5 highlighters for the perfect glow

The cool chill of Autumn has well and truly hit it's peak this week, the chilly weather has certainly pushed me to stay wrapped in my duvet and french bulldog socks all day. You may be wondering whether or not the Winter of 2015 had me trapped in my bed forever... Maybe i fell in love with Bali and just decided to live there? If only... The point is i'm back lovelies and I'm here to stay so why not start the new and improved blog up with my top 5 highlighters that'll give you that sun-kissed glow...without the sun.

I'm a highlighter girl at heart, whether i'm hitting the beach, strolling those Sunday Markets or just brunching it with my girls a good glow is always a must. 

Inglot Sparkling dust shade 01

A loose highlighting powder for a serious glow. The Inglot sparkling Dust is your new beauty best friend if you're after a highlighter/illuminator that packs a punch of sparkle. This highlighter really catches the light, I use this on a fan brush as the consistency means you only need a little to seriously glow up your skin. I also love using this as an eyeshadow by spraying a flat eyeshadow brush with MAC Fix+. 

Tarte Cosmetics Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette vol. II

The Tarte Skin Twinkle lighting palette vol. II, is by far my most loved and most used highlighter out of my collection. The first two shades have been my saviours when being too lazy to fake-tan, these shades are simply perfect for fair skin shades. The consistency is incredibly creamy and so pigmented perfect for the cheekbones and under brow arch!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit- Sun dipped

This is my most recent highlighter purchase, I am clearly obsessed with highlighters and don't plan to stop purchasing or using them any time soon! ABH are the queens of highlight so I'd be a fool not to try out their Sun Dipped Glow Kit, which I believe is a Sephora exclusive. These tones are definitely more suited to more olive or in my case Bondi Sands tanned skin tones but are equally as gorgeous as the Tarte quad. The also have a similar glow as the quad but slightly less creamy so you may need a little more application. 

Mac Mineralised Skin Finish- Soft and Gentle 

A beauty must have! MAC Soft & Gentle has been a cult favourite for years so of course this needed to be mentioned! As this baby is a skin finish it has a more subtle glow when compared to the others but a gorgeous champagne finish for a natural glow. If i want a little extra shimmer and sparkle I spray my brush in a little Fix+ just to build that glow. 

Benefit Cosmetics Dandelion Twinkle

Benefit's first ever powder highlighter!  This baby forms part of Benefits Dandelion range and is a subtle pinky-champagne shade perfect for fair skin tones! I also love using this under my brow bone for a subtle pop of glowing pink perfection. This is definitely more of a day wear highlighter as it really gives you that perfect ' glowing from within' look. 

Have I tempted you with any of my faves? Let me know your favourites that i could add to my collection, I'd love to know.

Katie

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Summer Essentials with Boohoo

If there's one thing we Australian girls know it's preparing for the hot spring and summer months and as summer slowly approaches the weather has reached boiling point! While I love relaxing inside with the aircon blowing, when summer roles around I am ready to jump into my car, slather on sunscreen and head to the beach!

When it comes to summer every girl has one thing that she just can't live without, whether it be a brand new bikini, her favourite fake tan or a great magazine. For me I just can't live without waterproof mascara throughout the summer, because if i'm being honest I practically live in the water! 

My favourite waterproof mascara that i've always loved is the Lash Blast Volume waterproof mascara. I love this mascara as it lengthens and thickens my lashes without clumping and lasts all day long no matter if i'm taking a dip in the pool or diving under waves in the ocean.

I think long lashes can deffinetly change your look dramatically without adding any additional makeup which is just what you want throughout hot temperatures. But why stop at mascara? This summer I was fortunate enough to travel to Bali, and trust me no Australian weather ever prepared me for the scorching temperatures that Bali had to offer. Luckily, I chose a new summer essential this year and that has been lash extensions! Holy wow do they make a difference, where mascara lasts all day long these lashes ensure long luscious lashes that are hassle free and didn't sweat off in the Bali weather.

While in Bali I was sure to protect my lashes by brushing them twice a day and protecting them (and my eyes) with these gorgeous reflective sunglasses by Boohoo. 

Paired with a cute crotchet crop and some distressed denim shorts like these Boohoo ones and I was ready to tackle all that Bali offered not to mention the heat here in Queensland.

