L'Occitane | Review

I call this post L'Occitane Review as the experience I had within the store was so amazing that I felt I had to review it as well as the luxurious product I purchased while there. 

Before this visit I had never stepped foot into a L'Occitane store and I am so glad that I did! I have never received such impeccable customer service in my entire life, there is nothing worse than going into a new store even any store and receive bad customer service! As I said I had never been to L'Occitane and was overwhelmed with the amount of products that I had never heard of but the lovely lady working was so incredibly helpful she knew everything about everything and it was so refreshing. She was able to tell us so much about products but didn't stick around like a second shadow, there wasn't once where I felt pressured into purchasing something. Other than the service L'Occitane also offers a cup of Lavender tea as you enter the store which I though was such a lovely touch as well as the spritz of perfume on tissue paper and personalised product samples inside of the take home bag.

Okay! lets get onto the product review. There were a huge number of products that I wanted to purchase during my visit to L'Occitane however there was one that really captured my eye. And that was the Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion. This is the most luxurious moisturiser I have ever owned and I can't see myself picking up another.

This shimmering lotion has a incredibly light formula and quite thin in consistency which absorbs quickly into the skin leaving behind a very subtle iridescent sparkle to the skin. I love using this for special occasions or for those times where I really just need a good pamper night. The subtle shimmer is so beautiful when caught by the light which is lovely to have a product which moisturises and can be seen on the skin. 

The scent of this lotion reminds me of spring time it is so fresh and floral without being overpowering  and has a scent that lasts almost all night or day. I have once or twice used more product on my arms as a soft and pretty scent rather than using a perfume. L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion is enriched with shea butter making it extremely hydrating for a product that has such a thin consistency. Cherry extract from the Luberon region of Provence adds to the beautiful light fragrance of this lotion which has quickly become my new favourite scent. If the scent doesn't entice you than the packaging surely will, I think I'm a sucker for anything pink, silver or floral.

I thought I would also leave a short wish list of L'Occitane products that I hope to try out and think you should to. Have you tried this lotion? let me know.

FLEURS DE CERISIER L'EAU

ALMOND MILK CONCENTRATE

PIVOINE FLORA SHIMMERING OIL

ALMOND SHOWER OIL

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation | Review

If you have been following my blog lately you would know that I am not a huge lover of changing up my foundation routine. Once I find something and I love it I will stick with it and so branching out and trying a new foundation has been a huge step. After seeing the review of this foundation by Danielle Mansutti I was already hooked, this combined with the fact that the price has dropped from around $70 to $50 pushed me to pick it up; and I am not disappointed in the slightest. 

This foundation is very different to my coveted NARS Sheer Glow particularly in terms of its finish and consistency. Double Wear has a relatively thick consistency with a semi matte finish. Because of this the foundation lasts much longer particularly through hot days and decreases those horrid 'smile lines' even after long periods of time. I put this foundation on in the morning and by night it was pretty much exactly the same after one or two touch ups with powder. The thickness of the foundation also decreases my skin from getting as oily in my T Zone which is absolutely amazing for nights out and as a plus it has not broken me out.

Estée Lauder Double Wear has incredible coverage and only requires one layer for a perfect flawless finish on the skin. I was concerned at the beginning that the foundation would feel very caky and heavy on my skin due to the thickness however this wasn't the case in fact it is quite lightweight however not as much as NARS. 

There is only one problem I have with Double Wear and that is the colour range. I have very pale skin and so I automatically had to pick up the lightest shade in Cool Bone without being colour matched however it is still slightly too dark and I have to blend it a lot down my neck. However, once blended it is almost perfect.

I think for how incredible this foundation is the cost is well worth it and I definitely recommend picking it up particularly if you have oily or oily-combination skin or just have that troubling T zone. Let me know if you have tried this amazing foundation or have any questions.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Captivated at Coolum

I am the type of person who loves the cold everything from winter to overcast weather and everything in between and I often find myself wishing that I lived in cold England rather than hot and humid Australia. However, it is days like this when I think otherwise. The cold is lovely but there is nothing better than feeling the sun on your skin and sand between your toes. I recently visited Coolum beach with my family and took a few snaps to share with you all. 

I am looking into studying overseas in the UK and after spending this day in the sun ( so much so that my back was left bright red and burnt) I wonder if I will find it as easy. Enjoy. 

Coolum is my favourite beach in Queensland as it doesn't have that horrible commercialised feel, not packed with tourists or sky rises. I used to come here once a year with my best friend and coming back made me very nostalgic seeing all of the places we adventured and ran a muck. I can remember almost everyday we would swim or hunt for little crabs or pippies or attempt to tan without burning to a crisp. If not doing these things we would always go to our favourite place Gelato Mio even if we weren't hungry. I'm not sure if its the taste or the memories that make me love this Gelato so much, probably a combination of both. 

