Mini Obsessions
I often get on board mini obsessions. Whether it be a brand or a product type, I get a little kick out of having a "thing" of the moment. It's really as fun as having a crush on the new boy in the office!
A mini obsession to me, is something that you might pine after, buy lots of, think about all the time for about 6 months to 2 years (I think beyond that is just a plain obsession). I have had many in the past, from anything glittery in my mid-teens, to brow products in my late teens and lip gloss in my early 20s. It's currently all about creme blush for me at the moment. I can't seem to get enough! That sheer, glowing from within touch of colour for the cheeks makes me drool at the thought!
I'm not sure what my next will be, but I feel the urge for a new MO.
Nail Polish!
I am a big believer in using nail polish as that finishing touch to really pull your look together! From a sheer pink to a deep dark burgundy, they can make or break your hard thought out outfit!
My choices for the best brands are as follows:
3. Bloom- A great aussie company that makes really nice quality polishes. They have a great selection of colours and they sometimes get designers and celebs to design colours!
2. OPI- I just can't go past the names of these polishes. They are such fun! I love that they bring out collections as each season rolls by. They always come up with fashion forward creative colours!
1. Essie- These polishes are amazing! I love the way they glide on and laaaast. Like OPI they have a vast collection of colours and you never have to worry that you won't find the right colour for your look!
My choices for the best brands are as follows:
3. Bloom- A great aussie company that makes really nice quality polishes. They have a great selection of colours and they sometimes get designers and celebs to design colours!
2. OPI- I just can't go past the names of these polishes. They are such fun! I love that they bring out collections as each season rolls by. They always come up with fashion forward creative colours!
1. Essie- These polishes are amazing! I love the way they glide on and laaaast. Like OPI they have a vast collection of colours and you never have to worry that you won't find the right colour for your look!
Review: theBalm Sexy Mama Powder
Best. translucent. powder. ever. This stuff is so amazing. It contains corn starch so it keeps oilies at bay all day! It is a true translucent powder in that it will not change the colour of your foundation. It just sets and mattifies and keeps you looking fab all day.
The packaging is super cute too but it is made of cardboard and it can start to look scungy pretty quick! All in all it gets 5 stars because I can't live without it!
Work Clothes
I found out recently that I am fairly alone in the fact that I am more than happy to spend a bit of extra money and wear good quality clothes to work (at least at my office). I know, I know it's not as fun to go out and buy work clothes, but I wear them 5 days out of 7 so in my opinion it's crazy to scrimp!
My fave places to shop for work clothes are Country Road, Witchery and Cue and yes their clothes might cost you more, but in the long run they last longer and I actually get great pleasure from getting dressed in the morning.
Sure I mix cheaper items back with my work wear (usually tees underneath a suit jacket) but I feel alone on the world that I spend on suits and shoes! Am I the only one?
Holiday Beauty
I just got back from a very relaxing sojourn in the Victorian countryside. I have noticed something about myself when if comes to packing for such travels, and whether I am going for a beachy holiday (as I did this last August to Fiji you can see from the dreamy picture above) or to the country I am all about downsizing and simplifying.
When I am at home I have a plethora of options from skin care to body products from hair contraptions to makeup. I can get up and choose from 3 morning cleansers, a few day creams and which sunscreen do I want to apply today? Which foundation is most appropriate and what blush will go best with my gloss? I love that about being at home, but I don't want to be weighed down with so many options when I am meant to be chillin'!
However, I do find it monumentally hard to decide which of my pretties will be coming with me. I find it really tricky to decide what products will be the best and most versatile. When I went to Fiji it was all about getting that beachy relaxed "I put no effort in, but look great" look. Obviously it's not really a smart idea to be taking a pair of hair straighteners to the beach and I would be spending my time by the pool and in some form of water. So they were out, and in went the beach/salt spray (I love John Frieda Beach Blonde spray). I gathered up some mini sizes of shampoo and conditioner from Kevin Murphy and my hair was set!
As for makeup, again I was going to be spending a lot of time in the pool and beach, so I wasn't going to take a full face but I wanted to be able to amp it up if we went for dinner or cocktails. Tricky. I ended up going with Invisible Zinc Tinted Moisturiser (very high sun protection is a must for me!) a translucent powder (IZ is quite shiny!), a brown stay put eye liner that could double as brow colour (Jemma Kidd), brow gel, tube mascara (I too BECCA The Ultimate), creme blush that doubled as lip colour (BECCA Lip and Cheek creme in Tuberose) and a gel bronzer (Georgio Armani). I think I managed to keep my look relaxed but put together and I was very happy with my small but effective collection.
