Michael Todd True Organics skincare mini-haul

Hi guys! I haven't posted on this blog in a really long time, which is mostly due to the fact that I was without a computer for about four or five months. My laptop decided to die and I couldn't afford a new one at the time. It was an interesting experience, being without a computer- but that's a blog post for another day!

Today I'm going to be catching up on my drafts from before my laptop crashed and also making up for lost time by posting some new things as well, I hope you enjoy!

This post is one I had drafted a while before my computer crashed and burned; and that is my Michael Todd True Organics skincare mini haul. I say 'mini' because there are literally only two products that I purchased, and I received a few samples as well.

I had heard a lot about MTTO from other beauty gurus, mostly on YouTube and I thought the product line sounded great. I was a little nervous, as I always am, being the most sensitive-skinned person on the planet, probably, but I was very happy to discover that the products I decided to try were not irritating to my skin at all. :-) Winning!

The bubble wrap was almost as exciting as the products! I love bubble wrap. :-D

Organic Lemon Toner and Moisture Lite lotion.

The products I decided to try were the Organic Lemon Toner and the Moisture Lite lotion. I picked these from the range for oily and blemished skin. My skin is not particularly oily, but I do tend to get breakouts. The main thing that sold me on the toner was the lemon scent and also that the description said the toner would be good for smoothing fine lines as well as healing blemish-prone skin. I do like the toner very much, although as I suspected, it has made my skin a little bit more dry. It can also increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun, which hasn't been a problem as I have used it through autumn and winter but I may need to be careful coming in to spring and summer. I love the lemon smell and also the fact that it seems to really get all of the dirt and grime out of my pores. I use the toner by soaking a cotton pad and applying it all over my face. When I first began using it, I had only been using Witch Hazel for a long time (and I still swear by it), and I noticed straight away how dirty the cotton pad would be after I used the lemon toner. I was amazed by how much it actually manages to clean out from the skin!

I like the Moisture Lite lotion because it's a nice thin, gel-like consistency and it provides moisture for my skin without being greasy. It also smells a little like lemon cheesecake, which is something I heard a YouTuber say and that was probably the main reason I bought it! :-D

I have found the Moisture Lite lotion to be especially helpful when I have hormonal breakouts, which I tend to get on my cheeks and my chin around that time of month (sorry if that's TMI!). It still moisturises my skin but it helps to soothe the breakouts and ultimately to clear them up.

Samples! I love samples.

I received four very generous samples with my order, and I have tried almost all of them now except for the wild rose petal body wash, which I am saving for a camping trip where I won't want to bring a giant bottle of shower gel. I liked the Hydration Boost facial serum, although I found it a tiny bit too strong for my skin and I did experience a little bit of redness after using it. The Citrus Cream Moisturiser was amazing and I also liked the Cleanse and Tone all-in-one cleanser, makeup remover and toner. What a genius idea! I highly recommend that product to anybody who is travelling and wants to save space in their beauty bag!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Michael Todd True Organics. The shipping was super fast, the products are amazing; and I will definitely be repurchasing from this brand. :-)

Nordstrom Haul!

Hi guys! I am back with a little Nordstrom haul to share. :)


Recently I discovered that Nordstrom's online site ships to Australia. They don't ship everything, unfortunately, but they do ship a lot of major beauty brands and the prices are much more affordable than what we pay in Australia. The difference in price of a Dior mascara in America and in Australia is absolutely crazy, so I got to shopping and yesterday a little brown box arrived on my doorstep.

The only thing I don't like about buying from overseas is the shipping costs. I paid rather a lot of money to have my products shipped here; and while I understand that it is a long distance for postage, I do wish it was slightly more affordable, because I would have bought a heap more stuff.

But enough of that, on with the haul!


I started out with about 20 items in my cart, and edited down from there (which, for me, means shifting things from Cart to Wishlist, hehe). I ended up with four products, all of which I am super excited about.

eeeeeep!

 

 

So, from left to right: Christian Dior, Diorshow "New Look" mascara in 090 Black. Yves Saint Laurent Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils "Shocking" felt-tip eyeliner in Black. Yves Saint Laurent Rebel Nudes Glossy Stain in 110 Reckless Pink. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte lipstick in 7 Lingerie Pink.

 

 

I cannot even tell you guys how long I have waited for some of these products. It is ridiculous. The YSL eyeliner and Rebel Nude glossy stain are new to me and were slightly impulse purchases, but I have a story about both the Dior mascara and the YSL lipstick.

