Her Beauty Days

I hope everyone's had/having a great time with family and friends during this period! (Happy holidays!)

Anybody remember this song?


Because that's the song that played in my head the moment I picked up the Models Prefer Eyeshadow Quad in Hook Me Up.
I picked this up on sale for under $5 (half price!) at Priceline a few weeks back, partially because they reminded me of the Wet n Wild eyeshadow palettes, with the suggested use embossed into the product. For my benefit, they take the guesswork out of things - eyeshadow application for beginners like myself have been made a whole lot easier!



The eyeshadow quad features four shimmer shades - a champagne base, a gold lid shade, a purple-maroon crease shade with a pink sheen (gorgeous shade!) and a bronze corner shade.
Pigmentation is quite decent; the crease shade is noted to have poorer pigmentation than the other shades, albeit the problem can be fixed with applying them in a wet nature and building the colour up.
The shades are velvety but not creamy as other products plus they aren't chalky either.
I really adore the shade combination provided; the shades compliment my brown eyes quite beautifully.
The packaging is one aspect which I really dislike - it's what I expected from a brand as such, cheap plastic packaging that would easily break at the "hinge". Additionally, I found it difficult to open the quad without incurring damage to my nail polish.

Wear time without a primer underneath - 2-3 hours, by the fourth hour I noticed a bit of fading.



Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the product, considering I only paid $5 for them. It's not a bad product; I would suggest this quad to beginners in makeup and to those looking for something more affordable (but if you're looking for something that would give you more bang for your buck check out this palette.)

The product is made in China.

Earlier this month I hosted my very first giveaway which you can read about here.



I know it's a bit delayed (sorry!) but I've finally selected a winner.

Congratulations to the lovely Jasmine from Sweetaholic Beauty!

Thank you to everyone who entered. I look forward to hosting another giveaway soon! It was a bit of fun; I've enjoyed its construction.

Limited (trend) edition with Justin Bieber thrown in the mix? You've got yourself a winner.
Just...kidding. I honestly have a love/hate relationship with the beibs.
However, I just couldn't pass up on these newly released edition from one of my favourite brands Essence featuring the boy/man himself.

Would you look at that?!


All of the Essence products mentioned in this post are made in Poland.
To see if your Priceline store is stocking this trend edition, please refer to Essence Australia's Facebook.

I originally planned to produce an empties post at the end of each month but failed to do so with the current changes happening within my schedule.

For myself, Christmas involves celebrating Jesus Christ's birthday.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pretty sure you've all heard about the amazing 40% off beauty sale Priceline hosted last week!

I was there alright, at midday and my, what a crowded scene it was. A bit cray-cray, I might emphasise.
My friend, being a guy, received this sale to be quite hilarious; there's a lot of females all in one place.

I entered the store, just to pick up a few items I'm interested in and left with a lot more than I expected!
Basically, I put in everything that I wanted to try in the cute basket given to me by the sales assistant.

I present to you the haulage:


Face products

1. Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder in Deep Natural
Why didn't I discover this earlier? I love it so far; love the inclusion of the mirror and sponge (underneath the pan of powder) and of course, the actual product itself!

2. Maybelline Dream Pure 8-in-1 BB Cream in Light
I've already tried the medium shade, loved it, so I'm picking up the lighter shade because the former is a bit dark for me.

3. & 4. Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in 100 Ivory and 103 True Ivory
My first foundation! I tend to steer clear of Rimmel's face products but after seeing the princess-themed advertisement, I was lured in. 103 True Ivory was the closest shade to my complexion and 100 Ivory  would be perfect for those days when my face becomes more paler.


Lip products

5. Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in 910 Shocking Coral
One of my favourite yet unique shades I already have in my collection. Repurchasing this shade because I'm actually running out of the lipstick. Read my review here (it's actually one of my first posts!).

5. L'Oréal Color Riche Made For Me Intense in 370 Crazy Fuchsia
I'm a crazy lover of pink lippies; I'm so glad I picked this up - it's becoming a favourite of mine!

6. L'Oréal Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Stain in 102 Romy
I heard these were a probable dupe for YSL (Yves Saint Laurent) Glossy Stains, I love stains and a bit of gloss so I had to try these!

7. Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in 90 Electric Shock
This shade is just gorgeous. I think there's something youthful about sporting a pink lip gloss, what do YOU think?

8. Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in 04 Peach on the Beach
I discovered this gem on Sleep and Water's blog. When I saw the shade in real life, I was quite surprised to see what a unique and beautiful shade it was; perfect for summer!


Other products

9. Face of Australia Gentle Make-Up Remover
This is a repurchase. Cheap, does a great job at what it's supposed to do and certainly of a gentle nature.
Comes pretty close to Lancôme's Bi-Facil - that's something quite notable.

10. L'Oréal Super Liner Liquid Eyeliner
I've seen this used by my mum a few times. Curiosity got the better of me; this had to come home with me.

11. L'Oréal Colour Riche Le Vernis in 601 French Riviera
A pretty baby blue polish with darker blue shimmers? How could I resist?!

And that concludes my haul!
I don't understand the relationship I have with sales. Please stop calling out to me!
Well done to those who are on or have completed spending bans!

I hope you've enjoyed this post.

I'm finally back from my month-long absence.
Studying, exams, personal dramas and indulging in comfort food were certainly part of the equation.
I'm so glad to be liberated from my studies (for a while); definitely looking forward to engaging in more of my favourite leisure activities like cooking, hanging out with dear loved ones and SHOPPING.

On the topic of shopping, I am guilty of spending way too much this month.
As usual, I couldn't resist the pre-Christmas sales. I had to get my hands on those limited edition, released-around-Christmas beauty gifts and pressies for the special people in my life.

One unrelated purchase was a relatively new skincare product, Indeed Laboratories (Indeed Labs) Pepta-bright, purchased from Priceline (now available!) at an introductory price.
Now, I've heard of Indeed Labs' Hydraluron (earlier released product) but I wasn't interested in it much as hydration wasn't a main skincare concern of mine.


Pepta-bright is an "ultra-concentrated cream-serum" that helps to
1. Even skin tone
2. Reduce and lighten hyperpigmentation
3. prevent, treat and diminish dark spots
4. Restore luminosity and radiance to the skin
5. Prevent photoaging
6. Stimulate cell turnover
7. Maintain skin's hydration

Points 1. 2. and 3. is what I'm currently looking for in a skincare product. I'm still relatively young (early twenties), so I didn't want to use anything too harsh on my skin. After reading Caroline Hirons' review and others from younger bloggers like myself, I gave it a shot.

So yesterday, straight after cleansing, I applied the serum all over my face, minus the eye area, then topped it off with my current moisturiser. The smell was unpleasant but I didn't really mind. I went to bed and woke up four hours later to cram in a bit of studying before my exams.
Before I even observed my face after waking up, I could feel some inflammation happening under the nose area and a bit on my cheeks. The area under nose and my left cheek were covered in clusters of papules (no whiteheads) that left my skin irritated and dry. This was my first time having such an adverse reaction to a skincare product. I am actually a frequent user of relatively harsh products e.g. contains salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, so I wasn't expecting a reaction like this.

Fast forward to the next day (that's today!) and my skin has well improved after I continued with my regular skin routine and skipped Pepta-bright altogether. Papules have shrunk and hardly noticeable (some gone) but my skin around the nose and cheeks area is still dry.
There are a few factors to consider why this didn't work for me, but I won't be trying the serum again. Better safe than sorry!

Lesson learned: a product that works for another might not (unfortunately) work for you! I'm a bit letdown by the "results" but don't let that stop you from trying this product out if you're interested.

There is a lack of reviews reporting on adverse reactions, so here's my one!
If you have sensitive or "young" skin, I'll be cautious.
Product is made in Canada if you're wondering.
You can pick up Indeed Laboratories  Pepta-bright from Priceline for $27.99 during the promotional period.

I hope you found this review helpful.
Have a beautiful day everyone!

Update: After consulting with Priceline's customer service, I was told to return the product for a full refund. The product was deemed "faulty" and was to be returned to the company (or so I was told).

Wow, what a busy month.
I actually celebrated my 21st birthday just last week, even though it was nothing big because of the bombardment of assignments and exams.

A few days ago, when I headed out the door (hello uni!)  I actually bumped into the postman.
As usual, he handed me my post and I was so surprised to find it was my Lust Have It! box!
What a refreshing change to the box, I'm a fan!


October 2013's box is a 'Spring Race Carnival Edition'. I'm not heading to the carnival any soon but I'm very curious to see how these products can help one hitting the races.


