Product Review- Bondi Sands Tanning Foam in Dark

Holy tan, this stuff is better than butter melting over warm toast on a cold morning. After using this tanning foam I am completely Bondi Sands converted. This is quite a lengthy review to what I normally write but try to read right to the end because it's worth it!

Bottom Right Photo: After one coat of Bondi Sands tanning foam in "Dark"

 Bondi Sands tanner for starters is very reasonably priced. I purchased this for only $19.99 for a 200.0 ml bottle which is about half the price of many other top brand tanning lotions such as St Tropez. It also has the scent of coconuts , I'm quite certain it's the same smell in all of their tanning products, which is my all time favourite smell. 

I purchased the shade dark because I'm a bit of a tanning nut and medium or light just doesn't do the job for me. The dark shade gives a very nice deep tan with one layer, and after two layers (which is what I normally opt for) you get really quite a deep bronzed tan without looking orange or streaky. I could tell that this tan wouldn't turn me orange when I washed it off my hands and green colouring came out of the brown foam. The green undertone in a tanning lotion is key if you have olive-toned skin like I do, simply because olive-toned skin has undertones of yellow and green so the tan is going to look very natural on the skin...confusing? Don't stress too much about it, just keep in mind that without a green undertone your skin is likely to turn orange, resembling that of an oopma loompa. 

Once applied this tanning foam doesn't feel massively sticky which I find a lot of tanners to do, especially J Bronze tanning foam, and dries fully within around 30 minutes. I usually just apply this after a shower at night time, wait 30 minutes and then hop in to bed and wake up with naturally looking tanned skin. 

Lastly, Bondi Sands tanning foam in the shade Dark lasts for a very impressive amount of time. After I've applied two coats, I'll find myself still tanned by the end of the week despite the fact I shower daily. It's vital to keep showers short and not too hot, and to remember to moisturise morning and night in order to lengthen the life of your tan. 

I love Bondi Sands tanning foam and will 100% repurchase. Bought from Priceline, an incredibly cheap tanning product for what it's worth, smells amazing and produces a beautiful, deep and natural looking tan. Not to mention it's an Australian product...the little Aussie inside of me squeals with pride. 

Have you ever tried Bondi Sands tanning Products?

xx

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Product Review - MAC "Woodwinked" Eyeshadow

Foundation: Rimmel Match Perfection "Warm Honey
Concealer: Rimmel Wake Me Up "Ivory"
Bronzer: Benefit Hoola
Blush: MAC powder "Pinch Me"
Setting Powder: MAC translucent
Eyebrows: MAC eyeshadow "Mystery", MAC clear brow gel
Eye Primer: MAC prep+prime eye base "Light"
Eyeshadow: MAC "Woodwinked" & MAC "Brownluxe" palette using the cream colour
Eyeliner: theBalm schwing liquid eyeliner "Black"
Mascara: Maybelline the falsies "Black"
Lipstick: MAC amplified creme "Impassioned"

I've owned this eyeshadow for about a year now but disappointedly haven't really appreciated it until now. This eyeshadow is the bomb diggity and if you don't own one well...what are you doing here? Get yo groove on to the MAC store!

"Woodwinked" is a very pigmented shimmery bronze/gold eyeshadow. I discovered this when a MAC makeup artist used it on me before a formal (or ball as some of you may call it). I loved how well "Wookwinked" picked up on my brown eyes and made them pop, so to say.

The thing I love most about this eyeshadow is that it changes colour as you blend. So if you're in a rush or feeling eye lazy, you can simply apply the shadow over your lid and then blend out, finishing off with a highlighter for the brow bone and presto you're done (well apart from mascara and eyeliner)! My mum thinks I use many different shadows for my eye makeup when I use just "Woodwinked" alone but little does she know...

One last thing about this product is that I believe it looks best on tan skin. Although it still looks fab on pale skin too, I've found personally that I prefer to use this eyeshadow when my skin is a little more tanned as it just looks more seamless, each to their own though.

