Boxing day!

Hi! I hope everyone had a good christmas! I got quite a few goodies this christmas, and hopefully I will find the time to blog about them all! Yesterday was boxing day and unfortunately for me, I was working most of the day :( The shopping centre was so busy, but I did find some time after my shift to pick up a few goodies!

Doesn't look like much does it? :( But it's ok, because I have a day off today, so that means MORE SHOPPING!!

 As you can see, I seem to have a slight obsession with orange :P The two maxi skirts I got from DECJUBA, and they are actually the same style, I just couldn't decide on which one I liked better!! It was such a bargain (down from $109 to $27) so I just took both! It's a gorgeous sheer maxi, and the lining hits just about the knees. It's so flattering (and makes me look taller yay!) That orange tank was also from DECJUBA and the saleslady just randomly gave me a tank to try with the black skirt and I liked it! You can actually find the orange maxi, black maxi and orange tank online! The brown belt was purchased from Pilgrim for only $10! Bargain!

This body butter from The Body Shop smells divine! It was actually new stock that hit the floors that day, so I paid full price for it, but it is worth it. It has a vineyard peach scent that is so delicious, and I can't stop using this! There was also a new Satsuma range, which smelt very citrusy! Check out the vinyard peach range here!

This set from Benefit was ridiculously cheap! It was down from $99 to $52!! I have been meaning to buy the Hervana for some time, but didn't want to cough up $51 for a blush just yet! It also came with a full size Porefessional (which I already have and LOVE) which retails for $53 and the BAD gal Lash, which promises to volumize lashes! I can't wait to try it all out, and I still can't get over just how cheap the sets were! All the Christmas sets were on sale, so everyone should definitely check Benefit out!!

That was all I got for boxing day, but I'm hoping to find more bargains today! Happy shopping everyone :)

December Lust Have It :)

Guess what came in the mail today? Perfect christmas surprise!

Yay! Best xmas gift! In this months LHI, I received:

Benefit Mascara:
I already own and LOVE this mascara (see review here)

Pelactiv Facial Refiner Deep Cleansing Scrub:
I am almost out of my face scrub so this will be the next one to use! I love that it's such a generous sample (I am sick of those little sachets of products!) Can't wait to try this out

Catwalk by Tigi:
I actually don't use that much hairspray - I only use mine on the soles of my shoes to stop me from slipping! This might go to someone else who needs it more!

Naked Tan Shimmer:
This gives a gorgeous, sunkissed shimmer. I am in love with this product, and it reminds me of the Benefit Sun Beam but in lotion form!

Glasshouse Fragrances Hand Creme:
I tried the kakadu one, which smells divine, and is very moisturizing. I found it slightly greasy but that wore off after a while

LHI exfoliating glove:
I am hoping this glove will combat those scaly legs I get from lack of moisturising in winter!

Speaking of presents, look at how pretty my tree looks! I am so proud of it because I was good this year and got most of my gifts a while before the Christmas rush with the exception of the bf's pressie - I was shopping after work at chadstone til 4am last night, then went to work, then shopped after work again! I got his presents (yes presents! he's so spoilt this year) at 5:53pm just as the shop was about to close!! HAHA never again..

I hope everyone and anyone reading this a Merry Christmas and a fantastic new year! I know I got a few makeup items for christmas already so I am itching to rip the wrapping and start blogging about them now that the christmas rush is over!

Giveaways to enter!

It's getting closer to that hectic time of year (and it's going to be super hectic for me because I haven't even started my Christmas shopping!) Here are some of the generous giveaways being hosted by fellow beauty bloggers!

Kitsch Snitch: 

Kat's giveaway is to celebrate 200 followers and christmas! Enter here to win a great selection of products (including OCC Lip Tar and limited edition MAC lipgloss!).

The Shopping Queen:

Jen has so generously provided SIX prizes up for grabs in the spirit of Christmas! Click here to enter!

Sweetaholic Beauty:

This giveaway is a mystery - and I hope whoever wins this blogs about it because I'm sure Jasmine has a great selection of products! Click here to enter!

The Maid Up Maiden: 

This is an amazing giveaway full of one of my fave brands - Lancome! Click here to enter!

MaterialGurl88:

Sammi was my first follower and this giveaway is to celebrate 25 followers! Congrats!! Check out this giveaway here!!