 

So, a pretty long time ago, I went to the Dior counter in Myer in search of a new mascara; and I was pretty much set on the Diorshow New Look. I am an enormous fan of the 1947 Dior New Look collections and pretty much anything Christian Dior and anything vintage, so I was excited about this mascara. But when I asked the lady at the counter, she pretty much did whatever she could to talk me out of it and talk me into a different mascara (the silver tube kind? I forget what it's called now). So I bought the one she recommended, but I never forgot about the New Look one. I generally don't get talked out of or into products anymore because as I've gotten older, I've gotten more sure of myself and assertive, but in this instance I was shopping with my mum and I didn't want to make trouble, I guess. So when I saw this mascara on the Nordstrom website for really affordable, I had to pick it up and I am so happy that I did. One of the things I love about online shopping is that you don't have to deal with sales associates who try to talk you out of things or into other things. Lol!

 

My story with the YSL Rouge Volupte in 7 actually takes place at the same counter, with the same sales associate, but much later on. I had seen the colour in one of Elle Fowler's videos and I really, really wanted it. I checked the YSL website and saw it there, so I went in to Myer and asked for the colour 7, Lingerie Pink. The sales associate pretty much just stared at me for a moment and told me that there was no such colour. It doesn't exist, she was telling me. And when I told her that I had seen it with my own eyes, she wasn't having it. She was convinced that there has never been a #7. When I was back home in Melbourne about a month ago (stay tuned for my Melbourne haul, it is coming!), I asked a sales associate at another YSL counter if she had ever heard of it, and she told me she had, but that it was very difficult to buy. So while I was on the Nordstrom site, I thought I would have a look and, sure enough, there it was: #7, Lingerie Pink. So I think out of all the products I bought, this lipstick is the one I am most proud to have purchased.

 

Diorshow New Look, YSL Rebel Nudes Glossy Stain, Rouge Volupte 7, Shocking Faux Cils eyeliner.

So those are the products that I picked up from the Nordstrom website, I hope you enjoyed this post. Keep checking back to see my long-overdue Melbourne haul as well as some collective hauls I have planned, an updated skincare routine and some more bits and bobs!

xoxo

Beauty Products I Can't Live Without

How have I not blogged since November?? Life has been absolutely crazy lately, but I am back and I feel super-motivated to write at the moment, so here is a list of some of the beauty products I cannot live without.

Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Créme and Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone moisturiser.

I use the Chanel one as a day cream and the Estée Lauder one as more of a night cream. I cannot live without these products because they are the best moisturisers I have ever used in my life and I can't imagine a time where I won't love these.

Label M Protein Spray.

I was first introduced to this product by a girl friend of mine who was, at the time, my hairdresser. Ever since then, I have absolutely loved it and sworn by it. I went a long time without it, because I could never find it anywhere. A few months ago I discovered it online and I was finally reunited with my love. This is the best protein-infused hair product I own and I am so glad I found it.

Chanel Mousse Exfoliante Pureté.

This has been my staple cleanser since I was about seventeen; and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I cannot live without this cleanser in my life. If I ever couldn't have it for some reason, I would literally be unable to live. My feelings about this cleanser go beyond love and into need. I need this like I need water and air. If you have never felt that way about a cleanser, I recommend you try Chanel, because you will fall in love with it.



A few more products I can't live without:

• Pond's Cold Cream
• DeLorenzo silver shampoo
• Lucas' Paw Paw ointment.
• Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat foundation
• Chanel No. 5
• Witch Hazel toner

I hope you enjoy this post, let me know in the comments if you have any requests for future blog posts, and in the meantime I am working on some pretty cool things, so stay tuned!

Love and light.
xoxo

November Empties/Products I've Used Up!

 

Hi everyone! Earlier in the month I decided that I would start doing some "Product Empties" posts. I love these on YouTube, so I am going to have a go at my own blog versions. I've been trying to make an effort to use up a bunch of products that I've had for quite a while. I have forgotten to take pictures of quite a few products before I threw away the packaging, but I will list them at the end.

 

So, without further ado, these are some of the products I have used up in November.

 

 

 

I used up my Christian Dior gentle toning lotion, which was kind of sad for me because I bought this while I was in Vegas (along with quite a few other products) and I absolutely love it. I'm not even sure if I can buy this in Australia, which is also really quite sad. I love that this is good for sensitive skin, because my skin really is very, very, very sensitive. It also has velvet and peony extract, which makes it smell really nice and feel really nice on my face. If I can find this product again, I will most definitely be repurchasing it.

