Bombshell Volume Mascara- Does It Really Work?

Covergirl Bombshell Volume Mascara by Lashblast

This mascara claims to give you "big, sexy bombshell lashes" with it's 2 ended mascara wand. One end has 'volume' and the other is meant to 'intensify'. I was excited to try out this product as I have another 2 wand mascara which I really like from Rimmel. However I was extremely disappointed with this Covergirl product. 

Things I didn't like about it:

1. When you open the lids,  you expect to pull out the wand within the lid, however the wand is attached to the middle part. You'll understand what I mean when you continue to scroll down through the pictures. This makes it really difficult to apply as the wand is super short.
2. It's clumpy. When I applied this mascara, it just make my lashes clump together rather than 'volumise' and 'intensify' as it claims to do.
3. It's extremely hard to remove. You have the option of purchasing the waterproof mascara or just the normal mascara. I chose the normal one as I don't particularly like waterproof mascara. But when I went to take this mascara off, it would not remove all of it. I used not only a makeup wipe, but makeup remover with cotton pads, AND water. There are still clumps in my lashes and black marks underneath my eyes from the residue. 

My mum actually got this too, and has the same opinion about it.

Overall, I was quite disappointed and definitely would not purchase again. 

Have you tried this mascara? How does it work for you?

THIS IS NOT SPONSORED-PRODUCTS PURCHASED WITH OWN MONEY. 

DIY Gift Wrapping

DIY Gift Wrapping

What you will need:

Brown Paper/Kraft Paper
String/Twine
Sticky Tape
Scissors

All of these items can be purchased from a discount shop or a craft store.

First of all, you will need to measure out the amount of paper you need for the gift you are wrapping. To do this just roll out some paper, place the gift on the paper and play around with it seeing if it is enough to wrap in. 

Once you know how much you need, cut the paper from the roll.

Now you can wrap your gift and use sticky tape to tape it together neatly.

Next you can either measure out some string or twine by wrapping it around your gift or just estimate how much you might need.

Cut the twine and wrap around your gift in a way that you like. You can tie bows on it if you want to or you can leave it knotted-it's up to you!

Now you should have your finished product! Continue this process with other items you are planning to wrap. 

 You can add bits and pieces to it if you like such as name tags or stickers, it's up to you. I left mine plain and simple just because I thought it looked nice like this. 

If anybody has any ideas they'd like to share I'd love to hear them! I'd also love to know if any of you have tried this out and how did it turn out?? 

Any requests leave in the comments :)

How To Clean Makeup Brushes

How I clean my makeup brushes

Hey guys!

Today's post will be about how I clean my makeup brushes.

I'll go step by step and include pictures also. 

This is just how I personally clean them, there is no wrong or right way but I find this technique works for me :)

Here is a picture of my makeup brushes before being cleaned. As you can see, they are quite dirty and in need for a good clean.

And another of a single brush up close to show you what it looks like before cleaning.

 

 First of all, you will need:

• Makeup brushes to clean (obviously)
• Shampoo- any shampoo will work 
• Water
• Towel

I set up in my bathroom, with my hand towel laying on the bench and my shampoo nearby.

 I started running the water so it could warm up- I usually use warm water however it doesn't matter whether it's cold or warm.

 You only need a small amount of shampoo to clean each brush. Just pour some into the palm of your hand (ensuring your hand is also clean) and run a brush under the water. 

All you need to do now is to rub the brush gently in a circular motion on your palm with the shampoo and viola! 

You will see all the makeup come off of the brush as you do this.

Next just rinse the shampoo off and shake the excess water into the sink off of the brush, then place them on your towel so it soaks up the rest of the water while drying.

Unfortunately I don't have pictures of all the brushes as I used some before I had the chance to take photos. 

So here are a couple of brushes after being cleaned and dried.

 

Note: Make sure you have enough time to dry your brushes before your next use as they can take up to 24 hours to dry. 

After being washed and dried, the brushes will look a little out of shape. But don't worry, because all you need to do is swirl them around in your hand and they go back into shape! If they have white bristles like mine, they should go in dirty and come back out white like new again!