Goodluck to everyone entering these giveaways! :)

December Bellabox

I've had the most hectic week, and just came home to find this waiting for me on my bedside table! Needless to say, I ripped right into it and I'm super excited to show off my goodies! I've calculated the value of each product as well :)

Allegra Rhodes Hand and Nail Cream (5mL)
175mL RRP $32.95 
Product value: $0.94

Left: Anumi Miracel Recovery RightL Allegra Rhodes Hand and Nail Cream

I got the scent in Cherry Blossom! It smells gorgeous, but more like a soapy smell than cherry blossoms in my opinion! It feels great on the skin and I love the fact that it sinks right into my dry hands! This little thing is going straight into my handbag!

Anumi Miracle Recovery (5mL)
30mL RRP $65.00 
Product value: $10.83

This product is just what I need in this hectic christmas period! Working in retail during christmas means long hours, and lets hope this product does what it promises to do - it claims to be an overnight treatment that will restore skin! Definitely trying this out tonight!

John Frieda Frizz-ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme (30mL)

133g RRP $16.99 

Product value: $3.83

One thing I hate about summer is FRIZZY HAIR! The heat makes my hair wild, and I'm so glad I get to try this product. I find that most products that claim to tame my frizz don't do much, so I'm excited to see how this product will fare. 

Reb'l Fleur By Rihanna (0.8mL)
100mL RRP $79.00 
Product value: $0.63

Not quite a big fan of Rihanna, but cute packaging!

Zipette (Full Size)
RRP $5.95

This is quite a random product to receive but very welcome nonetheless! Perfect for those Christmas parties when I've had a little more food than my jeans can hold :P

Savoir Faire Limited Edition Kit in 'Winter' (Full Size)
RRP $110.00

The product that I'm sure everyone has been waiting for! This is such a great palette, and I love the colours. When I saw the summer palette, I really wanted it, mainly due to the lighter eyeshadow colours, and the gorgeous lipgloss colour! But this palette, with its darker eyeshadow colours is probably more suitable for my skin tone, and I can't wait to play around with the colours (I'm so sick of wearing safe neutrals everyday!)

Gorgeous colours - can't wait to play with them in my spare time!

Total box value : $126.23
Overall, this box had an amazing value! I'm so happy with this box - best early christmas gift EVER! Even without the Savoir Faire kit, it was already worth more than the $15 that we paid!

Mini MUA Haul #2

Look what came in the mail! :)

Eyes:
Dusk til Dawn Palette
You can never have too many eyeshadows right?! Well..thats what I tell myself at least! There are a few similar shades to the undressed palette (lots of browns and neutrals), however, there are also some lovely metallics, and a gorgeous blue and green colour that I just can't wait to try out!

Mega Volume Mascara

I was curious to try out their mascara, and since it was so cheap why not?! This mascara wand was quite large with lots of synthetic bristles. I loved that it didn't clump up my lashes, but unfortunately, did not volumise my lashes much. It'll be a great everyday mascara, but if you are looking for a volumising mascara, I would not recommend this one.

Extreme Felt Liner Black
I felt (no pun intended!) that this liner was not that great. It wasn't extremely black like I hoped, and the felt tip was quite large so it's hard to draw a thin line. Maybe I am just biased because I love the NARS felt tip liner too much (see review here)!

False Eyelashes Vixen
Have yet to try these out, but these look great for the price I paid!

Lips:

Lipstick shade 5

Pale, frosty pink. Unfortunately for me, I can't seem to pull off frosty pinks! 

Lipstick shade 6

Gorgeous rose coloured lipstick. Has a slight hint of shimmer, and feels very hydrating! Loving this :)

Lipstick shade 12

I like to call this a Barbie pink, because that colour is just so reminiscent of my favourite doll! It's a tad bright on me, and so I probably won't be using this as an everyday colour, but that doesn't mean I love it any less!

Lipboom - It's a situation

A dark pink, almost fuschia. I prefer the lipstick on its own, as the gloss is very sparkly, and slightly sticky, which is something I don't like about lipglosses. It really does make my lips seem more plump though!

