ECO TOOLS - Y U NO LIKE ME?

Dear John Eco Tools,

It seems abundantly clear that you hate my guts. I’ve heard such wonderful things about your brushes but I’ve now tried two of them and they’ve both sucked arse. I’ve attached a pic for your perusal:

Let’s get into things with my first purchase - the bronzer brush. You bastards made this thing look so damn alluring in the packaging. So lush and so lovely. Deceit! Lies! Betrayal! Okay - it is really soft but it’s also far too dense. I don’t understand how anyone could use this for bronzer. Or anything else, for that matter. Me no get it. Plus, $17.95? Really?

Now to the foundation brush. I bought this last week and was positively buzzing with anticipation on the car ride home. You see, even though you fucked me over with that whole bronzer brush debacle, I still gave you a chance. I’m nice like that.

Anyway, when I finally got back to my humble abode, I ripped off the packaging and went from mega-excited to mega-traumatised/angry/irritated. Firstly, the whole thing felt really light, flimsy and just plain cheap. Not good, E.T. Not good at all. And the bristles… oh GOD, the bristles. They felt shit. Really shit. Almost like plastic. No, definitely like plastic. They make a sound when I run them over my hand. A sound! A plasticy sound. What the bloody hell?

Overwhelming disappointment aside, I still gave it a whirl. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be but it was still pretty mediocre. At best. You stuffed me around, yet again.

So, what? Did I trample on an endangered plant species and piss you off? Have I not made a big enough donation to Save the Whales? WHAAAT DID I DOOOO?!

P.S. You suck.

Yours sincerely,

Cray Cray McGee

  

Lil Haulio

Suuup.

Just a few bits and bobs I picked up recently...

Super BB Cream by Skin 79. My GOD, how I've been itching to try a bloody BB cream. Did I buy into the hype? You betcha. I bagged this sample from the chick at my local Asian beauty store (she's sweet as damn pie) when I asked about the best coverage BB cream. Boyyy, was I excited about trying it and boyyy was I dissapointed when I used it.

Look, the stuff feels and smells lovely and while it did give me a nice, dewy glow, it also gave me about 0.02% coverage. Not what I'm after, hey. If this BB cream is the one with the most coverage, I can't imagine what the others are like. I suspect these are for those girls with near-flawless skin who just want to even things up a little. Lucky biatches.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect Blush in Shoot to Thrill. I’m not super-keen on sporting pink blush (I’m more of a peach girl) but I couldn’t pass up the pretty. Fingers crossed it suits my mug.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Pink Blush. More pink. A gorgeous, babydoll pink to be exact. This was both very pretty and very cheap (on sale for about $7 at good ol' Priceline) so naturally, I had to have it.

Eco Tools Foundation Brush. All I’ll say is… :S I shall expand on this in a future post. *sigh*

 

My Beauty Diary Masks in Aloe and Natto. I’ve seen these masks crop up in dozens of blogs so I thought I’d finally give them a try. I was recommended the Aloe and blindly picked out the Natto (wtf is Natto!?) one on my own. God knows what the hell it does. Hope they're good!

Fin.

PRODUCT REVIEW - St Ives Olive Cleanser

I must admit that I don’t exactly find myself brimming with excitement when it comes to this brand. It just seems a bit…blah. That being said, I ended buying one of their cleansers a little while ago and I’ve gotta say, I’m bloody impressed. Let’s get into it, shall we?

How much is it? $10

How much product do you get? 200ml

The good?

The packaging. I love anything with a pump so this is a win. Plus, I think it looks nice. Double win.

The consistency. This is a gel cleanser that forms a really nice lather when massaged into my face.

The smell. I don’t love it but I find that it’s refreshing in the morn’. It smells… fresh. Seriously, guys – I’ve smelt the thing about ten times and I still have no idea how to describe it. What I can say is that it definitely doesn’t smell like olives. Maybe a little plant-like? I suck.

The way it makes my skin feel. This stuff leaves my skin feeling super-clean, fresh and invigorated. Perfect.

The price. Tis cheap.

The not-so-good?

It’s not eye-friendly. Meaning: it stings like a bitch when it gets in them. No real biggie, though. Not many cleansers are chummy with le peepers.

And some pics for you:

 

 ...

All up? I really like this cleanser! It’s not a miracle/HG prod but it’s damn good. I’ll most likely re-purchase it in the future.

P.S. I just took a gander at the MUA listing for this stuff and heaps of peeps are hating on it. Eek. Common dislikes include the icky smell and the ‘residue’ it leaves. I literally just used this stuff and I swear it doesn’t leave a residue. *head scratch*

Any St Ives fans out there?

