Her Beauty Days

Earlier this week, I made an appointment at the Genius Bar (Apple store, Broadway) to have the back of my iPhone replaced. Having finished my exams a bit earlier than expected, I visited Kmart, with only an hour to kill before my appointment.

Instead of heading straight to the cosmetics section, I had a browse around the store.
I couldn't find anything to my taste so I finally headed to the cosmetics section. I loved how Kmart revamped the cosmetics section. A lot of the products are now in cardboard packaging; a great security measure and it makes identification of products much easier!

CoverGirl's cosmetics are currently discounted by $5 until the 20th (Sunday). To be honest, I wasn't really interested in purchasing any of their cosmetics, but I do remember that I loved their Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polishes.

I wasn't sure if the nail polishes were under the classification of "cosmetics" but luckily they were discounted as well! Who can say no to great quality nail polishes for only $1.75?! Not bad of a bargain, I'd say.

The haul contents were purchased at Priceline and Target.

Priceline

I have no reason to be here other than I wanted to check out some new beauty products (not a good idea!). I ended leaving the store with the following:

Beauty Essentials Nail Polish Remover (conditioning)
I think these were on sale; you can't go wrong with stocking up on nail polish!

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural
I definitely do not need any more blushes in my collection, but naturally, I was drawn by those cute love hearts and pink packaging! Super happy that I purchased this for more than half price. I've tried it out and I love how I don't even need a mirror to apply this on - you can't go wrong with this shade!

Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow in 03 frosted apple
I just love the colour of this shadow. A bit out of my comfort zone but I'm quite interested in experimenting with shades other than neutrals.

Essence 3D Eyeshadow in 02 irresistible purr-ple
Again, something out of my comfort zone. When I saw this in person, I was just overwhelmed how gorgeous it looked! The name of the shade is quite fitting, I couldn't resist to not purchase it!

Essence Kajal Eye Pencils in 08 Teddy and 23 Love Me Lavender
At under $2 a pop in an array of gorgeous shades, I couldn't pass up.


Target

I needed to pick up an under eye concealer that suited my skin tone and has a bit more coverage (didn't conflict with the rules of the ban I think...). I settled on Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circles Eraser in Medium earlier and found out that it was on sale at Target yay! Unfortunately or fortunately, Chi Chi was also on sale; I've always been curious in their eyeshadow palettes (reminiscent of the Urban Decay Naked palettes) so I decided to pick up their Bases palette because the shades look simply lovely, plus it's something I'll get a lot of use out of. "Ok, time to remove myself from the beauty section", I thought after picking up what I wanted. But sadly, you know how the rest of the story unfolds and my eyes quickly spotted the Chi Chi Social Butterfly Gift Set on special for under $5?! Let me repeat myself, "for under $5!". I loved the idea of a phone case inspired eyeshadow palette and the included phone cases, sporting the Chi Chi brand. Even though I'm not a fan of the iPhone 5 case with the colourful zebra print, the price I paid for the eye palette was a pretty good deal! Additionally, I can use the iPhone 4 case - what a cute nail polish pattern! Don't you agree this set is quite similar to Too Faced's Jingle All the Way Makeup Palette?!

This is my first update for the Spending Ban/Project Pan I've started back in mid January.

I had this mindset prepared to achieve a successful outcome but I've come to realise that it's very difficult to hit pan on anything. I didn't select certain products that I wished to use up, nor segregate anything for usage during Project Pan. I've been using a bit of everything from my collection - I don't like to stick to one product only as I dislike repetitive routines and enjoy random selections and variation. Maybe I should allocate myself to certain products only, perhaps starting from next month.

Surprisingly, I found it easier to neglect my enthusiasm for the release of new products. However, the sales have been very tempting. Guilty as charged, I finally caved in and purchased myself a few items I couldn't say no to! Don't even start with me about the justification for purchasing these products; I'll have a detailed post about my "guilty haul" soon enough. I'm disappointed with myself but hey, I got myself some very good deals! (trying to make light of the situation haha).

In an attempt to assess the amount of makeup I have, I've reorganised my collection and discovered some new favourites (hello old friend!).

Honestly, I think I need another spending pan/Project Pan once this one finishes. There's this satisfaction involved with finishing up a beauty product, that I rarely achieve. Being fairly new to the beauty world and acquiring a lot of products at an exponential rate, I have never hit pan on any product before.

This Spending Ban/Project Pan ends on the 1st April 2014.

I hope everyone had a great day yesterday, filled with the love from family and friends!
For Valentine's Day this year, I decided to create a makeup look that utilises a majority of drugstore products. Dissatisfied with the number of Valentine's Day makeup tutorials I've encountered that encompassed a pink theme, I had a play around with my makeup collection. I wanted a look that promotes healthy radiance, simplicity and wearable for younger beauty enthusiasts. Additionally, this combo is suitable for a natural and effortless everyday look.

