July Favourites

What, It's past half-way through the year ALREADY? This year has flown by so quickly. Soon, it's going to be Christmas again, whaat?!

I love watching and reading about what people have enjoyed using the most throughout the month so I thought I'd do a post about what I have enjoyed too.

Skincare:

Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Lotion:
It feels really moisturising and works as both a cleanser and make up remover. You can use it on your eye area to get rid of your eye make up (yes it's dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested!) I've just been using this as a cleanser though. I felt it's really helped to restore moisture on my skin once the make up remover left it feeling dried out.

Body:

Nivea Rich moisturising Body Lotion:

Another Nivea product, but this mosituriser is amazing. It's quite think but not oily. I have dry skin and this has definitely kept my skin smooth and hydrated throughout the dry Winter!

Image Source: Nivea.com.au

Avado Shower gel in tangerine:

This product is not only organic, it smells amazing. I've been using this product for a while - I'm actually almost completely out. I have eczma, and usually when it acts up, I switch from a shower gel to a wash which is completely soap free. But I haven't switched whilst using this one and I don't feel this has aggravated it at all. To top things, it smells pretty awesome. It's not an over the top citrus-sey smell (I don't actually like strong citrus smells). So it's definitely a winner for me!
Purchase here

Image Source: Avado Organics

Make up:

Pieras BB Cream: 

Ok, Soooooooo. I bought this when I was in Hong Kong, and tried it when came back to Sydney, I did not like it. It seemed wayyyyy too white for my skin. I had also bought one for my friend, who told me she liked to mix it with another foundation and it worked well for her. I had offered for her to take it, but she said she wanted to keep trying other BB creams in the market, but otherwise if she still didn't find one.. And I thought, MAYBE when Winter comes, my skin will be lighter from less sun exposure (perhaps a silly thought?) Anyway, later, I read this BB cream is supposed to adapt to your skin colour and give a foundation-like finish. Say, what? I didn't think so. Seeing now it IS July, and the tinted moisturiser I was using had run out, I decided to give it another shot. Yes, a tad white. But not too bad. Not something I could put on and rush out the door with though. However, the next day I applied it, I figured I was applying too much. Hence, it was too white. The BB cream seeps out REALLY easily through the tube, so you tend to get a LOT of product out. But if you learn to control it better and only get what you need - you do see it does blend well to your face. I almost feel like this BB cream deserves it's own post. Maybe I will do a review for it. Yes, I LOVE it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it for sale on Sasa to repurchase, because I would have snapped up another one. I did, however, find it for sale on eBay, so if you guys are interested, here's the link to the listing.

Fashion:

Forever New Jacket: 

I've had a lot of events or rather, just needed to dress business casual for a lot of July, and found myself wearing this jacket OVER and OVER. I bought this jacket from Forever New last year. It's not on the website anymore, but I love it. It dresses up any outfit, with a pair of straight leg jeans if you're going into work in an office, or could be perfect with a dress or skirt, just for everyday.The jacket's at a good length to create that smart-casual look and the pockets are at a really convenient height. It's also been great at keeping me warm on chilly mornings!

So, what were your July favourites? I'd love to know!

Back to School!

So I believe a lot of you would be heading back to school soon. Today, was my first day back to university after my Winter break, and boy was it hard to get into routine. It was predicted to rain, so I dressed in a warm outfit, but instead, was a warm winter's day. I just thought I'd share my first day back to "school" outfit, although for most of you who are also going back to school, you'd probably be in nice, thin Summery clothes!

Overall outfit:

• white knit from Chicabooti with a black flower-like pattern - I'm LOVING this knit, it's so soft and comfortable. I've definitely been living in it since I bought it in the end of financial year sales!
• Blue Knitted Cardigan from Hong Kong
• Sass and Bide Navy Straight Leg Denim Jeans
• Black/Grey circle scarf from Just Jeans - picked this up a couple of years ago on a holiday and I'm stilllll loving it :)
• White Verali Flats with gold studs.

When do you guys go back, would love to know when and what you guys are wore if you've already started like me :)

Plum Paradise

I was out with my friends last week when I stumbled across a Maybelline sale, and picked up this gorgeous colour: Plum Paradise in Maybelline's Color Show Range. It does take about 3 coats to get a nice, strong colour, however. But I must say, it's absolutely gorgeous. Definitely perfect for Winter (Sorry to you guys who are lucky enough to be enjoying Summer!)



It is also my first nail polish from Maybelline's Color Show line, and I must say, apart from having to put on another layer before I achieve the shade I like, it's doing well :) I checked out their shades online and they have an amazing range of colours - link here - I think it's satisfied my craving for nail polishes for now and would say the colours/shine are comparable to China glaze, which is what I've been recently using - although China glaze hasn't been holding up for very long for me. So I'll be interested to see how long this holds up :)

Here's an instagrammed pic of my nails, it really only brightened the picture as the lighting wasn't great, but amazon picture does quite accurately show the nail colour too (if you can't tell there). I really need to get better at taking pictures! =P

Yoga

Lifestyle post today! One of my past loves for exercises, was yoga. I took classes, after finding a great deal on a coupon website and met a lovely instructor. However, not long after taking classes, I got busy at work and stopped attending, but had EVERY intention to go back. But she had moved the location of the class - to somewhere that wasn't as accessible for me.