Lip stain - Fabulicious

I am in love this this product! I thought it would be too light for my lips, but it gives a lovely natural pink colour to my lips, and evens out the lip colour (my top lip is way lighter than my lower lip!). When I first applied it, it felt like it was drying out my lips, so I would definitely recommend using a lip balm regularly. 

L: Swatches taken without flash
R: Swatches taken with flash

Nails:
Magnetic Nails
I have always wanted to try magnetic nails! I got this in a lovely deep purple, and I am so excited to try it I have already painted my toes the first coat, and waiting for it to dry so that I can do a second coat and then play with the magnet! :P

NARS Andy Warhol Edie Gift Set

I got the NARS Gift Set for my birthday! I was super excited when my friends handed me a Mecca Cosmetica Bag and even more excited to see this gift set inside! I Basically ripped it open and started playing with it as soon as I got home! This gift set is based on Edie Sedgwick, who was the sixties It Girl "with the biggest eyes, the shortest skirt and longest legs". 

The gift set is presented in such a lovely way! All the products were inside an authentic 16mm film canister, and held with dense foam (I felt like James Bond - the packaging reminded me of how they package guns inside those briefcases!)

Eyeliner Stylo in Carpates

This eyeliner is amazing. It's a felt tipped liner in black, and is so easy to apply and VERY smudge proof! I had it on all day today, and it barely budged. 

Edie Eyeshadow 

This is a cream eyeshadow with a hint of shimmer. Very sheer and I think I will mostly be using this as a highlighter, and in the corners of my eyes!

Deep Throat/Amour Blush Duo 

So super excited to finally own a NARS blush! I've heard so many good things about these blushes, and I'm glad I got this duo! I've always wanted to try these two colours (as well as the Orgasm Blush!!). Deep throat is a shimmering, sheer pink, it is so gorgeous and armour is a matte peachy pink. I like to wear Deep Throat on top of Amour to give a lovely flush. Cannot be happier with this product!!

Film Star Pure Matte Lipstick 

Unfortunately this one was a bit of a miss for me. It was described as a 60s nude pink, but there is hardly any pink for me. It is almost the same colour as my concealer! As its a matte lipstick, it is also very unforgiving on dry lips (something I am suffering from at the moment). According to my friends, it can be used as a lipstick primer instead, so I might give that a go (after exfoliating my lips!). 

From L-R: Deep Throat Blush, Amour Blush, Edie Eyeshadow, Film Star Lipstick & Eyeliner Stylo in Carpates

Benefit Pretty Party

It was my birthday on Monday, and as a part of my present, my bestie got us tickets to the Benefit Pretty Party! This was the first make-up party/event thing I've ever attended, so I was really excited to see what it was all about! I've seen events like this for brands such as Napoleon Perdis, but never felt the need to go because there wasn't anything I REALLY wanted. I have been itching to buy the Benefit High Beam for sooo long (stupid spending ban!), and they had the high beam and tints in a cute little set! When the saleslady mentioned this event at Myer, I just knew it was fate. It was $50 for a ticket (redeemable on products during the night), sandwiches and macarons, bubbly and best of all, GOODY BAGS! I don't know about you, but I LOVE goody bags! Always have, always will. 

Our workstations! There were enough products for everyone to sample :)

The girls at Benefit were super nice, and they set up tables of 5-6 laden with all their products! They went through all their products, and we spent the night trying out all the Benefit products and learning the best way to apply them. This was really helpful since my make-up application skills are crap not up to scratch! I learnt how to apply a smokey eye look (FINALLY), and got my colour match for their Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow (Honey). Best of all, they had an awesome deal: if we bought 4 items, they would throw in a complimentary bottle of the So Hooked On Carmella fragrance (RRP $59)!

Naturally, I took advantage of this awesome deal, spending ban be damned!

My Benefit Haul!

Bestie & my Haul! Looks more impressive when we group it together :P

Go TROPICORAL

The real reason I went to this event in the first place. Chachatint is a cute mango-tinted lip and cheek stain. I works wonders with my skin tone, and it just so happens that I have a new-found obsession with CORAL :) I had intended on only buying this set with the redeemable credit, but somehow managed to buy 4 items (for the GWP of course!).