Let me know what your summer essentials are and don't forget to check out the amazing range of summer fashion essentials at Boohoo's Holidays shop! x

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil | Review

When i think of luxury products there’s one company that comes to mind and that’s L’Occitane I’ve had my eyes on the L’Occitane Almond shower oil for quite some time and finally was able to pick it up on a recent shopping trip with friends.

This shower oil is one of the best purchases I have ever made and I don’t regret buying it particularly for the costly price. It is from the Almond collection as is obvious from the name and has the most delicious and luxurious scent that stays long after showering. There is nothing worse than buying a shower product that smells amazing in the shower but disappears afterwards! 

It leaves the skin feeling so soft and silky and doesn’t feel greasy which I was a little concerned about considering it is an oil. What’s different about this shower oil is that when coming in contact with water it melts into a smooth body milk. I have combination normal to dry skin but this product deeply moisturises my skin particularly in dry spots like my knees and elbows. This is also wonderful for soothing and hydrating damaged skin from sun or wind exposure. This shower oil doubles as an excellent shaving cream as it lathers nicely without being foamy making it much smoother and easier to shave. L’Occitane offers shower oil top ups as well which is an eco friendly alternative to repurchasing new bottles as well!

I can’t fault this product even the packaging is luxurious and the cap easy to use without being a screw-top that would be likely to spill and waste product. This will deffinetly be a repurchase. 

Have you tried the L’Occitane almond shower oil before?

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Winter lips | My favourite winter lip combo

The winter colour palette is by far my favourite, something which gives reason to winter being my favourite season despite the freezing temperatures. There’s something about a bold dark lip that is so glamorous and I never miss the opportunity to swipe on my favourite oxblood or red wine lipstick before heading out for the day or night. 

My favourite lipstick for winter is in the shade Media by Mac which I recently mentioned in my Mac lipsticks collection blog post.  This is a very buildable and opaque lipstick in the most gorgeous red wine to oxblood shade. What I love most about this lipstick is it doesn’t look overly vampy particularly on my pale skin tone. It has a satin finish but it surprisingly creamy and moisturising and could almost pass for a creme sheen despite it’s thinner consistency. It also doubles as a lip stain when dabbed on with a finger or lip brush. 

To keep this intense colour looking clean I pair it with my lipliner also by Mac from the RiRi Hearts Mac collection in the colour Talk that Talk. The colour of this lipliner is almost identical to Media which makes it much easier to blend the two shades together seamlessly. I love using a lipliner to create great definition to my lips particularly with a darker shade as they can tend to get a little messy or bleed which isn't a great look. The only thing I dislike about this product is that it’s a little dry making it hard to outline the lips easily but with some time and a good lip balm it works a dream. 

What are your favourite lip combos for the winter season? 

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Evening night beauty essentials

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Embrace your inner TomBoy | styling boyfriend jeans

The understated, distressed boyfriend jean is a must have in any girls wardrobe this year. After all androgynous clothing has been a number one trend for years right? 

My favourite pair of boyfriend jeans are in a light wash and are from the online boutique Tobi. These are the Silver Lake boyfriend jeans and are my favourite pair for a zillion different reasons! Firstly, they are slightly more fitted around the waist so not as baggy making them really flattering and more feminine particularly for my body shape. If you’re a slave to skinny jeans like I was don’t be scared that the boyfriend jean will completely rid you of any shape, look for pairs that are slightly more fitted around the waist, you’ll be surprised how flattering they really are. And so comfortable! 

The distressed look is also a huge A/W15 trend and these jeans have just the right amount of rips to add a really grunge feel to your look but aren’t over done so your entire leg is exposed. My favourite way to wear boyfriend jeans is rolling the cuffs whether paired with heels, flats or some leather boots.

For a sophisticated and chic style I love pairing my distressed boyfriend jeans with white blouses. This Misty Haze blouse from Tobi has a sweeping low neck line that wraps slightly around the hem. I love this blouse as it really feminises the look while still remaining edgy with the sharp collar and plunging neck line. Another way I love pairing this blouse is with some faux leather pants or busted knee jeans. 

What I’ve really been loving this season is muted colour palettes and washes like this grey Beverly Crop Sweater. I always find myself gravitating towards sweaters that have a heavier knit and are cropped so this one I picked up from Tobi has soon become a staple in my wardrobe. Grey is a super flattering shade and pairs perfectly against the light blue acid wash of these boyfriend jeans. As it’s becoming much colder here in Queensland the necessity for good quality sweaters has risen and I was really happy that this one was so cozy, soft and of excellent quality, it is sure to last me a long time!