1. Le Tan Wash Off Instant Looking Tan in Bronze (40 g)
Unfortunately, I don't use any tanning products but I'll be sure to pass this on to someone who might enjoy it more than I will. Aside from that, I think this is great if you're experimenting with tanning products or just want a temporary fix!



2. INIKA Mineral Eyeshadow in Platinum 12 (Full sized 1.2 g, RRP $25)
Initially, I was quite intimidated by the nature of the eyeshadow - it's one of those loose powder ones. I've actually never used these before but I'm quite excited - it's a lovely sparkly pale silver shade that can easily be an all over body shimmer! I'm loving the fact these can be used on the most sensitive of eyes (perfect for me!); it looks absolutely stunning on the eyelids. I pulled off the seal to get a closer look at the product (that's why it's a bit messy).

3. Paula's Choice Oil Blotting Papers
There's quite a lot of sheets here. Blotting papers are always handy for me especially midday or after a stressful situation! I'm eager to use these to compare them to other brands I've used.

4. evo Ritual Salvation Care Shampoo and Conditioner (50 mL each)
How cute are these bottles! Definitely caught my eye there. I don't have coloured hair but I do have weak, brittle hair which makes these useful.


5. Smitten Whipped Tinted Mousse Moisturiser in Cappuccino
I've never heard of this brand and I'm not sure what the size of this is. It's actually labelled as a foundation and moisturiser, instead of being a 'tinted' moisturiser. The shade is a bit too dark for me so I'll be passing this on to someone else. I love the whipped mousse texture and the matte finish but unfortunately, not the fragrance - not pleasant.

6. Princess Skincare Hyaluronic Acid Mask (Full sized, RRP $25)
This is one expensive mask! Skeptical of the price, I checked this out online and it actually retails more!
Perfect mask for my mum; I'll be sure to pass this onto her as she can really benefit from the reduction of fine lines and boost of firmness and elasticity.

Overall, this box did not disappoint. I liked the contents even though I don't plan on using all of them.
You've got a bit of value, diversity and nothing was deemed 'useless'! My favourite item would have to be the INIKA eyeshadow; so gorgeous and versatile! There's also the inclusion of vouchers to use including one for the tanning spray and for a purchase on The Iconic.

So, what did you think of this month's box? Have you received yours yet?
If you haven't, you can sign up here for their monthly beauty box that retails for $19.95.
You can use the code Herdays to get $5 off your first box!

Have a beautiful day everyone!
And for those tackling assignments, exams and stress (or any hardships), wishing you the best of luck!

(This box was provided for my consideration.)

"Slim felt tip eyeliner, precise & intense line"

I swear I'm not blushing! Believe me!

Aside from my love for pretty polishes, I do admire a good blush and a good French product.
I first discovered Bourjois cosmetics last year in Priceline when I picked up a few of their round pot blushes at a sale for my mum.
I never understood why I didn't try them out earlier because I've certainly been missing out!
I'll be showcasing one powder blush and two cream blushes from Bourjois in today's post.



I absolutely love the blushes; they are of high quality and I will definitely be looking into purchasing the two remaining blushes (Rose Tender and Sweet Cherry) from the cream blush collection.
I picked up my blushes from asos.com since I don't think the cream blushes are released on Aussie shores yet. You can certainly find the powder blush at Priceline for $20.

So, do you share my love for these blushes? Have you tried these blushes before? How are your experiences with Bourjois cosmetics?
Don't be shy; feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Sigh.
I don't know what to feel right now.
Looking at all this, doesn't make me feel any better. I don't think I have a problem but I just need to focus on other things at the moment. Do you understand me?
Yes, yes. Call me crazy. I know you told me to stop, a trillion times.
You're not the only one who tells me that.

I keep telling myself to stop spending so much and save up.
However all these constraints upon myself were to no avail; I gave in to the occasional sales.
Many times I have considered going on a spending ban/project pan/saving up scheme, because there are much bigger things in life than the frequent beauty splurges and accumulating an array of beauty items, such as saving up for a house! (I wish).

Guilty as charged, I admit.
I'll just casually show you my stash, in hope for admiration for my efforts. I'm kidding, I really do enjoy reading about other people's hauls and it's an enjoyable process, when I get to feature my own.

First up, are the nail polishes.

I love new makeup releases! Essence cosmetics have released a new limited edition line - 'Me & My Ice Cream'. I got my friend to pick me up the above products for a very affordable price before any imminent tampering could be done to the products. I love these products (they're so cute) and will provide an in-depth review upon request.