I don't wash my brushes with shampoo and water everyday, or too often at all. I only do it when they rally need a good wash. In between these washes, I use a makeup brush cleaner by 'Artiste'. All you do is spray it onto a tissue or some sort of paper towel, and again swirl your brushes onto this. This should take off the excess makeup from your brushes and disinfect them. 

ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT AND OWNED BY ME

Trash To Treasure

My Makeup Vanity/Workplace

Recycling Old To New & Making It Your Own

Have you always wanted beautiful furniture or bits and pieces to add to your room/house to make it your own? Well I'm going to tell you about how I picked up some bargains which look like they may have cost an arm and a leg, but really didn't!

Below is a picture of my desk/makeup vanity/workspace- whatever you would like to call it! I have wanted a desk this size with draws for my makeup and a mirror for a really long time and finally created my perfect piece.

Photo is COPYRIGHT-owned by me

So first of all, the white desk is second hand. It was $20 AUD from a lady who recycles old pieces into new, vintage looking pieces. However the desk she was selling was definitely come across at the right time for me, as she didn't have time to do this desk up and I thought, for $20 why not? Unfortunately, I don't have a before photo because I somehow accidentally deleted it :(. But it was a green coloured, chipped, dusty old second hand desk. Basically I sanded it and painted it white, replaced the old, gold door handles, with newer more fitted ones. It has 8 drawers, 4 on each side, and one long drawer in the middle. It cost a little more for the paint and door handles, however was still cheaper than buying one outright exactly like this!

Secondly, the chair- this is also second hand! I picked this up at a second hand store in my local town for only $5 AUD. Definitely an awesome price! Again, the chair was sanded and painted from brown to a nice blue colour to suit, and brighten up my desk. 

The accessories on the desk are also not too pricey. The mirror, is from my local Kmart store and was $19 AUD (and as far as I know, is still available to purchase, www.kmart.com.au/). Other accessories were gifts, but overall it was definitely a cheap-ER way to create a beautiful vanity/desk in my room with a little splash of colour and gorgeous accessories on top. Not to mention all of the storage space with the 9 drawers!

Have you recycled any materials or furniture? Did it turn out as you expected? And was it worth it, cheaper than brand new? I'd really love to hear what kind of DIY tasks you have attempted and/or completed, so feel free to share in the comments below! Also if you have any questions, don't be shy to ask :)

Naked Palette 'Dupe'

Chi Chi 'Nudes' Palette

So I'm sure many of you have heard of the Naked palette by Urban Decay, right? Then you also might notice the price of the Naked palettes. Sometimes we just don't have that kind of money to pull out of our pockets and purchase these kind of pricey items. 

So in this post I'm going to enlighten you on a dupe Naked palette that costs less than half the price! 

It is called the 'Nudes' palette by Chi Chi. 

Now Chi Chi is a cosmetic brand (obviously), which isn't too expensive and you can pick up good deals when there are sales. 

IMO, this palette is awesome! 

It has a tonne of different nude shades light to dark and are highly pigmented. The packaging is great and it definitely lasts a long time. 

The best thing about this Chi Chi palette... is there are more! 

Not only do they sell 'Nudes', but they have 'Bases', 'Smokey', 'Metallic' and more! All up, there are twelve different palettes to choose from. 

The different shades of eyeshadow in all of these palettes are gorgeous and well pigmented. 

The cost of the palettes are $22.95 AUD at your local Target store and on the online Chi Chi website (linked below). 

However, if you keep an eye out when you receive a Target catalogue or you can check online, they occasionally have cosmetic sales which can discount you a few dollars allowing you to purchase this beauty at around $15-$16 AUD!

Where to purchase:

www.target.com.au

http://www.chichicosmetics.com/

This is not a sponsored post- all items purchased with own money.

Hair & Makeup

 My lovely sister-in-law is an apprentice hairdresser and has qualifications in makeup courses. 

These are photos of her work on myself, on two different occasions. She has amazing talent and can make any kind of hairstyle or makeup look great.

All photos are copyright, they are owned by me and taken on an iPhone. 

This first photo is a curled and teased hairstyle. The eyeshadow is semi-ombre with the colours pink, blue and purple. Accessories including necklace and earrings are added.

The other photo I'm sharing with you is another occasion where she gave me a messy fishtail braid on the side, after curling my hair. 