Curing My Acne Part One

You probably already know that I have shitty skin. If you haven’t read this post, you won’t know that my acne is caused by stuffed up hormone levels and a high level of insulin caused by PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I think I may write a post on this in the future but in the meantime, you can find a great one written by the awesome Michelle here.

While I’d do nearly anything to help clear my skin, I’m still terribly worried about getting on the Pill (despite being told that it's my best bet). While my gynaecologist (tmi? haha) continues to sing the praises of Diane, she's also informed me that getting healthy/losing arse will also make a massive difference on it’s own. I can't think of a better way to get the ball rolling! Now, I've tried losing weight many, many times in the past couple of years but I figure that if I go public with it (via my blog), it'll keep me motivated and on-track so I won't fail. Hopefully, anyway. Must dedicate myself!

Being the first post in documenting the benefits of healthy eating when it comes to helping out my skin, I figure I should put up some pics of it in its current state. Here I am, sans make-up, in all my spotty glory:

Not pretty, huh?

I'll also be following the advice, eating plans and exercise tidbits from these books (I've learnt that low GI eating is probably the best way to go):

I think I’ll stick to monthly posts and updates. Fingers crossed this works. Wish me luck!

P.S. Please let me know if you have any tips or book recs! :)

5 Things I Enjoy Doing On Rainy Days

Where is this?! I'm in love.

I fucking love Sydney's weather right now. Gloomy, drizzly days and nights filled with thunder and lightening. Best. Ever.

As I sit here on Friday night (I turn into a hermit in the Wintertime), I couldn’t be more excited by the prospect of spending a rainy weekend at home, reading books and drinking hot, caffeinated beverages.

Anyways, enough rambling. Here’s 5 things I like to do on a rainy day/night/weekend:

Read: I’m talking books. There is absolutely nothing (NOTHING!) better than being snuggled in bed with a good book while the rain beats against your window. Just thinking about it makes me oddly happy.

Re-organise stuff: I’m obsessed with de-cluttering and re-organising. It's my thing. I’m thinking I may tackle the top drawer of my dressing table aka my crap bucket this weekend. Exciting!

Write: Combining two of my greatest loves = perfection.

Pamper myself: I enjoy pampering myself at home so much more when it’s raining outside. I don’t know why but I do. Yay for DIY facials and shoddy-looking manis!

Have a solo* movie-marathon: Does this really need explaining? Grab a snack, plant your arse on the couch and veg out for hours on end.

* This dude is allowed to join me.

What do you like doing when it’s pouring outside?

Cheap Thrills + An Exxy Treat

So, I guess this is kinda like a haul post/cheap things that are good. Plus, an exxy thing. A bit of mishmash post, I suppose. I'm a mishmash kinda girl. Here we go!

Glade candles

I’m aware that these aren’t glamourous (at all) but I kinda don’t give a shit. I’ve bought the Apple Cinnamon one before (love!) but French Vanilla is the new buy (which is totes weird as I’m a vanilla fiend). Vanilla doesn’t seem like it’ll have as much punch as the A.C. but we’ll see. They’re currently on sale at Woolies (so luuuxe, dahling) for $5.

Sally Hansen 18 hour Lip Treatments

I scored these from Kmart for 25c each. 25c! I couldn’t believe it. They feel really nice on the lips – almost creamy – and are on the sheer side. Plus, they have a short doe-foot applicator which I like (a lot easier to work with) and the packaging looks space-like. Very cool. These are a win, imo. Gotta love random clearance bargains!

I <3 SPICE

Got this from Target for $5. It has heaps of recipes for yummy, spicy stuff. That’s all there is to say, really.

Models Prefer Nail Polish in Café Latte and Eyeshadow Quad in Smoking Hot

Been wanting to try this brand for quite some time now. The nail polish was around $4 (on sale) and is decent. Quick-drying, nice formula and a short, fat brush. The quad is something I’ve been eyeing for a while (clearly I’m off my shadow ban). Pretty good pigmentation for the price and the colours themselves are divine. I want more. MORE! I also picked up their crease brush (forgot to include it in the pic) and it works really, really well. Impressive stuff. The quad was around $7 and the brush, $11. Everything on sale, yo!  

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover

I was recommended Double Wear by a couple of you when I asked for foundation recs. I’m aware this isn’t the one I was recommended but I thought this would be a better fit for my sensationally spotty skin. I’m yet to try it but I have high hopes. Fingers crossed. P.S. This baby was $68.

Thoughts? Comments? Abuse?

Hair Shiz I've Been Using

First up, I wanna apologise for being a shithouse blogger. I’ve been absolutely swamped with work and despite what my resume says, my time management skills suck. Forgiveness plz. Anyways – back to the post.