Searching through rock pools has always been one of my favourite things to do. Growing up camping I was a 'wild' child and would run ramped searching for any little creature I could find. Me and Mum always woke up early to scan the beach for the biggest shells and it has long since become something we always do.

If only the UK was this sunny right? How did you spend the weekend?

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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January 2015 favourites

I am so excited to be sharing with you my favourite products for January this year, since starting this blog I have really tried to branch out to try different brands and products so a lot of these are new to my collection but I have a few oldies which I have also been loving this month as well.

First up I will start with skin care, now I am not going to lie to you I have always been someone who has been pretty lazy with my skin care simply because I could never find products that actually worked. Until around November last year I discovered Estée Lauder skin care and have honestly fallen in love almost every single product has done wonders for my skin. This month I have been loving the Estée Lauder Day Wear moisturiser. I love this moisturiser it is so creamy and hydrating and has the most lovely fresh scent that just makes you feel very clean and awake, it sort of reminds me of cucumbers and lime. It also has SPF which is wonderful for this time of year when it is so hot and harsh on the face. 

Continuing with face products I have been loving the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. It is the best makeup remover I have used so far, it removes almost all of my makeup from the day with 2-3 makeup pads and doesn't leave a sticky residue on my face. I have always struggled with finding a makeup remover for my eye makeup that doesn't sting my eyes until I found this so I don't think I will be changing to anything else anytime soon. It is also super inexpensive for such a large bottle which is a great bonus. 

For hair this month I have recently tried out the OGX (Organix) argan oil of morocco after running out of my Moroccan Oil Treatment and needing a new one asap. This hair oil is 10x cheaper than the Moroccan Oil Treatment and for the price ($14.50) it does a pretty great job. It is a much thinner consistency so I can use a little more than usual in my hair which doesn't make it look greasy but nice smooth and shiny. I still think I prefer the Moroccan Oil Treatment but if you are looking for a great and inexpensive alternative I would recommend this. If you want to read more on my Summer Hair Care you can find it here. 

The two cheek products I have loved this month are Benefit's Hoola bronzer and Hourglass' Diffused Heat blush. Hoola is a long loved favourite but I have recently been using it as a contour and bronzer for my skin as it has a very soft brown matte finish so it is perfect for warming up the face. This bronzer goes perfectly with the Hourglass blush in which is in such a rose pink summery shade. It is a marbled baked blush which I love because I have nothing else like it in my collection. 

The lip shade I have loved through January is a lip butter by Revlon in the shade Pink Truffle. While this is deffinetly not a shade for summer I love it none the less and have been wearing it almost every time I have left the house. This shade is a very deep rose that comes off on the lips quite brown which I have actually loved, I have nothing like this lip shade and think I have found a new favourite to apply throughout winter.

What have been your favourite beauty products for January 2015? Let me know in the comments.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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De-stress beauty

There's always one thing I turn to when trying to de-stress and that's candles, long hot showers and great smelling body products. There's something about a hot bath and the smell and sight of candles that has a wonderful relaxing effect on the body so I think finding the perfect scents are important when trying to relax or calm down after a stressful day. 

When it comes to all things body and candle related I always find myself picking out products which have either 'Bakery Smells' like caramel or I will pick up Berry scented ones. These are my two favourite types of scents so it makes sense that they would calm me down more than any others, which is important when trying to relax. There's no point running a long bath and subjecting yourself to a smell you don't really love which isn't going to relax you. 

I'll start with candles. I recently picked myself up a new Glasshouse candle from Peter Alexander and believe me when I tell you, you will never want to light another candle in your life after smelling this. This candle is in the scent 'Chicago Fudge Brownie'. Just let that sink in, a candle that smells just like a fudge brownie... could you think of anything better? This candle is so true to it's scent I absolutely love it! It has two wicks and has a long lasting scent long after the candle has been put out and can also give your room a pleasant smell just with the lid off unlit.

Before purchasing the Chicago Glasshouse candle, I was using the Woodwick trilogy candle in 'Cafe Sweets'. This candle has long been a favorite of mine as it comes with three different scents all with my favorite bakery scents: Vanilla bean, caramel and biscotti. Woodwick candles are definitely helpful for creating a relaxed atmosphere as the wick creates a crackle sound when being burned.