Wanderlust

Around The World

Wanderlust: The desire to travel the world.

Have you always wondered what it would be like experiencing different parts of the world?

What it would be like? Who would you meet? What would you see?

I can definitely relate to the word 'wanderlust' as it is my dream to travel more. 

Have you travelled to many places before, whether it be in your own country or overseas? If so, leave a comment telling me where, and if you have a favourite place and why. 

If you have the desire to travel, where would you go?

Here are some snaps of my travels 

COPYRIGHT
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Australis Cosmetics

Australis Cosmetics Haul & Review

Hi all :)

I purchased some Australis Cosmetics which I'd like to share with you so here they are! 

First of all, the picture above is a picture of all the items I purchased from their online store.

1. Valourlips
2. AC CC Nude
3. Go Camo Concealer
4. Highlights in Pearl
5. Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder
6. Lip Treatment Trio
7. Eyeshadow Cream Duo

Many people have been raving about the Valourlips from Australis so I decided to try one. I got the colour 'Par-ee' which is just a nude colour. My first thought on this was about how long it lasts! It seems to set on your lips and stays there until you wipe it off. They have a few different colours including a bright red which would be a great alternative of a normal lipstick. The only con with this product for me is that it makes my lips SUPER dry and peel. I've heard people advise to apply a chapstick before application of Valourlips however I'm yet to try. Other than that con I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for a long lasting, pigmented lipgloss that dries matte.

Find this product here:

http://www.australiscosmetics.com.au/product/74201/velourlips-matte-cream

Secondly, the AC CC colour corrector is similar to a BB cream, however is (obviously) supposed to 'colour correct' your skin needs. I have only used this once and it is a light-medium coverage but you could build it up. I'm not a massive fan of this however it's a good on-the-go CC cream and not too pricey. Another con about this product is it only comes in 3 different shades: Nude, Natural & Dark. I purchased the nude one however in winter (it's winter in Australia at the moment) it doesn't suit my skin a great deal as I'm not tanned enough. It isn't a huge different as you can blend it in and pressed light powder over the top.

Find this product here:

http://www.australiscosmetics.com.au/product/41204/cc-foundation

I've been searching for a good coverage concealer for a while now, and I purchased the Go Camo Concealer from Australis to try it out. This concealer comes in the shades Light, Medium & Dark. I chose the light shade but again it's still not overly light, so if you have paler skin I'd suggest you try a tester in store before you purchase. This concealer is relatively good, however isn't full coverage-I'd say probably medium. This isn't too pricey either which is good when starting out with makeup or you can't afford to spend a fortune on a small amount of concealer.

Find this product here:

http://www.australiscosmetics.com.au/product/44009/go-camo-concealer

Another product I had been looking for is a highlighter. A friend of mine used this highlighter and I tried it out. It works quite well, and subtlety so doesn't look like you've caked on a bunch of sparkly, shiny stuff. I purchased the colour 'pearl'. There is the option of gold or pearl. I like it because a little goes a long way thus it should last a while and on the higher end cost when looking at Australis cosmetics (so around $15). But as I said, a little goes a long way so it's worth the buy.

Find this product here:

http://www.australiscosmetics.com.au/product/44007/mineral-high-lights

Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Face Powder is another talked up Australis product. So of course, I purchased it. It's even cheaper than the highlighter! It states on the packaging that it is oil and fragrance free, therefore if you have oily and/or sensitive skin this will suit you! I love how they cater for not only one skin type with this powder, and it is also a light coverage foundation so puts a little colour into you. The only con about this product would have to be again, the limited shades. It only comes in natural, deep natural, and dark brown. So if you're really pale skinned, it may not be suitable for you. In saying that, the finish of the powder is awesome. It's a great drugstore makeup product which probably mimics a lot of higher end pressed powders, but of course for less than half their price. It also comes with a sponge applicator and mirror in a compartment underneath the powder, which is super handy if you want to take it with you in your hand bag for touch ups!