Even though it's pricey for just one eyeshadow shade, I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Definitely worth every cent.

Rrp: $33

What's your favourite MAC eyeshadow?

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Fashion & Celebrity Heroine - Miley Cyrus

Every once in a while I greatly admire a particular role model and lately it's been Miley Cyrus. I find her incredibly inspirational, despite what many think of her new music and appearance. Here's why...

First but for mostly, Miley Cyrus has grown up in the limelight and so it's just expected that she's going to grow up and change...just like many of us enjoy changing our hair colour, getting piercings or tattoos etc, Miley Cyrus does the same but with millions of people judging her. Even though she has a new haircut and enjoys to twerk it out in her music videos which she's hugely criticised for, she's still remained a completely kind and down to earth character as you can tell in her interviews. I admire that.

Second of all, her fashion style is incredible. She works so hard at maintaining her figure and is able to pull off the most amazing outfits. She's one of those people that if the current phase is to grow your hair long, she'll cut it off. If everybody starts wearing one thing, she'll wear another. She knows who she is and she's not afraid to be herself.

Thirdly, her music tells a story. I mean let's be honest, if you're one of those people that enjoys to unnecessarily insult her, I bet you still find her songs catchy and relatable. She puts emotion into her music and is true to what she sings.

Overall, I find her hugely inspirational and in saying this I don't mean that I want to copy her style and everything about her, I purely mean that I admire the fact she's such a down to earth person, she's not afraid to be different and I mean look at her...she's just loving life and living it to the fullest.

And to the haters, I say it says more about you than it does her because she doesn't go around insulting her fans or other artists despite what people like to say about her. And heck, she's doing what most of us would be way too afraid to ever do.

I love Miley Cyrus's taste in fashion and I admire her hard work ethic and down to earth nature.

Who do you find inspirational and are you a fan of Miley Cyrus? 

xx

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Product Review- Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in "Shameless"

There's currently a huge sale going on at Priceline, so naturally my best friend and I found our way in there to check it out. We have a terrible habit of egging each other on to purchase wacky products and well, this was one of them.

For me normally, wearing purple lips isn't something I'd even consider but lately I've been getting really bored with my same old appearance and want to mix things up a little bit. Starting with simple changes, I picked up the Revlon colorburst matte balm in the shade "Shameless" and was pleasantly surprised with how it looked on.

The balm is a deep yet slightly vibrant shade of purple and has a very creamy and easy to apply texture, unlike the majority of matte lipsticks out there. That's probably one of my favourite parts about this lipstick; it's extremely easy to apply being in a crayon form and is so creamy that it just glides onto the lips.

In terms of staying power, this lipstick lasts for a very long time whilst also remaining hydrating. The only thing that will cause this lipstick to budge prematurely is eating and drinking. I think if you had a lip liner in a similar purple colour it would be a good idea to apply that underneath.

Last but not least this matte balm has a slight tingling/cooling effect on the lips. I can't explain why it happens but it really doesn't bother me. The smell and taste of the balm is minty which is quite pleasant so makes up for any tingling action that goes on.

Note: It's a good idea to use a lip scrub before applying this as it does have a tendency to cling to the dry parts of your lips after awhile.

Personally, I love the look of purple lips and am completely converted. It's such a confidence booster wearing something a little more bold and daring out of the house and receiving positive feedback about how it looks. 

Have you tried the Revlon colorburst matte balms? What do you think of purple lipstick?

xx

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Take me to the sea-side...

Today was such gorgeous, sunny weather amongst all this Winter rain here in Melbourne, Australia so my mum and I decided to go for a late afternoon walk. We drove down to Port Melbourne and had a nice long stroll along the beach, despite the decreasing warmth of the day time sun, and I decided to whip out my good camera to capture what was a beautiful, picturesque beach view.

The wind began to raise goosebumps on our arms and our fingers and toes began to freeze but despite this, we couldn't get enough of the fresh seaside air. Not to mention the calming sounds of crashing waves. There's nothing quite like it.

