Wednesday, August 9th 2017 Beauty, Skincare
It has been FOREVER since I’ve written what my daily skincare routine is. This year I have tried really hard to stick to a consistent routine, of using 1 product until I finish it up. When I first started being sent products to try for my blog, I’d be using new things every week. My skin did not enjoy chopping and changing so much, especially considering so many of the products weren’t right for my skin type. Since sticking to a consistent routine, my skin has really looked so much better. People often say that you need to stick to one brand of skincare which I don’t believe in. I use products from La Roche-Posay, Neutrogena, Garnier, Clinique, Dermalogica, Avene, Goodness, Seed + Soul, and InstaNatural. Now, onto my skincare routine:
Monday, July 31st 2017 Beauty, Makeup
It’s an exciting time for beauty addicts down under, as Mecca Maxima has released their own brand – Mecca Max. They have products in just about every category – foundation, nail polish, brushes & other tools, false lashes. You can do your entire face from this range! For overseas readers, Mecca Maxima is our answer to Sephora. They have stands where you can try products, lots of fun minis, and helpful staff. There is a sister store Mecca Cosmetica which is more expensive products, skincare, and fine fragrance. My taste is more aligned with Mecca Maxima so I’m very excited that they are opening a store here in Auckland!
“A collection of 25 ‘MAXimiser’ products that hero the range, with stand-outs including eye and skin primers, a strobing stick, an
artistry palette and a double-ended mascara. Plus the entry-level price point means items range from just $5 to $45, making MECCA MAX accessible to beauty novices and devotees alike.”
Saturday, July 29th 2017 Beauty
This post is long overdue – and I can tell this because my empties box is quite literally overflowing. With moving house and changing jobs, this poor wee blog has been sorely neglected but now I feel like I’ve got life under control so I’m back baby! Over the last 3 months I have finished 12 products, with most of those being full size so I’m pretty proud of myself. I’ve made a real point of sticking to a consistent skincare routine which means I’m behind in trying new products but my skin is loving it, and I’ve actually managed to finish a few things. This post features hair, skin, body, and nail care products, so let’s jump into it.
Wednesday, July 12th 2017 Makeup
L’Oréal is a brand that I cut my makeup teeth on, so to speak. I remember I always used to try on L’Oréal products while waiting for prescriptions at the pharmacy, or at department stores. Then I got a bit older, and began to buy my own makeup and primarily bought “drugstore” brands with a lot from L’Oréal. Then I got even older and started earning more, spending more, and became a blogger and before long I stopped frequenting the self select makeup stands. So it has been fun for me to try these products and revisit what I liked about L’Oréal.
A little while ago I attended an event hosted by L’Oréal for bloggers and other beauty media to try some of their latest releases. You may have seen previews of this on my Instagram, and now I’ve finally written a blog post about the products I received at that event.
Sunday, May 14th 2017 Nails
My friend Bonnie recently opened a makeup and nails studio here in Auckland, and invited me to come along to try out her services. I also have a friend who is a starting out as a photographer, and she wanted me to model for her. I combined the two, added a couple of new dresses I had bought for my birthday and celebrating my new job, respectively, and here we have this shoot!
Wednesday, May 3rd 2017 Beauty
March and April was a bumper month for empties, particularly on the skincare front. Some of that was because I threw out some products that I wasn’t crazy about, and others was because of I have been trying to only use one product from each category at a time. My friend Victoria does that and her good habits have been rubbing off on me and stopping me from turning into someone on Hoarders. This post includes brands such as Simple, Garnier, Neutrogena, Schwarzkopf, Goodness, Palmer’s, La Roche Posay and more!
Wednesday, April 26th 2017 Skincare
Seed and Soul is a new brand of natural and organic beauty products from right here in New Zealand. They have sent me the Seed and Soul Step-Up Scrub to review, as well as THREE to give away to you lucky readers! I have been using this facial scrub for the last month or so, and am reporting back today on how it works for my skin.
Wednesday, April 19th 2017 Nails
My friend Jessie from Nailed it NZ has released her own line of nail art brushes, and sent me the Nailed it NZ Nail Tool Essentials Kit! Jessie is a trained nail technician, and has been producing nail art videos on YouTube for several years now. She created this line of nail art brushes to enable people to create their best nail art, and I wanted to put this to the test. I am not at all what you would call a nail artist, but I’ve watched enough of Jessie’s videos to feel confident putting the Nailed it NZ brushes to the test.
Friday, April 14th 2017 Makeup
Early in 2016, MAC Cosmetics released their take on matte liquid lipsticks with their Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour collection. I didn’t try them then, but now they’re back. This year’s Retro Matte collection is full of deep and muted tones, ready for the autum/winter season here in New Zealand. I was sent three of the shades from this range by MAC Cosmetics and in this post I will be showing you how they look as well as sharing my thoughts on them.
Thursday, March 30th 2017 Nails
Jamberry nail wraps have been on the beauty scene for a couple of years now, but I just got sent some and used them for the first time! What are nail wraps you ask? They are thin sheets of vinyl that adhere to your nails using heat and pressure, and come in a range of fun patterns and colours. Jamberry says their wraps can last up to 2 weeks on your nails, and I put that to the test. Now, I’m sure many of you are aware that Jamberry is a direct sales/network marketing business. For the purposes of this review, I am just going to focus on the wraps themselves – I’ll touch on their business operations at the end. I really wanted to keep an open mind and review the wraps in the same way I would any other product.