It was one of the best yoga classes I had been to, she paid so much attention to each of us and her instructions were so clear, you didn't really need to open your eyes to check out what she/others were doing - and if you weren't in the best position, she'd come by and correct you (or challenge you), so you'd get a better stretch.

As much as I enjoy sweating through cardio, nothing beats a good stretch with doing some yoga.

So I've been hunting for somewhere convenient to go, I've been trying to avoid joining gym and going to yoga classes there, as previous experiences in those yoga classes proved that instructors weren't as active in correction, or I wasn't as sure what was going on, and was constantly keeping my eyes open to see what others are doing - meaning I miss out on the relaxation.

I've just found this YouTube video of yoga videos, and gave it a go: Beginner's Yoga Class 20 minutes. The instructions were pretty clear - at first (probably for lack of confidence), I kept my eyes open, but I gradually could go with just the instructions and  if unsure, open my eyes to make sure I was on the right track (which wasn't often at all).

They have a range of short clips for Beginners and Intermediate levels that target a range of different areas. I really did think it helped and was exactly what I'm looking for while I'm trying to find a great place in Sydney that I can go to.

I am NOT affiliated with them in anyway, nor paid for this post. But I do highly recommend them if you enjoy Yoga and am looking for something to do at home. They said at the end of the video there are hour long video on their website, so I'm really keen to check those out for some proper yoga sessions at home! :)

Their website for more videos is here.

Do let me know if you have other Yoga recommendations OR know of a great yoga studio in Sydney :)

Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturiser Review

When I first started using Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, I didn't feel like it provided enough coverage as I was switching from a BB cream. Now, I've completely finished a whole bottle of this and must say, I did really like it.

My friend recommended it to me, although she had told me to get the "BB Cream". I couldn't find the BB Cream and was rushing off to work that morning, so I just picked up this up. (I did try to investigate later to see if there was a BB Cream - but I don't think there was, so I must have picked up the right one :))

It has SPF of 15 with both UVA and UVB protection and claims to even your skin tone and texture. I did think it did a very good job of evening out my skin tone and texture. For a tinted moisturiser, it has great coverage. It gives a really healthy glow - which might also be attributed to the glitter in the moisturiser.

It made for a great moisturiser - particularly on my lazy and no-make up days. It's quite light on your skin and quite a reasonable price. It is around the same price as most BB creams, however. So it would depend on the type of coverage you're after. If you're after something lighter than you're average BB cream, this is perfect, as I do think it does give more coverage than other tinted moisturisers I've used in the past.

DIY Yoghurt Mask

I was cleaning out my room the other day and found an old copy of body+soul that comes with the Sunday Morning Herald. It came with this DIY mask that I thought I would share. It worked really well, and left my face feeling so soft.

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of organic yoghurt
• One tablespoon of honey
• Juice of half a lemon

Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients together till you achieve a thick paste.
2. Wash/cleanse your face! :)
3. Smooth mixture over cleansed face for 20 minutes
4. Rinse off

I used Mankua honey and would recommend using it if you have it available as it does has antibacterial properties.

I also came across this really interesting article the other day about Snails being used in Japan as a beauty treatment.

So apparently, if you're looking to remove dead skin, clear your pores or looking for a new anti-aging product to apply, you can head to the salon, where they'll put snails on your face for 5 minutes - for a very pricey treatment too.

Tell me what you think of this treatment. Link is here if you're interested in reading the article!

Also, I've just joined blog lovin' - so be sure to follow me if you're on it too! :)

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer vs YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch

So I know this product has been around for a really long time, but I had been using the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Concealer. And I decided to try this, since I had read that it was such a good dupe.

I use 1 in the YSL Touche Eclat, so when  I went out to purchase the Maybelline Dream Lumi, I brought my Touche Eclat to try match the colour. Unforunately, there wasn't one that matched exactly. There are only 3 shades in Australia (Ivory, Nude and Sand). I quite liked how Ivory and Nude seemed to blend, but thought I'd go for Ivory since I wanted it mostly for under my eyes.

After having worn the Touche Eclat under one eye and Dream Lumi under another for two days, I feel the Touche Eclat does seem to highlight better, but the Dream Lumi is better with coverage. That being said, the Dream Lumi does a pretty good job with highlighting also and is definitely a great "drugstore" product.

They feel quite similar on, and the brushes used to apply are very similar.

The biggest different I must point out is the pen. With the Touche Eclat applicator pen, you just click and get a good amount with 1-2 pushes. But with the Dream Lumi, you have to twist, and you don't exactly know how much you'll get coming out, or perhaps I'm still getting the hang of it.

Overall, the Maybelline is an extremely good dupe. It retails for around $16 in Sydney, Australia compared to $55 for the YSL Touche Eclat. The Touche Eclat is definitely better with the clicking and highlighting. However, the Maybelline is extremely good value for money, works very well as a highlighter AND concealer.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer


YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch



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Getting rid of pimples

We all get these annoying pimples at the most annoying times - just before an important event! And for that, we have pimple cream.