When it came to skin care I knew I had to be careful, my skin can get very sensitive when I comes in contact with salt water so I decided to be kind and not too minimal. I bought myself a travel pack of Ultraceuticals goodies and I was ready to roll and not over burdened with big suitcase filling bottles of product.
Going tot he country was slightly different. I was happy to take a few more options as I knew I would be wearing makeup daily and I didn't want to get bored (and I do easily). For makeup I took two creme blushes, (0ne pink and one peach) two lip colours (again one pink and one peach), illuminating bronzer, tinted moisturiser, neutral eye shadow, olive green eyeliner pencil, translucent powder, a brow kit, mascara and that was it! Easy!
I did take my straightener, but not a blow dryer as I shower at night and my hair would dry overnight. Not taking a hair dryer really frees up space!
As for skin care I just kept it simple and hydrating with non-foaming cleanser (Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser), moisturiser (Ultraceuticals) and a sunscreen (again Ultraceuticals).
I have to say I feel very virtuous when I manage to keep my products minimal when I travel and it always feels good to come home and get stuck in to all the other stuff I left at home!
When I am at home I have a plethora of options from skin care to body products from hair contraptions to makeup. I can get up and choose from 3 morning cleansers, a few day creams and which sunscreen do I want to apply today? Which foundation is most appropriate and what blush will go best with my gloss? I love that about being at home, but I don't want to be weighed down with so many options when I am meant to be chillin'!
However, I do find it monumentally hard to decide which of my pretties will be coming with me. I find it really tricky to decide what products will be the best and most versatile. When I went to Fiji it was all about getting that beachy relaxed "I put no effort in, but look great" look. Obviously it's not really a smart idea to be taking a pair of hair straighteners to the beach and I would be spending my time by the pool and in some form of water. So they were out, and in went the beach/salt spray (I love John Frieda Beach Blonde spray). I gathered up some mini sizes of shampoo and conditioner from Kevin Murphy and my hair was set!
As for makeup, again I was going to be spending a lot of time in the pool and beach, so I wasn't going to take a full face but I wanted to be able to amp it up if we went for dinner or cocktails. Tricky. I ended up going with Invisible Zinc Tinted Moisturiser (very high sun protection is a must for me!) a translucent powder (IZ is quite shiny!), a brown stay put eye liner that could double as brow colour (Jemma Kidd), brow gel, tube mascara (I too BECCA The Ultimate), creme blush that doubled as lip colour (BECCA Lip and Cheek creme in Tuberose) and a gel bronzer (Georgio Armani). I think I managed to keep my look relaxed but put together and I was very happy with my small but effective collection.
When it came to skin care I knew I had to be careful, my skin can get very sensitive when I comes in contact with salt water so I decided to be kind and not too minimal. I bought myself a travel pack of Ultraceuticals goodies and I was ready to roll and not over burdened with big suitcase filling bottles of product.
Going tot he country was slightly different. I was happy to take a few more options as I knew I would be wearing makeup daily and I didn't want to get bored (and I do easily). For makeup I took two creme blushes, (0ne pink and one peach) two lip colours (again one pink and one peach), illuminating bronzer, tinted moisturiser, neutral eye shadow, olive green eyeliner pencil, translucent powder, a brow kit, mascara and that was it! Easy!
I did take my straightener, but not a blow dryer as I shower at night and my hair would dry overnight. Not taking a hair dryer really frees up space!
As for skin care I just kept it simple and hydrating with non-foaming cleanser (Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser), moisturiser (Ultraceuticals) and a sunscreen (again Ultraceuticals).
I have to say I feel very virtuous when I manage to keep my products minimal when I travel and it always feels good to come home and get stuck in to all the other stuff I left at home!
Review: Sugarbaby Bronzer
While this is not my favorite ever bronzer (that prize goes to NARS Laguna), it is an absolute staple of mine for the working week. It gives a subtle but buildable bronzed tone that has a very slight luminescence, but no glitter which really is vital for work. The reason I use this one on weekdays has a lot to do with the sheer size (it's huuuge) and the price (I think from memory about $17). I can go through this and not feel guilty at the amount of bronzer I use as I would if I was using a very expensive bronzer everyday. It's just great value and a nice product.I also have to say the packaging is really pretty. The compact is, as I said huge but it's also glamourous rose gold colour that will have people swooning when you whip it our of your beach bag. Lovely!
I give it 3 stars, but certainly 4 stars for value!
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