Haul: Lancome Beauty Box & Australis

Hello Beautyloverrs!

I picked up the Lancome Beauty Box recently. It's a holiday collection they come out with every year around Christmas time. You can purchase it for $99 with a fragrance purchase. I show you everything that's inside in the video and it is limited edition so if you like what you see you should pick it up soon!

I also picked up some Australis products; the Face-A-Holic which I already did a review/comparison on and also some nail polishes. Hope you enjoy.

xox

lust have it: November (my first box!)

Hello beautyloverrs!

I picked up my first ever lust have it box today from the post office! Initial reaction ... the box is kind of small and light. I don't know why I was expecting a massive heavy thing but that was just my first reaction.. (it might have something to do with the fact that I always over-order when buy online hence the expectation of massive parcels!) But I powerwalked home and opened the box and I actually quite like what I found inside.

Inside I found,

• a card
• RoC Complete Lift NEW Technology Daily Moisturiser 5mL x 3 (RRP $59 50mL)
• Nude by Nature Lip Liner in Chique Natural Mineral Lipliner (RRP$14.95)
• Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose 1.5mL x 2 (RRP $79 30mL)
• Hawley International Miracle Shine 2 Step Miracle Nail Shiner (RRP $6.95)
• Kerastase Nectar Thermique 10mL x 5 (RRP $39.50 150mL)

The packaging seems quite reasonable with bits of shredded paper for cushioning. I just bought Lancome's Tresor Midnight Rose for my mum (which you'll see in the haul that's uploading) so I know she'll like that. I do like it too, it's just not my fragrance of choice. I actually need a day moisturiser so definitely keen on trying the RoC one. I've been interested in their brand for a while now too. I have been also been interested in the Kerastase brand for a while now too but their stuff always seemed so expensive. The samples would be great to try out as well as to bring with me while I'm travelling. As for the lipliner, I've been meaning to try lipliners and a nude one is a great way to start. Finally the nail buffer. I have never heard of this brand before but shiny nails never hurt :)

That's my thoughts on this month's lust have it box. Overall I am quite pleased with what I found inside and can't wait for next month's!

xox

Sculpture By the Sea: Tamarama to Bondi

Hello beautyloverrs!

This post is a little bit off-topic but I had to share! It is an annual exhibition of sculptures which can be seen along the coastal walk between Tamarama and Bondi beach. I went to see it yesterday and it was the best weather Sydney has ever offered! Here are some of my favourites :)

xox

Showdown: Australis Face-A-Holic VS Sephora Sculpting Disk

Hello Beautyloverrs :)

Showdown posts are when I compare two products which I believe look similar and claim to do similar things. The two products in the beauty rink today are Australis Face-A-Holic and Sephora's Sculpting Disk. The Face-A-Holic is a new product from Australis which I just had to get as soon as I saw it to do this showdown. So let's see how they compare! (If there is anything that I forgot to mention please leave me a comment. Of course if you have any questions, suggestions or requests also contact me by leaving a comment or email, available on the sidebar. Thank you!)

 Who, what, where, how much?

| Australis Face-A-Holic AUD$19.95 45g net
- Big W - Kmart - Priceline - Target
- Made in Taiwan
- Blush in Rosy Cheeks - Pressed Powder in Deep Natural - Bronzer in Sunkissed

| Sephora Sculpting Disk USD$24 + tax 22g net
- Sephora - Sephora online
- Made in Italy
- Blush Bronzer B01 - Mattifying Powder D20 - Highlighting Powder I20

Review

Blush/Highlight | Australis Face-A-Holic is actually much smoother in texture than the Sephora Sculpting Disk. This may be due to the fact that the products are somewhat matte. The blush is a light pink and has a tiny amount of shimmer in it however you don't feel the particle nor are they noticeable on the skin. The equivalent product in the Sephora Sculpting Disk is the highlight which is loaded with shimmer and gives a nice glow to the cheekbones. Although it looks like a shimmering light pink in the pan, on the skin the pink blends out; similar in concept to Benefit's High Beam.