Find this product here:

http://www.australiscosmetics.com.au/product/46010/f~f-pressed-powder

The last item I purchased was the eyeshadow cream duo in Caramel Crush. One end is a plum shade and the other is a gold shade. It also comes in 'Boy & Berries' and 'Mint Choc Chicks'. I really like this eyeshadow. Many people think that it wouldn't be as good as a powdered shadow, however this cream shadow is awesome. It's highly pigmented and it doesn't dry as soon as it touches your skin, so you can spread it out with your fingers or an eye brush. It also allows you to put other eye shadows including powdered ones on top of this one, once it's dry therefore you don't just have to stick with the colour that you applied!

Find this item here:

http://www.australiscosmetics.com.au/product/82117/eyeshadow-cream-duo

Last of all, I mentioned I got a Lip Trio. At the time of my purchase, there was an awesome bonus with every purchase while stock lasted. This bonus was the Lip Trio and a Powder Brush which is not shown in the photo. The Lip Trio is great when you apply it with a lip brush as you can get more product on. It has an exfoliater section, a moisterising section, and a gloss section. I really enjoy using this product as it is a 3-in-1 and when you put them on your lips it feels great. Definitely an awesome bonus. I don't have a review on the brush because I haven't used it, I use other makeup brushes (which I might do a review on in the future if you like!).

At the moment the Australis website has a bonus where you can get a free Lip Treatment Trio (value of $9.95) with EVERY online purchase! 

Also, if you are a student you can sign up and link your student account/ID with Australis to get 25% off your online order!

It is free postage over $50-which you can get a lot of makeup/tools out of! I'd definitely recommend the Australis products as I find them great and also greatly priced for their quality.

Australis Website: http://www.australiscosmetics.com.au/

You can also purchase Australis cosmetics in store including Kmart and Priceline Australia. 

This is not a sponsored review- all products purchased with own money (minus the bonus items which were sent with my order).


Tags: Australian blogger, beauty blog, beauty blogger, Australis cosmetics, makeup haul, makeup review, makeup products, beauty products

One brand, one word

One brand, one word: Rimmel

Recently my local Target store had 30% off certain cosmetics, including Rimmel. I really wanted to try out the Wake me up concealer as I have the foundation and I really like it. I also picked up a Kate Moss lipstick whilst there as I have never used or owned one before.

I picked up the colour '106' in the Kate Moss 'Matte' lipstick range. I love how they have matte lipsticks as a lot of lipsticks are shimmery or glossy, and I really like the finish of matte lipsticks especially in the colour red. This colour is a beautiful bright pink (sorry I don't have a swatch photo, let me know in comments if you want one) and applies smoothly. 

The concealer is also great. I got the shade 'Classic Beige' (I think there are 3 shades to choose from). This colour is also bright on my skin which gives you the highlighted 'Wake Me Up' effect of the product.

I'd definitely recommend Rimmel products!

You can purchase Rimmel Products at stores such as Target, Priceline, Big W, Kmart, Chemist Warehouse, or obviously the Rimmel website.  A couple of these sites sell online and in store.

This is not sponsored- all products purchased with own money

Bellabox- affordable beauty products delivered to you

Bellabox

Want to try out beauty products but don't want to or can't afford each single item alone?

 I stumbled across this Australian site called 'Bellabox'. I'd heard many people talking about it online and noticed many advertisements on sites such as Facebook. I checked out the reviews, which were very mixed. So then I read up on the terms & conditions (yes, I actually read them!). 

Basically, it's $15 per month and you get around 5-6 sample products (sometimes even full sized products) to try out. There is no contract, you can pay for a month and if you don't like it, you can cancel. Otherwise if you don't cancel, a monthly payment fee comes out each month and your Bellabox is sent! 

So far, I've paid and received 3 months of Bellabox - so 3 boxes of items. And so far I've loved them all! The July one was my least favourite, only because it had mainly nail items in their, eg. nail polish and I'm not a big fan of doing my nails as I usually bite them (I know, bad habit). 

One of the boxes I received a full sized Garnier BB cream! The BB cream itself is $14.95 AUD, and also in the same box a bonus magazine at the price of $9.95 AUD. I think it's awesomely priced as the box itself is $15 per month and 2 items in the box cost more than this! (Plus the other 3-4 items!)

I'd highly recommend this if you're into beauty products, and sampling them before purchasing especially if you're on a budget. 

It's also a surprise, sometimes Bellabox give you hints of what you might receive, sometimes you get a theme of what the box might be, so it's all a surprise! I love receiving my box and opening it with excitement not knowing what I'll get, but knowing it's worth it.

