Benefit boxes collection

Benefit has long been one of my favourite brands their packaging is just to die for in particular their Benefit 'boxes'. I have a few Benefit beauty box products that I have loved for a very long time, some of which are re purchases. I know the selection can be a little over whelming as there are so many different colours and shades to choose from so I thought I would share with you my favourites from the selection they sell. 

Out of all the Benefit boxes I own, Thrrrob is by far my favourite. This blush is ridiculously pigmented with excellent colour pay off. A little goes a very long way with this product which is great as I want it to last as long as possible. I haven't seen this product in store for a while now and I have a feeling it may have been discontinued so i'm using it sparingly. The colour of this blush is the perfect barbie rose pink with a matte finish. I have used this blush on my natural fair skin as well on tanned and it looks great on both. 

Dandelion is a pretty peachy ballerina pink that Benefit describes as a 'brightening' blush which is very true! This blush provides a super delicate and gentle flush to the cheeks. It is not as pigmented as Thrrrob but very buildable. The finish is relatively matte and slightly satin. 

As you can probably tell this blush I have owned for a very long time,unfortunately the Benefit box packaging, while very cute, are not very durable but it's what's on the inside that counts right? Sugarbomb is crazily shimmery with an almost satin finish every time I go to use it I feel like i'm about to apply sugar on my face so use it sparingly! This blush has four different shades which you could use separately but I prefer swirling all the shades together to create a soft pink. When using this blush I use a very little amount without a highlight as it really is super shimmery. 

Hoola is part of the Benefit box collection and is a bronzer...my absolute favourite bronzer might I add. I have just reached pan on this product and it is possibly one of the worst things to happen to a beauty lover! Hoola is the perfect soft brown matte bronzer which doesn't come off as muddy particularly on fairer skin tones. This product is buildable and pigmented but also effortless to blend which is always helpful when it comes to contouring. I use this both to contour my cheeks and nose but also to warm up my complexion. 

Do you own any Benefit beauty boxes? what are your thoughts, let me know which products I should try out!

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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University Lookbook | My uni style

After a huge weather change recently I've really had to work quick to put together new winter styles for this season. Spending a lot of the time in the city in the cold at uni I thought I would take this opportunity to show you some outfits I would wear throughout the Autumn and Winter while at uni.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette | Review

If you have been following me on Twitter then you should know by now how long I have been anticipating for the release of the Hourglass Modernist eyeshadow palettes. I first came across them while browsing through Sephora's online website looking for new beauty goodies I could pick up on my trip to Los Angeles this winter. In some ways I wish I had never seen them because I knew immediately I had to have at least one and that my bank account wouldn't be thanking me for it. 

It just so happens that I loved these palettes so much that I was the first person in Brisbane to purchase one from Mecca Maxima the day before the release date. Am I a dedicated beauty lover or what? The very helpful staff member was shocked to find out I even knew they existed as there had been limited advertising of the product in Australia. 

Now lets get to the palettes. I was shown all six colour palettes in the shades: Atmosphere ( cool neutrals), Colour Field (Olives), Exposure (Plums), Infinity (warm neutrals), Monochrome (Roses) and Obscura (Earth tones) all of which were beautiful. I found it very difficult to choose between Infinity, Monochrome and Obscura as all were gorgeous shades of browns and rose golds. Eventually, I decided on Obscura but promised myself that i'd go back for the others (as if i needed to). 

This eyeshadow has five finely-milled shades including one highlighting shade in a soft cream with a slight satin-matte finish. I love using this all over my lid as a base however it is slightly too powdery like the other 4 shades so it takes a little more product to stick and stay on the lid.  The palette also includes a soft chocolate brown, warm brown with a metallic and super sparkly finish as well as a dark matte brown and copper bronze also with a metallic finish. My favourite shade would definitely have to be the third which looks beautiful either all over the lid or as a crease shade.

All shades are super creamy when swatched but when applying onto the lid are quite dry so they do take quite a bit of effort to blend and get great colour pay off which disappointed me a bit for the price. However, when applied properly you can create very gorgeous shadow looks with more time. The range of matte, metallic and satin finishes provides a number of neutral to smokey looks and the massive mirror makes it super handy to apply on the go or to touch up. 

Overall, I do love this eyeshadow palette the uniqueness of the eyeshadow pans I find so incredible and innovative and it is for that reason that I wanted one so badly. However, I do not think that the price which I believe to be around $75-76 AUD is worth it. While the shadows are gorgeous the texture has been really disappointing as I was expecting super high quality for a product worth so much. If you are willing to fork out so much on an eyeshadow palette and not feel so guilty afterwards then this palette is for you as you can achieve a number of gorgeous looks, it just may take you a little while.

Have you tried any other palettes from the Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow range? Let me know.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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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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