Powder | Both powders claim to be mattifying pressed powders. The powder in Face-A-Holic is extremely sheer to the point where it does not show up on my skin, so I would say it is more of a transluscent powder. Again it feels very nice and smooth and acts as a great touch up powder as it doesn't look caking on the skin, especially if you have makeup on already. It blends nicely into the skin to mattify. The Sculpting Disk powder is more pigmented (as you'll see from the .. not-so-great swatch below). It's also quite light so I won't recommend this for medium to dark skintones. It feels smooth but not as smooth as the Face-A-Holic. It does a great job at mattifying but can look a little bit powdery if too much is applied. So in comparison, this is more like a light coverage mattifying pressed powder as opposed to a transclucent mattifying pressed powder.

Bronzer | The Face-A-Holic Bronzer is the most shimmery of the three and is a medium-deep bronzy gold shade. It actually looks great as an crease eyeshadow as well for a summer inspired bronze eye look. It's quite shimmery so it might not be the best as a straight-up defining contour bronzer. Rather, this can be popped into the hollows of the cheeks and blended out above into the temples and below into the jawline just to give both depth and colour to the face. Due to the warmth of the shade it would be suitable for most skintones and should not look orange or dirty. Sephora's bronzer is much lighter and less shimmery which could act as a perfect contouring shade for fair to light skintones. Just be cautious as using too much can look a little bit orange on the skin. It can be applied under the cheeks, jawline as well as your temples. Make sure you blend well to erase hard edges between the contour shade and your skin. Texture is again not as smooth as the Face-A-Holic although there is less shimmer.

Misc |
- Pigmentation is fairly light for all powders so they are easy to work with and great for beginners. They are also both great for travelling.
- Both products include instructions on the packaging to show how each powder should be used.
- Australis packing is slightly less sleek where the pivot mechanism juts out of the disk shape, although the mirror does open all the back 180degrees. The Sephora packaging is flush all the way around and seems to close tighter. The mirror only opens about 100degrees. Both are made of plastic.
- All powders have talc and mica as first two ingredients
- Main difference is that Australis is solely available in Australia while Sephora is largely available in USA.

Sooo...
| Australis Face-A-Holic
Price: $
Packaging: 3/5
Quality: 4/5
Repurchase: Yes (although I don't know if I'll ever need to :p)


| Sephora Sculpting Disk
Price: $$
Packing: 4/5
Quality: 3.5/5
Repurchase: No

Thank you for reading! Hope that was helpful xox

... and a terrible swatch just for your enjoyment

All items were purchased by yours truly :)

October: Faves & Fails

Hello Beautyloverrs!

 It's time for October favourites and fails because it's November already! How crazy! I literally do not know where this year went :o

This is my first monthly faves & fails for this blog .. well for any blog really .. and it means it's almost my blog's one month birthday! I might do a mini mini giveaway if I can get at least 25 GFC friends and maybe 100 twitter followers? (too ambitious? lol) So since this is my first faves & fails, I really wanted to show you almost everything that I ever loved ... ever lol. But I think I restrained myself okay. Next month I'll be on track to show you just the things that I absolutely can not live without ... and I still really want to do the weekly favourites but I just couldn't get it done with uni and this really horrible weather. BUT uni is over now for the year and the weather has been looking good lately (touch wood) so hopefully it can be revived .. we'll see. OK Here it is!

Cosmetics (eye)

| Estee Lauder Double wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme (swatched each side respectively)

- 18 Pink Pearl

- 20 Gold Dust

| Bourjois Eyeshadow (swatched in the middle)

- 08 Beige Rose

| Revlon PhotoReady Concealer (swatch horizontally)

- 003 Light Medium

| Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Waterproof 

- Very Black

{MY HG WATERPROOF MASCARA! You'll be able to see this mascara on my lashes when I post my Showdown: Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover VS Lancome Bi-Facil video}