But even better guys, for your first Bellabox purchase, you get $5 off! So you get your very first box for only $10 with awesome beauty products inside. 

You also get tracking and shipping information so you know when your box will arrive.

Sign up here!

http://bellabox.com.au/beautysurprise50_10

This is not sponsored. 

Giving you hints & tips on affordable products and sampling before you buy.

I pay for my Bellabox each month with my own money.

Images from www.Bellabox.com.au

A spot in my heart for these beauties

Meet My Beauties 

My Dogs

Sooo... I seem to have tonnes of photos of my dogs, is that enough to prove that they are a huge part of my life?? Haha. But seriously, I absolutely love my boys, they are like family to me. They are both gorgeous in their own ways and their personalities alter. I thought I'd share with you guys a chunk of my life :) 

Do any of you have pets that you love like family? If so, comment below and tell me about them :) I'd love to hear about the pets you have, and their names! 

First of all, here's Scruff :) Scruff is an Australian Terrier Cross. He is a small dog, and is super smart. He knows 'tricks' including shaking hands, high 5, sit, lay down, roll and so many more! Scruff is 13 years old and we have had him since he was a pup, so he's been a major part of our lives. He's been through a lot lately, including difficulties with his heart murmur, cancers cut off, and another big dog attacking him. Worst of all, he absolutely hates the vets! So bad luck for him, he's been there quite a few times this year. He's the most gorgeous dog and we love him to bits. He definitely looks like a Scruff hence the name, and he hates water, so when it's bath time you have to grab him when he leasts expects it-and whatever you do, do not say the word 'bath', because he sure knows what that means after 13 years! Scruff is from the RSPCA in my local town and definitely saved us rather than him, because we love him to bits.

Then we have Harry. Yes Harry and Scruff. We did not name Harry ourselves, he was named previously as he is a SARG dog (Sunraysia Animal Rehousing Group). SARG fosters animals before they are adopted. Poor Harry, only about 3 years old now, has been to approximately 6 different homes before us. He was a MAJOR chewer! He chewed up so, so many things in the house including the couch AND the carpet, along with so many other things (oh and two dog beds! Guess he didn't want to sleep in a dog bed). This was the main reason he was given back to SARG so many times. But we were extremely patient with Harry. Eventually we discovered he had anxiety problems, as he mainly chewed when left alone. After a while, he settled into our home, which is now his home, and he stopped his chewing problem. Harry has the funniest personality and he's super flexible! He lays in some strange positions and obviously finds them comfy, while we find them hilarious! He has a lot more energy than Scruff as he is younger, and Scruff was a little funny when we got Harry has he had been the only dog for many years. However, now they are best buds! Harry is quite a smart dog too, but seems to be a little arrogant or lazy as he seems to only do tricks when he's getting treats for it! Cheeky thing.  

Here is Harry with his bear, which is now ripped to shreds!

And here is little Scruff, he's a bit of a poser when I get the camera out :)

Here are both the boys exploring down at the river

Drug Store Makeup Haul

Drug Store Makeup

Hi all :)

So recently I was at my local Chemist Warehouse browsing the makeup section (of course :P) and came across this blush:

The brand of this blush is 'Smooch' and is a UK brand according the the packaging. I picked this up for only $3!! That's right, three dollars AUD. I thought to myself 'it's probably not great, but I want to test out the different colours on my skin'. The problem was, I picked up the wrong colour! The colour I wanted was a bright, light, shimmery pink however the one I purchased is, as you can see more of a browner shade of blush. This one is called 'Kookie Krumble'. Turns out it wasn't such a big problem, because as soon as I applied it to my cheeks I LOVED it! It's strange when the cheapest cosmetics could turn out pretty awesome, hey? Anyway, it is shimmery and could probably be used as a bronzer if you wanted to. It has super cute packaging including a mirror on the inside for on-the-go or touch ups during the day while you aren't in close range of a mirror. I thought this was a steal, and am contemplating going back to grab more colours since they were so cheap!

Chemist Warehouse website: http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au

Chemist Warehouse stores are usually local to most Australian towns.

This is not sponsored-products purchased with own money