Driving down to the beach on such a wonderfully serene evening almost felt like a getaway far from home even though it wasn't. I tried to capture this feeling through my photographs and so I hope you are able to understand the sense of freedom and peacefulness like you were there with mum and I.

Where are your favourite places to explore near home? 

xx

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Face of the Day

If you're anything like me, you'll find berry coloured lipsticks incredibly difficult to pull off. I think they look stunning on so many people but for some reason it just looks far too harsh on my face...anyone know why this is? Regardless, I had a go at pulling off the gorgeous #106 Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick which I've been dying to wear for yonks now and I think I did an okay job...not entirely convinced though. 

I teamed my berrytasic lips (as you can see i'm trying to be berry punny...cringe!) with a silver smokey eye and Nars sheer glow foundation. 

I heard that if you team a similar coloured blush to your lipstick it's much easier to pull it off, so I wore MAC powder blush in "Pinch Me" which I think worked quite well.  

I believe this makeup to be quite versatile; a glamorous look during the day and then pop on a pair of falsies and you could wear it into the night too! I'm definitely going to keep working at the berry lip to see if I can't pull it off but for now, it's a work in progress. 

What do you guys think of this look? Do you wear berry lips often and if so, which brand? 

xx

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Mid-year Resolutions

It's gotten to that time of year where all the resolutions you've made on New Year's Eve have gone down the drain, at least in my case anyway, and it's time to reevaluate life goals. Kind of like a half way point check in. Who said resolutions can't be made any time of the year?

I feel a bit like I've lost my motivation which was absolutely firing at the beginning of the year, and rather than dropping off until 2015 I want to pick myself back up again and finish off 2014 with a bang! If you can relate, try having a go at this too :)

Number one is a little cliche and typical but it's all to do with health and fitness. Since living on campus at University I've really lost my knack for cooking meals each night and going outside for fresh air and exercise. I spend far too much time on the interwebz and far too much time indoors. Not only that but my sleeping patterns aren't all that flash either and all of these things combined have left me tired, lethargic and just generally feeling grubby.

Number two is YouTube; something I've been hanging out to start for such a long time and I can't fathom why I haven't started it yet. I have tried filming a couple videos so far but each one I just haven't been happy with. I'm not a massive perfectionist but when it's something that really means a lot to me I sometimes hold back with the fear of failing. The quote, 'don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game' very much applies to me at the moment.

Keep you're eyes peeled for my first video to come out :)

Number three is purely to start becoming more involved. Involved at college, involved in conversations and just generally coming across as a more confident person. I'm not necessarily shy but my lack of self confidence and self esteem is sinking rather low as of late and it's not something I enjoy. I just want to live in the moment a little more and dwell less on the little things in life that honestly aren't that important.

So these are my mid-year resolutions and they're not starting tomorrow or the day after that, they're starting this very minute.

If you feel you could to with a little pick me up mid way through the year, comment below you're resolutions and we can encourage each other in a positive environment :) 

xx

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The Body Shop Star Dust Review & Makeup Look

I picked up this cute little bottle of pink star dust from The Body Shop over Christmas and have been having a lot of fun with it. I thought it'd be nice to show you how I to use it on my eyes as well as doing a review...hopefully you find it helpful!

In terms of quality and price I think this star dust is very good. It was pretty cheap for what it's worth and the packaging is seriously too cute. I love the fact it has a tiny opening to shake the sparkles out unlike a lot of pigments, otherwise I'd have it everywhere.

It's different than a pigment in terms of size. The sparkles are obviously much larger and couldn't be used to highlight inner corners of the eye like a pigment could for example. It's purely handy to use over the lid and I find it much easier to apply over the top of a cream eyeshadow.

I personally love this star dust, it's super glitzy if that's the look you're going for and would be awesome at a club or something of the like.

Tip: If you're applying this over the eyes, make sure you don't put foundation or concealer on until last because it goes everywhere!

Makeup Look

Australis Go Longwear Lipstick in "Preppy"

Unfortunately the photos don't portray just how head turning sparkly the star is. I don't have many body shop makeup products but this has sold me to go back and try out some more.

