Precious" and "Cherish" (Sorry for the not so good quality photo)

There are a few things that I really love about these lip stains. First of all, they last ALL day which I absolutely love, especially when I am at work or out on the weekend. Even if I do need to reapply, they are so easy to put on without needing a mirror which is an added bonus. Secondly, because they are a "Balm Stain" they are very moisturising for your lips, and I have definitely been noticing a difference in the softness of my lips!

If you have not heard of these, or like me, have not rushed out to try them, I suggest you do because I absolutely adore these and would definitely purchase them again.

Have you tried these before? Are you as in love with them as I am?

- J x 

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Date Night | Eye Look

 

This simple pink smokey eye is perfect for a date night with your other half. It is so easy to achieve! Scroll down to find out how.

Step 1 | Sweep a shimmery cream colour over your entire lid.

Step 2 | Using a light pink shade, apply this to 2/3rds of the lid including the crease.

 Step 3 | Use a slightly darker pink shade in the outer corner of the eye to give it more definition.

Step 4 | Line your top lashline with black liquid or gel eyeliner, and create a small flick at the end (optional). Using either a black or brown kohl pencil (for a more toned down look I used brown) line your lower and (optional) upper waterline.

Step 6 | Apply mascara to the top and bottom lashes and this look is complete!

This look would also be great for a more formal spring time day look.

- J x

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Weekend Shopping | Haul

I have been on a spending ban lately, which has been pretty easy considering there have been a million bills to pay so spending money on things I want like material and new makeup has been pretty much impossible. So when I popped into Spotlight with a friend on the weekend, I wasn't actually planning on buying anything...until I saw their massive sales. I managed to pick up all of the items below for less than $50! Such a bargain.

Teal Canvas // $5/metre (reduced from $15/metre!) // Spotlight

Black, White, Silver & Teal Stripe // $3.50/metre (reduced from $5/metre) // Spotlight 

Navy & White Striped Knit // $3.50/metre (reduced from $5/metre) // Spotlight

 

Kakhi Material // $3.50/metre (reduced from $5/metre) // Spotlight

Newlook Dress Pattern (my 1st pattern!) // $10.50 // Spotlight

Invisible Zipper (for the dress I am making from the above pattern) // $5.00 / Spotlight

I also popped past National Pharmacies on my way home because I really needed a darker foundation and some new powder. They had some member specials as well as my usual 20ish % off for being a member so it actually worked out quite cheap!

Maybelline Falsies Mascara // $11ish // National Pharmacies

Clearasal Ultra Rapid Action Deep Pore Scrub // $11ish // National Pharmacies

Natio Daily Protection Face Moisturiser SPF 15 // $12ish // National Pharmacies

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 230 // $11ish // National Pharmacies

I have been using this foundation for a while now but in the shade 130, however I really needed a darker shade for summer so I picked up the 230 shade which has been much nicer on my skin! I think I will still wear the 130 during the day for now as I can still get away with it, and use the 230 for night time.

Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 230 // $8ish // National Pharmacies

Overall a very successful weekend of shopping! I will be posting about my creations when I get around to making them.

- J x

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Favourite Products | October

I have been loving these products this month, so much so that I wanted to share them with you!

 

Nivea in-shower Body Lotion

This stuff is absolutely amazing! And it also means I don't forget to moisturise after I hop out of the shower. Once you have cleansed your body / shaved, apply this while you are still in the shower and then rinse off. Once you have dried yourself, it will leave your skin feeling silky smooth. I am always skeptical of products like this, but safe to say this one actually works!

 

Napoleon Perdis Rainbow Eye Palette

I actually picked up this eyeshadow palette in a promotion Westfield were running, where you received the palette free if you spent $120 or more in selected stores - so I am not sure if you can actually purchase this product or not. I am a massive fan of Napoleon Perdis makeup, and this palette is no exception. The colours are stunning and I know I would wear most of them. They are stunning on the eyelid - a tad shimmery - and last all day.

 

Lee Stafford Argon Oil - from Morocco

This is not the first time I have mentioned this beauty on my blog, but I seriously cannot get enough of it! It makes my hair look amazing, especially if I decide to keep my hair naturally curly. This product also keeps my fly-aways under control no matter how I have styles my hair.

What products are you loving at the moment?

- J x

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