For hot showers or baths I recommend the Philosophy bath and shower range. I picked up this trio during the Boxing Day sales and have fallen in love. I have been wanting to try the Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake shower gel for so long now and I have finally got my hand on it! The smell is absolutely incredible and again so true to what the name suggests. All three of these mini sized shower gels also double as shampoo and bubble bath, and of course smell delicious. At the moment I am using the shower gel in the scent Raspberry Sorbet which is super thick and creamy with a fresh berry scent that I can still smell on my skin afterwards which is always a bonus. There's nothing worse than finding  great smelling product that smells great in the shower but completely disappears once your done.  What I also love about these shower gels is that they include a little recipe for each one, which I think is a very cute and unique idea.

How do you de-stress after a long day or stressful week? Let me know which beauty products are your go to for a perfect relaxing night.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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But first coffee..

Have you ever read that quote "There's nothing more comfortable than sleeping while someone gets ready for work"? I'd say this quote is pretty accurate although I could think of one thing slightly better and that is coffee. If you say you don't like coffee than you must be lying to yourself. A few days ago I had breakfast at one of my favourite coffee shops by the unusual name The Drowned Rat. Now don't let the name deceive you, its unusual name is due to the fact that this cafe is a puppy cafe and you can literally have breakfast with your 'best friend'. Although I mostly come here for the cappuccinos and oh so delicious macadamia and white chocolate muffins. Here are a few photos of my morning while I waited for my friend to return home from work.

Breakfast with a view

While not the most healthiest option for breakfast these muffins are definitely worth the calories and go perfectly with a caramel cappuccino. What do you love having with your coffee? Let me know.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Drugstore beauty sale

Is there anything more beautiful than seeing row after row of makeup? Yes... Row after row of makeup on sale, although I think my bank account disagrees. After a lunch date with my best friend we were caught by a drugstore sale and like any other pair of beauty obsessed girls with shopping withdrawals for things we really didn't need we caved. I picked up only a few things and thought I would share and give a little mini review on the things I purchased. 

The first two products I picked up were re purchases these were the Rimmel Stay Matte translucent setting powder and the Maybelline Master Precise liquid eyeliner. Both these products are my two favourite drugstore purchases as a use them both each and every single time I do my makeup. The Maybelline liquid eyeliner is the only I have found with the thinnest nib which is great for getting super close to the lash line and creating a very crisp line when creating a winged liner. Stay Matte powder is excellent at setting my foundation it lasts pretty much all day apart from in my T zone which needs re applying throughout the day. The only thing I don't love about it is its scent. It has quite a peculiar scent which reminds me of crushed coral? strange, however it is a super inexpensive setting powder that gets the job done. 

The next two products I picked up after seeing a recommendation on Youtube from Zoella. These are the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains in the shades LA Exclusive and Parisian Passion. 

These lip stains are gorgeous on my lips, the pigmentation in the tube is amazing and on the lips both shades leave a lovely sheer glaze of glossy colour. I find that the shade LA Exclusive is much more pink-nude on the lips than in the tube but the shade is still gorgeous and looks lovely over nude lipstick. Parisian Passion is the perfect plum shade for Autumn and Winter which has a colour payoff very similar to that in the tube. This shade provides the perfect amount of sheer colour to the lips which is great for those of you who aren't as daring with your lip shades but still want something different and bold for the cooler months. Now I can't almost wait for Autumn to come around so I can wear this shade out. What i also love about these moisture stains is they have a cooling effect on my lips and are very creamy and hydrating. 

And finally I picked up a Ciaté Caviar Manicure nail set with the shade Strawberry Milkshake. I have always wanted to try the Ciaté nail polishes but was always put off by the caviar set but decided since it was on sale to try it out. What firsts attracts me to these nail polishes it the packaging, it it so polished and chic and I adore the unique bottle style and bows. I love this gorgeous baby pink shade it deffinetly screams Strawberry Milshake and has a nice creamy formula that isn't too thick. I found it a bit difficult at first to apply the micro beads onto my nail (I opted for one feature nail as I thought all five was a bit OTT for me) and had to reapply the pink shade again as it dries pretty quickly and the beads wouldn't stick, so I recommend applying them as soon as the second coat is on. 

I actually ended up loving the look of the caviar nails it is very different to what I have used before but I love the contrast of colours and textures and i think it would be great for a night out or formal occasion. The only thing I haven't loved so far is the beads tend to fall off quickly (mind you I didn't use a top coat) I had a shower after they had dried shortly after and a lot of beads came off, this also could be because the set was on sale.  Have you tried this set and had similar problems? let me know. 

Have you tried any of these drugstore beauty finds? or know of any dupes? I'm looking to try some new liquid eyeliners. Leave me some suggestions below.

Katie 

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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