What are your favourite body shop products? Would love to have some recommendations! 

xx

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Kim Kardashian Inspired Makeup Look

Whenever I feel stressed or panicked I always find myself sitting in front of my mirror, makeup sprawled out all around me, practicing different looks. I simply find a picture on google that I think looks interesting or challenging and attempt (attempt being the key word here) to imitate the look as best I can.

I found an image on google that uses mainly the technique of smudging eyeliner (I used gel eyeliner) in the crease and also in the outer corner of the eye, and to achieve the sharp and clear line on the outer corner of my eyes I did the classic sticky tape trick. I didn't actually take step by step pictures because my expectations of it being successful weren't high, however I wish I did after seeing the outcome!

I'm really happy with how this turned out. My sister said, 'it looks a lot like Kim Kardashian!' and I think she's quite right.

What's on my face: 

- Loreal True Match foundation in "N2 Vanilla" 

- Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in "Ivory"

- MAC transparent powder 

- Benefit hoola bronzer 

- MAC powder blush in "Pinch Me"

- MAC eyeshadow in "Mystery" to fill in my eyebrows 

- MAC clear brow gel 

- MAC prep+prime eye base in "light" 

- Using my Nude 'tude palette by theBalm I used: Sassy, Snobby, Sleek and Serious 

- Maybelline gel eyeliner in "Blackest Black" 

- theBalm liquid black eyeliner 

- Bourjois waterproof black clubbing eyeliner pencil 

- Maybelline the falsies mascara in "Black"

- MAC matte lipstick in "Please Me" 

What do you guys think of this look? I reckon it'd be totally wearable for a night out or even a formal event. I might also do a tutorial on YouTube if any of you are interested? Let me know :) 

xx

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This is not a crime!

Note I've cheekily included a self portrait of me wearing fake tan and makeup in all it's glory ;) Hehe. Issy I think you've made your point clear...  

Today I have the stupidest rant ever but for somer reason I felt it a necessary task in my daily agenda. Topic? Makeup and fake tan (and other body/appearance changes of the like).

I love using makeup and I love tanning myself because it makes me feel more confident and I personally like the look. Not only that but I have an obsession with trying out new products and it just generally makes me happy to experiment around, try different looks and so forth. It's not a crime! So why do people have such a big problem with it?

I'm so sick and tired of those around me (not you guys, obviously I love you guys being like-minded and all) saying things like, 'you shouldn't fake tan, it's bad for your skin' or, 'why on earth are you putting makeup on, you don't need it'...I do it because I bloody well want to! And it's certainly not to make you happy.

I also get my all time favourite question (note sarcasm), 'why do you waste so much money on makeup and beauty products?' and the answer to that question is because to me, it's not a waste. I believe that if whatever you're spending money on is making you happy and is of great use to you, then why would it be a waste? It's a totally personal thing. To me, I would be wasting my money if I went out and bought some hardware equipment because that's not what I'm interested in and what I like.

Furthermore, the same applies to everything else in life whether it be dying hair, piercing yourself and getting tattoos etc. Just because I don't personally like tattoos for myself, it's not to say I'd put someone who does to shame. I just can't understand why people feel the need to pick on other people because they've decided to be an individual and do what makes them happy. The individuals are the people I most admire.

I guess what I'm trying to say (attempting to calm myself down here) is if you love not wearing makeup because it makes you happy then continue doing that. Just like if you love wearing makeup, no matter how much of it you wear, keep doing it. Happiness and confidence is the best kind of beautiful. Those who matter don't mind and those that mind don't matter. 

Note: Everybody is beautiful in their natural state and you shouldn't feel the need to change in order to impress or please somebody else. Thought I better make that point clear too hehe (Oh Issy, where are you actually going with this?).

I know so many beauty gurus have talked about this topic before but it can't hurt to bring it up again and keep bringing it up until people start to understand.

What are your thoughts and opinions on this topic? I'd love to hear them :) 

xx

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