But what about general, every day, when a zit pops up and applying make up over it, may just aggravate it? Is pimple cream still the best solution?

I've been applying 100% aloe vera gel onto my pimples as soon as I see it appear to help with the healing process. Of course, it isn't as magical as a 24 hour pimple cream. But, it's a much more natural way and if you're in no rush, why not? It actually does seem to speed up the process of getting rid of pimples compared to if nothing was applied. And of course - to avoid contaminating the zit - apply with a cotton bud/Qtip!

Aloe Vera Gel is also great for cuts and any burns, so it's always handy to have some nearby. But remember, use only 100% aloe vera gel!

Milk

The key to looking great is not just in our skin care and beauty routine, but also through our diet. I've recently spoken to a dietitian, and noticed how important it was to know about milk and it's alternatives.

We all know that milk helps keeping our bones strong and healthy, but, what other benefits does it have?

According to Fitday, nutrients in the skin help our skin glow and we can achieve this by simply drinking a few glasses a day. It also contains amino acids and lactic acid to help keep our skin moisturised and nice and smooth.

Fitday also states that studies have shown women who drink low-fat or skim milk have shown to lose more weight than those who exclude milk from their diet altogether, whaaat? Guess it is just that filling, making it great as an entrée to start filling you up, or great to have with a snack.

But what if, you can't drink cow's milk for certain reasons? Where do we get these benefits from?

Soy Milk:

Soy milk naturally has no calcium in it, but does not contain any cholesterol either (contrary to cow's milk). Soy milk tends to have quite a bit of protein in it. Make sure you do pick a milk that does have added calcium in it though, or you might not get enough benefits!

Almond Milk:

Almond milk has fats that are healthy for your heart and is low in saturated fat and hence, kilojules. However, it may not contain as much protein as required (usually not as much as soy milk either!). But do check for the added sweeteners and if any, calcium has been added!

 Rice Milk:

Rice milk is naturally really sweet, so it doesn't tend to have any added sweeteners. It is quite low in fats, but protein also. If this is your choice of milk, make sure you do pick one that has added calcium.

According to Choice Online, the best subsitute for milk is soy milk with added calcium (to about the same as cow's milk - so check the packaging!).

What do I drink?

I love my soy milk - except in my coffees & teas. Then, I definitely go back to my cows milk. But after all this research, I think I'll definitely make sure I get at least one glass a day to help my skin glow.

But remember, milk with caffeine doesn't count! ;)

What do you drink?
 
References used for this post:
Milk Alternative Reviews - Choice Online
6 Health Benefits of Milk

Winter wears

I realised I haven't yet written a post about the latest on fashion. But since it's just come to the end of financial year here in Australia, and with some sales still ongoing, I thought this would  be a good time.

As always, clothes we buy in one season can easily transcend to another, and  I've found skirts that rise to about an inch above to knee, knits and blouses to be amongst my favourite buys this time round.

These will not only transcend through most seasons, but the style will also be likely to last a bit longer and make mixing and matching that much easier.

I was reading a book previously about classic styles, and since then, I've noticed that when I try to pick clothing that will transcend through seasons, I'm going for creams, blacks and navy. Not saying that I'm not loving the colours in season and the pastel colours and floral prints which have been so big. I still have my fair share of those. But I do keep an extra eye out for some classics.

A shop assistant I made friends with taught me a really good trick last year. There was this brand of hand embellished singlets I was obsessed with and the designer made LOVELY long sleeve shirts too. But some of the singlet designs I loved so much,  I wish I could wear them in Winter. I noticed the girl was wearing some of the singlet designs, but as a long sleeve, but had thought the designer had made these for her to promote. When I asked, she told me to wear a plain coloured long sleeve top that blends well under the singlet. Sounds like common sense, but I always thought it'd look really obvious that I was wearing a long sleeves shirt under the singlet, till I saw it on her. One singlet, four seasons.

Today, I FINALLY found a long, cream blazer. I've been hunting for one for probably over a year now. It probably wasn't as thick as I would have liked, but I thought it would probably even work for cooler Autumn/Fall nights! I can't wait to start wearing it.

And here's a dress my cousin picked up in the sales for me. Something I'd wear no matter which season it is. :)

New Eye Cream!

Been a while since a post, it's already the middle of winter!

I've discovered an item that's become staple to my night routine and have found overall, my skin seems to be smoother this winter! It's perfect for the dry Sydney weather. I even found to prefer it over my previous eye gel.

It is... the Lacura  Fine Balance Eye Gel. It's the Aldi branded skin care range, and costs a mere $5. I was using the Clinique Moisture Surge Eye Gel previously, and thought it was hydrating, but runny. My only complaint, is that as I'm putting it on, it will start to dry and have a sticky texture, which will prevent further application, so you've definitely got to make sure you've got enough on your finger and apply quickly.

On top of this, I'm using the Clinique Mositure Surge Extended Thirst Relief Gel. It's proving to be my all time favourite, and seems perfect for all seasons. I'm going through my third jar and still loving it!

 Lacura Eye Gel  $5 for 15mL from Aldi

Clinique Moisture Surge