Cosmetics (face)

| Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 55

{For days where I know I will be outside and exposed to the sun}

| Za True White Day Protector SPF 26

{ For days when I know I will be indoors, and not under the direct exposure of the sun but still need SPF to counter the indirect sunlight. This also usually means I'm in an air-conditioned environment for up to 9 hours of the day so it's moisturising properties is also good for preventing oiliness}

| Maybelline Blush

- 20 Pink o' Pink

{Surprise favourite! This blush was so cheap and a random purchase.Pigmentation is not fantastic and packaging is just plain, plastic Maybelline packaging but I love this shade. The swatch is true to colour but my arm is more tanned than my face so on my cheeks it really shows up a fresh, cheery, cute flush of cherub pinkness!}

| NYX Black Label Lipstick 

- 168 Off the Beaten Path

{This will be featured in my 5 Mins Challenge Tutorial. I love this lipstick. Apply and blot. Perfect if you want to get into bright lips :)

Skin & Hair

| Lancome Bi-Facil

{I have been loving this this month as I ran out of my Neutrogena eye makeup remover but stay tuned for my Eye Makeup Remover Showdown!}

| Yes to Carrots Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser For Normal to Dry Skin

{The more I use this the more I love it and think it's a miracle product! It is perfect to use with my Clarisonic. It is the most gentle physical exfoliator. You can feel the exfoliation and you think it's going to roughen up your skin but actually it leaves it feeling soft and smooth!}

| MAC Fix +

{I love using this to moisten my foundation brush before applying my foundation to assist in blending. Especially with slightly thicker, less easier to blend foundations, this works like magic}

| Avene Thermal Spring Water

{I loved using this as a toner, de-powderfying my makeup and godsend on planes!}

| CHI Silk Infusion

{This acts as a heat protector and leave-in hair treatment, which can be used on wet and dry hair. I use this everytime I wash my hair. Personally, I think it's better than Morocconoil}

Scents

| Crabtree&Evelyn Summer Hill Hydrating Body Mist

{This literally smells like a field of flowers and grass in summertime. "...extracts of linden, marrow and nourishing honey."}

| Love, Chloe

{This is not the usual scent that I would gravitate towards which is usually sweet and fresh e.g. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh, but for some reason I just love this scent. It's very unique and crazily enough it works perfectly with my body chemistry. It lasts for a long time on me and at the most random times I'll get a whiff of it and just go ahhh.}

Fails
| Dove Summer Glow
- Fair to Medium Skin
{This builds a nice tan/colour in a few days. I usually use it for a maximum for three days and then I stop for a few days as I don't to get any darker than that. HOWEVER this NEVER dries ... maybe in about 24 hours, at which point I have to shower and reapply ... It also says don't cover until it dries ... but it never dries so I'd have to walk around naked if I were to follow the instructions. I'm sure I can find a budget gradual tanner that gives nice colour AND actually dries in a reasonable time}
| Sun Sense Daily Face Matt FOrmula SPF 30+
{This just feels uncomfortable on my skin .. I can't explain it but I refuse to put something uncomfortable on my skin. By uncomfortable I mean I can feel it and that's uncomfortable ... lol :p. It's also not easy to blend, meaning it sometimes balls up if I don't let my moisturiser underneath dry properly .. or dry too much .. or mixes with the foundation I put on top and just goes eurgh. I can't even use it on my body as again .. uncomfortable. Not physically irritating but I think the matt formula leaves a weird finish. I'm trying to use it up by using it on my neck .. halfway house between face and body lol}

That's all for this month. I hope you enjoyed :) Mini reviews for all products will be up soon ... but if you would like an in-depth review instead for any of the products mentioned in this post let me know in a comment or email me! Of course, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or requests leave a comment or email me. Talk to you soon!

xox have a great day!

All items were purchased by yours truly except for Love, Chloe, which is a tester (and no I did not nick it from DJs.. :p) I work at a retail store which sells fragrances so of course we have testers for customers to try. Every few months employees are allowed to pick a couple of half empty testers to take home (as they are generally replaced with new ones when they reach halfway). So I didn't receive it from any PR people or anything fabulous like that lol (i wish!) xox