Here’s what I’ve been using on my hair recently:

Schwarzkopf Push-Up Volume Shampoo

After the disappointment of Ultimate Repair, I must admit that I didn’t really expect much from this stuff. HOW WRONG I WAS. I freakin’ love this shampoo! It smells like juicy apples and pears, makes my hair mega-soft and shiny and gives me a bit of oomph. Well – I think it gives me oomph. Might just be a psychological thing. Who the hell knows. Regardless, I love this and once I finish the masses of shampoo in my bathroom cabinet, I’ll be purchasing it fo’ sure.  

Schwarzkopf Deep Nutrition Intensive Care Mask

Me likey. I don’t use this often (because I’m a lazy bitch that can’t be arsed) but when I do, it gives my hair epic silkiness. Plus, it smells good. Not a miracle product by any means but decent enough.

Schwarzkopf Taft Full On Styling Powder

I was with my Mum when I bought this stuff. I pretty much squealed when I saw it (I’ve really, really been wanting to try a hair powder) and then ran over to show her my awesome find. The uttered something about there only being a pic of a dude on the box and I shushed her with ramblings about her not being ‘cool enough’ to understand ‘cool stuff’. I tried this once (on freshly washed hair before stepping out for the day) and it resulted in a near heart attack. It turned my hair from soft and shiny to staticy, flat, greasy-looking and just plain weird. It was the oddest thing ever. Luckily, I managed to get it back to semi-decency with a lot of brushing, dry shampoo and screaming. I’m going to give this a few more chances and use it in other ways before I do a full review. Stay tuned.

Activance Hair Stimulant

I’m pretty sure you’ve read about this stuff on every single Aussie beauty blog in existence (I reviewed it here). I like this stuff. A lot. It makes a visible difference to my hair, stops it from falling out and smells like sexy boys. The end.

Samy FAT HAIR Thickening Spray

When I proudly showed this stuff off in a haul, I was swiftly deflated by a few of you who informed me that it (and other stuff from the brand) sucked. Major sadfase ensued. Anyways, I soldiered on and have now been using it for a couple of weeks. It seems to work pretty well! It gives my hair a bit of lift and some roughness at the roots. By ‘roughness’ I mean that effortlessly sexy just-rolled-out-of-bed look. As you all know, that's totes me.* The only thing I find annoying is the fact that I can’t spray it on and go as I have to wait for it to dry. Still – no biggie. Review soon.

* Not.
 

That’s all, folks!

What hair stuff are you using at the moment? Any new discoveries?

NOTD feat. Eyeko

I was sent a few little bits and bobs from Eyeko recently and when I spotted this polish, I whipped off my dark blue nails and slapped it on in a flash. Here are a couple of pics of the aptly named 'Nude Polish' by Eyeko:

The polish formula is nice and smooth and dries pretty quick. As you'll see in the pics, the polish is a little on the sheer side with a two-coat application. Also, I apologise in advance for the horrific state that my nails and hands are in. Tut tut.

w/ flash

Natural light

A perfect, peachy pink nude. Lovely!

Any Eyeko fans out there?

Bedside Table Reads

Here's what's sitting on my bedside table...

No clue why Zoe's book are foggy. A book ghost, perhaps?

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff by Richard Carlson

FUN FACT – I was once a tad obsessed with self-help books. I used to (secretly) trawl the self-help section at Borders and pick up self-help titles all the freakin’ time. Yep – massive loser.

Anyway, I’ve now given away 99% of the books from back then but have kept a few gems including this one. This book gives good, solid advice/reminders when it comes to not giving a fuck about random B.S. One of my fave pieces of advice is #16: ‘Ask yourself a question – will this matter a year from now?’. It sounds corny as hell but I find that if I constantly keep this in mind, it works as a good reminder to not give a shit about crap that I shouldn’t be giving a shit about. 9 times out of 10, I realise that the stuff I’m stressing about won’t even matter in a week, let alone a year. While I don’t read this obsessively every night (that would just be plain weird), I like to pick it up every now and again.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

This is not my kinda book at all (I believe it’s about supernatural shit). I received this book ages ago (for free!) when I signed up to some publishing company’s email newsletter. Anyway, I thought I’d at least attempt to read it and if I don’t enjoy it, I’ll give it away to some Twilight lover/loser. No offence to any Twilight fans but you guys are pretty lame.

Maximum Security by Karen Farrington

ANOTHER FUN FACT – I’m obsessed with prison (culture, gangs, violence, drugs, loyalty etc.). Since I watch prison docos on Nat Geo and Discovery like nobody’s business, when I spotted this, I had to have it. So far, so awesome. Plus, it was like $6. Win!