 

I used up a lot of perfumes this month. I used up a bottle of Vera Wang, Princess, which I have had a few times now and I never get sick of it. I will probably repurchase this because I love it so much.

 

I also used up a bottle of Jimmy Choo EDP, which is a very interesting fragrance and I can never quite put my finger on what exactly it smells like. The small bottle at the bottom of the picture is a miniature Miss Dior Chérie, which I used up this month as well.

 

I used up my Chanel, Chance perfume this month. This is a lovely fragrance for spring, and I suppose it's quite fitting that I used it up on the second-last day of spring for the year.

 

I used up a full-sized Miss Dior Chérie this month, but I had to throw it away with a tiny bit left in it because it was starting to make my skin break out in a rash. :( I suspect that it was just getting a bit old, because I've never had a reaction to this perfume.

 

Another very sad moment for me this month was the day I used up the last of my Mango Temptation fragrance mist from Victoria's Secret. I LOVE this fragrance, and I have been using it so sparingly since I bought it in Vegas (in 2011). I was sad to see this go, because obviously we don't have Victoria's Secret in Australia. I guess I'll just have to go back again soon to stock up!

 

 

Other Products I Used Up This Month (Not Pictured):

 

One tube of Lucas Paw Paw Ointment (essential product, will definitely repurchase)

A tube of Veet bladeless hair removal cream

Coconut body scrub from the Body Shop

One bottle of Brazil Nut shower cream from the Body Shop

One Chanel mascara, in black

 

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! I'm saving up for a video camera at the moment, so hopefully I'll be able to start making some YouTube videos to complement these blog posts as well. :-)

 

Love and Light,

 

xoxo

Christmas Haul!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

These are some of the bits and pieces I have picked up for this Christmas!

I am totally in love with these wristbands, I am going to be wearing a different one to work each day until Christmas. :-) These teddy bear earrings are super cute as well; and I absolutely adore my smiley snowman mug. I'm going to drink my coffee out of that on Christmas morning.

 

I may have gone a little crazy at Dusk, buying candles this past couple of weeks. But these were so yummy, I couldn't not pick them up! The candle on the left is called "Red Velvet Cake," and it really does smell exactly like a red velvet cake (funnily enough). I actually have this candle burning right now; and my entire bedroom smells like a yummy cake. I know it's not specifically a Christmas candle, but who doesn't love dessert smells?

 

The candle on the right is a Christmas candle with a double wick. It is gingerbread and orange peel. I adore the smell of this candle, and I really like that it's made from soy. I prefer to have soy candles, and this one smells absolutely amazing. It smells like freshly baked gingerbread. I haven't burned this one yet, because I'm saving it for Christmas. The packaging is really gorgeous as well, I love the purple jar and the beautiful patterns.

 

The next two things I bought were these candles, also from Dusk. I got Pink Butter Icing, which again is not a Christmas candle, but it smells like a patisserie and it's pink... Need I say more? Even though Christmastime is really hot here in Australia, I still like the idea of burning yummy candles to get into the Christmas spirit. I have burned this one quite a few times, and it's a really nice sweet fragrance, but not as strong as the Red Velvet Cake candle.

 

The last candle for this haul is a Christmas candle, called Candy Cane. This lovely candle also comes in the large size with a double wick, but on the particular day that I went shopping, I didn't have very much money so I settled for the smaller size. Knowing me, though, I will probably go back to get the large size because this candle smells very strongly of peppermint; and I LOVE peppermint. I haven't burned this one yet, because as I said, I'm waiting until it gets a bit closer to Christmas to burn my Christmas-specific candles, but I can't wait for my room to be filled with this amazing smell.

 

This is a tealight holder that I bought as a Christmas present for my mum. I saw it in Dusk on my trip there last week and loved it, so when I went back this week I decided to pick it up. It wasn't overly expensive, either, so I might get a couple more to give to her. It has a lovely pattern of reindeer, swirly trees and snowflakes, which I think my mum will really like.

 

 

 

I am proud to say that I have indeed finished my Christmas shopping, however I tend to pick up a few extra things for people in the lead up to Christmas. I do want to get something extra for my dad, I'm just having a really difficult time figuring out what. And I want to get a couple more things for my mum and my best friend. Again, I'm not sure what those things will be.

 

 

So that's what I've hauled so far for Christmastime, I hope you guys are having an amazing day/night wherever you are.

Love and Light.

xoxo

Outfit of the Day!

Hi guys!