I've recently discovered some new readers of my blog who aren't familiar with the basics of makeup, so this one's for you! Furthermore, I'd like to share with you how I put it all together, ready to face the day.

I applied the Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector (Combination to Oily Skin) in Light on random areas on my face with my fingers. I then used my Real Techniques Buffing Brush from the Core Collection to blend the BB cream into my skin. I found that the BB cream's finish was dewy so I omitted a highlighter in this look.
To conceal my dark circles, I used the Benefit fakeup concealer in Medium, patting the product in gently with my fingers.
I dusted the Australis Ready Set Go Finishing Powder in True Translucent all over my face with my Real Techniques Powder Brush, to mattify and set my base.
For a romantic flush of colour, I applied the Essence Silky Touch blush in 20 Babydoll with my Real Techniques Blush Brush.

Eyes
I like to start my eyebrows off first; I combed the Essence Lash & Brow Gel Mascara in, to make my eyebrows more defined and in place. This is a great staple, a transparent gel mascara that is very natural looking on the brows.
For my eyelid primer, I used the Makeup Academy (MUA) Pro-Base Eye Primer. I was actually surprised at how well this product worked considering it is very inexpensive. For my eyeshadow base, I used the EcoTools Large Eye Brush from the Essential Eye Set to apply the lighter, "3D" shade from the Essence 3D Eyeshadow in 09 Irresistible Chocolates. I then blended the Benefit Hoola bronzing powder  into my crease with the Emily 217 Blending Brush (purchased from eBay), for a nice transition colour and added definition. For a bit of a highlight under my brows and inner eye corners, I used the same light shade from the Essence 3D Eyeshadow in 09 Irresistible Chocolates in conjunction with the EcoTools Highlighting Brush from the Essential Eye Set.
For long luscious lashes, I curled mine with the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler and applied two coats of the Australis Lash Length Extensions Mascara, a smudge-free fibre mascara that promotes elongated lashes!

To finish off the look, I opted for soft red lips that aren't too dramatic using the Face of Australia Glossy Lip Crayon in Apple Crumble. These are the new limited edition lip crayons on the market; affordable (only $4.95) and reliable products, infused with a vanilla scent.

All of the Real Techniques and EcoTools brushes were purchased off iherb.com. You can use the code PCW095 to get $5 off your first order under $40 or $10 off your first order over $40.

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you would like future FOTD posts composed in a similar nature to this one, do let me know in the comments below!
So tell me, how do you do your "special occasion" makeup?

Currently there are two variants of the coffee scrub available on the Frank Body website (frankbody.com), original ($14.95/200g bag) and the coconut & grapeseed ($17.95/200g bag).
The packaging is a resealable, paper bag.


I purchased the coconut & grape seed variant, which claims to
- target cellulite, stretch marks, psoriasis, varicose veins, eczema and acne with roasted, ground arabica coffee beans
- moisturise, tone and repair the skin with grape seed oil
- hydrate the skin and tend to imperfections with coconut oil
- gently smooth lumps and bumps with coconut flakes, brown sugar, jojoba beads and sea salt
- work wonders from the outside in with the added vitamins and minerals.

A lot of claims said, I was very excited to try the product out.

The product is a dry type of scrub; I used two fistfuls of the product (for entire body). Fresh from the shower and while in it, I massaged the scrub in circular motions, concentrating on the problem areas. For coffee lovers, the scent will send you in pure bliss; I admit, on the days I use Frank, my showers have been much more enjoyable (indulging in that lovely coffee aroma!). It is recommended to leave the scrub on to dry for 5-10 minutes.


After washing the scrub off, my skin felt so soft, smooth and well exfoliated, a feeling I've never encountered before. Believe me, I've had my fair share of body scrubs. Since I have combination skin, I used a body wash after to remove the excess oil (as recommended for combo-oily skin types). In the instance of not using a body wash, there will be a slight oily finish to the skin and a lingering scent of coffee (yum!).

I do believe using Frank on a weekly basis yielded improvements in the texture and appearance of my skin. The whole experience is personally pure luxury.
I highly recommend this product for those who seek a great moisturising and exfoliating body scrub, additionally, those who seek an experience like no other!

Aussie residents can purchase Frank Body scrubs from the website and get free shipping to their door!

So what are you waiting for?
Get naked.
Get dirty.
Get rough.
Get clean.

It's a bit ironic how I'm constructing today's feature on last month's haul after I posted up my announcement of a spending ban/Project Pan.