Amazing Face by Zoë Foster

I could write a whole post on Zoë and how much I fucking adore her. The way she writes is so effortlessly awesome and I’m pretty sure she could make any topic entertaining and hilarious.

Now, while I love looking at makeup books, I don’t tend to pick them up because I find them a little pointless. However, being the massive Zoë fan that I am, I had to pick this one up. I’ve nearly devoured it all and I’m loving it. She gives great advice and tips with Foster-style humour and fun. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Will review soon.

Playing the Field by Zoë Foster & Air Kisses by Zoë Foster

I’ve read each of these approximately 500 times and if you’re interested, I’ve written short reviews here. I believe Tara has just finished Air Kisses and she’s the reason I’ve pulled these babies down from my bookshelf - she reminded me how much I love them. Will be re-reading these as soon as I’m done with everything else.     

What’s on your bedside table/reading list? Any recommendations for me?

Love At First Sniff

Y’all know how much I love my Nivea Essential Care, right? Well, these new Bloom/Boost balms are shaping up to be my new faves. For realz.

When I received the press release for these, I kinda wet my pants. Nothing full on - just a trickle. I love Boost and I’m pretty much obsessed with lip balm so to me, this was a match made in heaven. Plus, Bloom is an Aussie icon. Hello!

I was lucky enough to receive two scents: Watermelon Crush and the new love of my life, Tropical Storm. I challenge anyone to sniff Tropical Storm and not drool/have a scent-induced orgasm. It smells soooo daaaamn gooood. I honestly can’t stop sniffing it and slathering it onto my lips. It's love, I tells ya.

Sweet, fruityness aside, these balms are awesome when it comes to making your pucker soft and lush. They’ve got Vitamin E, Beeswax and Jojoba Oil so they’re buttery smooth but don’t leave a waxy residue. Truth be told, I don’t really mind a waxy residue (hence my love for Nivea Essential Care) but for those of you who abhor it, this stuff will make you totes happy. Oh and if Tropical Strom and Watermelon Crush don’t float your boat (you're totes cray cray), there are a bunch of other flavours in the range including Strawberry Squeeze, Berry Bang, Mango Tango and Banana Buzz. I can assure you that every single one smells phenom (I've sniffed them all) and I’ll be grabbing Banana Buzz and Mango Tango very, very shortly.

I’ve posted some pics below. You’ll notice that instead of the normal cylindrical shape that balms tend to come in, these are like squashed cylinders/ovals. While adorable and very stand-outy from the hoards of other balms, I find this shape is awesome as it fits perfectly along the line/shape of my lips. Take a look:

BTW, they’re $6.95 (bargain alert!) but if you head to the Bloom website here and sign up, you can download a coupon and get two for $10 at David Jones and selected Myer stores til the end of July. Perfect.

Unfortunately, it’s just Aussies who can order online and buy in-store. Sorry to my international girls!

Aussie girls – get on it. These are cheap and very awesome – quite the rarity.

PRODUCT REVIEW - Rio Rosa Mosqueta

A couple of months ago, the peeps behind Rio Rosa Mosqueta (rosehip oil) tweeted their followers and asked if anyone wanted to try their product. Being the avid rosehip oil fan, I jumped at the offer. Imagine my surprise when a full-sized bottle turned up on my doorstep! Imagine my double-surprise when I realised how freakin’ amazing the stuff is.

 How much is it? £10.49 or $15.60 (Aussie)

How much product do you get? 20ml

There is a larger size available.

The good?

The texture. It’s a little lighter and thinner than other rosehip oils I’ve tried and I like it. It’s easier to smooth around my face and massage in.

It’s super-hydrating. This stuff hydrates my skin better than any other rosehip oil I’ve tried - fo’ real. When I first tried it and noticed that it was thinner/lighter, I thought it’d fail at giving me a solid moisture-boost. However, low and behold - it rocked my socks. This stuff definitely blows the other brands out of the water in terms of hydrating power.

It sinks in/dries super-fast. This stuff sunk into my skin faster than every other brand I’ve tried – even on those occasions when I was a tad heavy-handed. Plus, no residue. It sinks in, dries and it’s gone. SO MUCH WIN.

It’s 100% natural. Now, most rosehip oils are organic/natural so this isn’t really new but I still consider it a plus. This stuff is free of perfume, parabens, paraffin and chemicals.

The packaging. It’s larger than all the other brands I’ve tried and I like it. It’s sturdy and just a tad cute.

It’s starting to fade the bad stuff. I’ve been using this for about a month now and I've already noticed slight differences with regards to my acne scarring. Good times.