I really liked my outfit today, so I thought I would do an Outfit of the Day post!

I have been getting so sick of wearing black all the time (at my jobs), so today I decided to put on a little red dress and feel a bit more summer-y. I curled my hair on Saturday and now it's Wednesday (I only wash my hair once a week... Don't judge me), so this is a very messy, undone hairstyle but I think that's okay. Nothing I'm wearing here was very expensive, apart from my makeup. It just goes to show that sometimes you can put together a really cute outfit on a small budget!

Outfit:

Dress: Kmart
Watch: Forever New
Shoes: Kmart (I'm sensing a theme here, hahaha)

Beauty Notes:

Nail Polish: Australis
Foundation: Yves Saint Laurent
Lip Gloss: Bonne Bell, Vanilla Frosting
Eyeshadow: Nars 'Isolde' duo
Mascara: Yves Saint Laurent, Noir Radical in black
Eyeliner: Napoleon Perdis kohl eyeliner in black
Bronzer: Nars, 'Laguna'
Tan: Kate Somerville tanning towellettes


I hope you guys enjoyed this OOTD, let me know in the comments if you would like to see more of these!

Love and Light

xoxo

Does Size Matter? (Or, How Much Makeup is Too Much Makeup?)

Lately, I have been watching a lot of beauty videos on YouTube. I particularly like the ones where the YouTuber does a tour of their makeup collections, so I have been watching quite a few of those. And it got me thinking, how much makeup is too much makeup?

I thought that I had a lot of makeup, but when I started watching beauty vloggers on YouTube and seeing how much makeup they purchase on a regular basis, and witnessing the enormity of their makeup collections, my own collection started to feel very small.

 I am in no way judging these girls, I think their collections are amazing and I don't think there is anything wrong with having a large collection of something that you love. It is just a concept that I find curious. How much makeup can one person realistically use?

There are all kinds of varying "rules" about how long a makeup product lasts for. Some people say you shouldn't keep a mascara longer than six months; and others say three months is the absolute maximum. Personally, I have used certain mascaras for over a year and not had any problems. Creams don't tend to have as long a shelf life as powders, but should we really throw them away just because we've had them for longer than six months? That seems silly and wasteful to me. I take care of my makeup; and if it still smells and looks as good as the day I bought it, I'm not going to throw it away. My makeup collection is carefully and deliberately constructed. I don't just buy makeup because it's there, so if I spend my money on a product, I want to use it until it's finished, not until some magazine or blogger on the internet says I should throw it away.

But in saying all of that, I have to wonder: If a product has been in your makeup collection for three or four years and you blatantly state that you never use it and will probably never use it, is it really worth holding on to? Makeup can carry sentimental value, certainly the red Chanel lipstick my mum gave me for my birthday many years ago holds a lot of sentimental value for me and I still have it. But it also hasn't dried up, it still works, and I still love the colour. But what about makeup that vloggers point out in their collections and say, "I don't really like this product," or "I never use this/will never use this"? Do those products really belong in your collection, if that's the way you feel about them?

In the spirit of not being wasteful, you could give away the products you don't use/like, provided that it's hygienic. A liquid foundation with a pump, a lip gloss you've never, ever touched, and any kind of powder is perfectly okay to be given away to somebody who might love it. I don't recommend giving away used mascaras, eyeliners or lip products that you have used on yourself, though. You could gather all of your untouched, hygienic products and get together with a group of friends for a swap.

I recently purged my makeup collection, cleaned up some palettes and gave a whole bunch of stuff to my mum. I wasn't really using them, or felt like I would never be able to use them all up, so I gave them to my mum. I gave her a bunch of powder eyeshadows, a powder blush, things like that. It was all perfectly safe to share; and they look much nicer on her than they did on me!

The added bonus is the fact that now I have heaps more room for new makeup. ;-)

So, with all of these things in mind, I'm still left to wonder what constitutes "too much makeup." The best I can figure is that it's different for everybody. Everybody who has a makeup collection should be content and comfortable with the amount that they have. I am content to have a relatively small-to-medium sized collection of lovingly collected, carefully selected products which make me happy every time I look at my vanity or open my makeup bags. Other people are content to amass hundreds of products, just because they can, regardless of whether or not they like them. All I can say to that is, it must be nice to have that much money!

What do you guys think? Is there such a thing as having "too much makeup"? What do you consider to be excessive? How big is your makeup collection? Drop me a comment below, I'm curious. :-)

Until next time,

Love and light.

xoxo