What I love about boyfriend jeans is their versatility, you can almost pair them with anything and completely change your entire look. They are incredibly edgy, comfortable and understated in the most stylish way possible. Forget the skinny jean and make way for boyfriend jeans in your closet this winter. Check out the other massive collection of jeans from Tobi’s website.

How do you style the understated boyfriend jean?

Katie 

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Mac Lipsticks Collection

This has been a long awaited blog post and is well and truly one of my favourites to share with you all! Mac has been my all time favourite beauty company for lipsticks for so long as you would know if you read my recent blog post! and over time I have slowly but surely been collecting and building on my collection. Finally, I have a nice amount to do a collections post to share with you all.

Speed Dial is by far one of my most loved out of my Mac lipstick collection. It is a gorgeous rose pink and my go-to ‘my lips but better’ shade. It is incredibly pigmented and long lasting but may require a few touch ups every now and then. I love wearing this during the day with soft neutral eye shadows and bronzed skin. It is also a cremesheen lipstick so of course very moisturising and creamy. 

Next is a new addition to my collection, one which I have been eyeing up for so long! This is in the shade Saint Germain. All I think when looking at this is Barbie! It is the perfect cool toned Barbie pink you will ever come across. Super, super pigmented and the colour pay of is unreal. I love wearing this with an all black outfit or on a night out. While it’s not my typical everyday shade this lipstick does give you a pop of colour to any look and if you’re all for bold makeup could totally be worn throughout the day.

My number one lipstick out of my entire lipstick collection is in the shade Creme Cup! I wear this lipstick almost every single day, on-the-go or throughout the night. It is the perfect cool toned beige-pink nude, pigmented and moisturising. I wear this lipstick with any kind of outfit whether it be for a casual day at uni or a night out with friends. It is really versatile and goes perfectly with my fair skin shade as it doesn't wash me out at all. 

The very first Mac lipstick I ever owned I received from my best friend as a gift and it completely sparked my love for their lipsticks. This was in the shade Hue. Hue is a super sheer nude with a glaze finish. I would describe it as a really soft peachy nude, very natural as the finish is super sheer almost like a lip gloss. At first this shade was really hard to work with my skin tone but paired over a pinker lipstick or with tanned skin it really does look amazing. As its sheer it also isn't messy so it makes for a perfect ‘work’ shade or if you’re just going for something super chic and natural for on the go.

Speaking of firsts, my first ever limited edition Mac lipstick was in the shade Sweet and Sour, which now is part of their permanent collection something which slightly annoyed me as I’d purchased it mostly because it was a limited edition. This lipstick, came out in the ‘ All about orange’ collection and was the lightest from the range. Like hue, Sweet and sour is quite sheer and doesn't have long wearing colour but with touch ups can provide a really nice flush of colour. I deffinetly do not recommend this for fair skin shades, it washes me out completely and is really unflattering. But with tanned skin it looks really subtle and fresh on the lips. Deffinetly a shade for spring and summer time. 

Speed Dial, Sait Germain, Creme Cup, Hue, Sweet & Sour

The darkest shade in my collection is in the colour Media. This is my favourite lipstick throughout Winter and Autumn and always a must have for nights out. Media is a really dark red-wine shade and like most Mac lipsticks super pigmented and long lasting which is great for nights when reapplying lipstick can become very annoying! This lipstick suits both fair and darker skin shades which is also a bonus.

My two Red Lipsticks are in the shades Mac Red and Ruby Woo. I find both shades to be very similar in colour only their finishes are super different! Ruby Woo is in a matte finish and can be very drying but for the colour payoff and longevity of the lipstick it is super worth it. Mac Red is very similar in colour but slightly cooler and is a satin finish so moisturising but not messy at all. Both are incredibly opaque blue toned reds that I find are perfect for fair skin. 

My final Mac lipstick shade is in the colour Vegas Volt which is a super bright coral. I look at this lipstick and all I can think of is summer, it is the perfect summery and vibrant shade. I love wearing this on nights out for a huge pop of colour. This shade like others is opaque with great colour pay off but isn’t as long lasting as i’d like and does require touch ups! Because it’s such a bright colour I deffinetly recommend bringing along some concealer as well when you go to reapply for a perfect crisp line. 

Vegas Volt, Mac Red, Ruby Woo, Media

Have you used any of these Mac lipsticks before? what are your favourites, let me know!

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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