The not-so-good?

Availability and shipping. Now, for those of you in the U.K., shipping is cheap as chips but for those of us in Oz, the States and elsewhere, shipping is a flat £12.77. For Aussies, that’s around $19 and for those in the U.S.A., $20. The shipping costs more than the actual oil itself (the 20ml version)! That sucks big time. 

This isn’t a bad point but I found it a little odd that ‘rosehip oil’ was not mentioned once on the box or on the bottle itself. It’s only referred to as ‘the pure oil of Rosa Mosqueta’. Of course, Rosa Mosqueta Oil is Rosehip Oil but I think it’d be worth slapping on the box anyway.

…

All up, I absolutely adore this stuff but the ridonk shipping is a major put-off and will most likely prevent me from buying a bottle. However, if I find that I'm really missing it once it runs out, I may fork out the moolah for it. We'll see...

For those of you in the U.K., I urge you to give this stuff a shot because you definitely won’t be disappointed. Plus, it’s pretty well-priced for you guys (lucky ducks). For non-Brits, it’s your choice if you’re willing to fork out nearly $20 shipping (for Australia and U.S.A.) for a $16 (approx.) product.

For more info on Rio Rosa Mosqueta, click here. If you’re up for buying, click here.

FYI: While they’re not currently sending out samples, they will in the future so @RioRosaMosqueta is defo worth a follow.

P.S. I was not paid for this post – samples are available to anyone (providing they have stock).

Empties - Round Two!

Yep, more empties. I think I was overly keen to upload my first empties post that I didn’t realise I had a whole bunch of other shit that was near finishing. Nevermind! Here’s what we're dealing with:

Clearasil Ultra Pimples + Marks Lotion

Clearasil has never really piqued my interest but when I spotted this stuff, I thought I’d give it a shot. This lotion was good - it completely sunk into my skin, felt light, smelt yum and didn’t leave a residue. As far as treating zits and marks, it was just OK. I'm pretty sure I'm going to re-purchase this in the future but just not right now (I've got a stack of other acne stuff to get through).

Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair Shampoo 

I was sooo excited when I spotted this range at the Schwarzkopf re-launch a little while ago. While my hair isn’t too damaged, the idea of 3x Liquid Keratin sounded awesome. This stuff smelt like Jaffas (YUM!) but as far as giving me perfect hair... nah. Don’t get me wrong – it left my hair soft and shiny but the results weren’t as spectacular as I thought they were gonna be. I wont be purchasing this.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Fresh 

I reviewed this stuff here. This prod is win and I will always have it in my artillery.

LUX Shea Exfoliating Scrub 

I just talked about this product in this post. This scrub/body wash is an effin winner and I'll no doubt buy it again.

Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation 

I bought this last Summer when the thought of slapping on my MAC Studio Fix Fluid made me want to curl up in a sobbing ball of anxiety. This stuff is OK – pretty decent coverage (I’d say medium) and a very light feel. I’ll probably re-purchase for the days where I CBF with liquid foundation and my skin doesn’t look too shit.

Sugarbaby Island Flower De Luxe Roll-On Fragrance

I bought this in bulk when I discovered it and wore it all throughout Summer. I love the fact that I can easily cart it around and roll-on a sweet, coconuty smell when I feel like re-living the days where I could leave the house without looking like the Michelin Man. I will definitely re-purchase.

Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Make-Up Remover 

I've mentioned my love for this stuff in quite a few posts. My replacement is already in use.

Max Factor Xperience Foundation 

I bought this aaaaaaaaaaaages ago but only just finished it. I don’t really like it – the coverage is medium (at best) and it’s just… blah. Won’t be re-purchasing this one.

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

I’ve been buying these for years and I love them. I cannot tell you how much satisfaction I get when I rip this sucker off my schnoz and study the little balls of evil it just ripped out. Pore strips fo’ life.

Haus of Gloi sample vials in Imp and Who Needs Love?

A MASSIVE thanks to Suzanne who sent these to me. HOLY EFFIN SHIT DO THESE SMELL GOOD! Both were amazing but Who Needs Love? had the best staying power EVER. As soon as my damn pay makes it's way to my bank account, you'll defo be seeing a Haus of Gloi haul. Ohhh, yeahhh.

That’s all, folks!

I Need Recommendations! Pretty Please?

Hi guys!

I need advice with a foundation recommendation and thought asking my blog peeps would be the best way to go because you guys know your shit and are generally pretty damn awesome.

So, I'm getting a little over my MAC Studio Fix Fluid - can anyone recommend a good, full-coverage foundation that's under $70? It would be great if it were oil-free, too.

Thanks in advance, lovies! x