High Beam

Yay! I finally own this beautiful little bottle of awesomeness :P Ever since I tried it at the Benefit Bar, I've been lusting after it like no tomorrow. I've tried to use cheaper alternative brands, but nothing lives up to this. The girls at Benefit showed use how to apply it without excess wastage - all you need are three drops on your cheekbones, and blend away! I was told that this bottle will last for a long time :)

Posietint

I never thought I would like this tint! This is a lovely poppy-pink tint that adds a gorgeous pink flush to the cheeks. I absolutely love it on my lips as well!

They're Real Mascara

To be honest, when I saw the before/after photos of this mascara, I did not believe it at all! But this mascara was AMAZING. Made my stumpy little lashes look so long and full, and holds a curl very nicely. This product caught my by surprise, and I just knew I needed to own it!

So Hooked On Carmella

How cute is the packaging?!

I didn't even know that Benefit had a line of perfumes! I loved this scent, and was glad this was the GWP for the night. It is a very feminine smell, and they described it as a floral vanilla. I can definitely detect the vanilla in this scent, which makes it so sweet and yummy! This might not be the kind of fragrance for everyone, but I adore sweet smells! This smell reminds me of a cake bakery! Another scent I enjoyed was the Garden of Good & Eva - it was a citrus floral smell. Not the overpowering grandma floral smell, but a subtle floral smell, and the citrus gives it a fresh kick, perfect for summer! Another one I liked was the Ring My Bella - its described as a fruity floral, and somehow reminded me of apples? I would definitely recommend a trip to Benefit to check out these fragrances - they have a total of six!

Goody Bag!!

Contents of the goody bag!

As mentioned before, I LOVE goody bags! This bag was so cute, and contained:

• a copy of the Marvel Spygirl comic
• various brochures 
• samples of Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, Total Moisture Face Cream and It's Potent! Eye Cream
• Full size Silky-Finish Lipstick in Breathless (RRP$34)

Silky-Finish Lipstick

Swatch of Breathless Lipstick

This was such a nice surprise, as I did not expect to see a full sized product in the goody bag! Breathless is a pearly pink/mauve colour, and applies so smoothly. It feels very hydrating but seems more like a fall colour, which is unfortunate as I won't get much of a chance to wear it out. It has a sheer coverage that's build-able, which reminds me a of the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine! 

Wow, this post was quite a long and picture heavy post. Ooops :P I guess I was just super excited to share my night with you!

Mini MUA Haul!

My MUA came in the post today! YAY! So excited :)

I am supposed to be on a spending ban, but the bargain hunter in me could not resist the free shipping and 35% off! This is order #1 (I had to make two orders since I forgot a few items in my rush to nab a bargain :P), and I'm very happy with what I got!

Eyes:
Waterproof Eyeliner
This was a great buy (worked out to be about 1.53!), and its quite a good eyeliner! Very easy to use, and once it dries, its completely smudge proof! YAY :)

Eye Primer
Non greasy, easy to apply and it seems to brighten up my eye area! Not sure how well it holds the eyeshadow (haven't had the time to really test it out) but so far so good.

Undressed Palette
I have seen so many reviews and swatches about how this is an amazing dupe of the UD Naked palette, and this is the product I was most excited to receive! Cannot believe how pigmented and smooth the eyeshadows were, however it was a bit powdery, and I experienced a little fall out (could also be because I kind of just chucked it on my face in sheer excitement!).

Lips:
I have recently started my obsession with all things coral again, so I decided to get the lipsticks in 14, 15 and 16. I also got the lipstick in 4 because who can resist pink, right?

Lipstick Shade 4

This one was a bit of a disappointment for me, it was a very sheer pink, and I think the Carmex Moisture Plus Lip tint had a better colour payoff.

Lipstick Shade 14: Bare

A beautiful nude colour, and I'm so glad I found a nude lip colour that doesn't make me look I'm a zombie!

Lipstick Shade 15: Juicy

Definitely my favourite of the four. Its this gorgeous peachy/coral colour that looks perfect for summer, and very wearable.

Lipstick Shade 16:Nectar

This is a more orange version of 15. I don't think I will be wearing this colour everyday, but I still love it :)

Napoleon Sale!

OMG Just saw this email in my inbox! The site is a bit slow but the sales are pretty good..I just wish I remembered which colour I was for foundations!! I've already got 5 products in my shopping cart and I'm not done yet! Check it out here! Might need to refresh your page a few times, but at least its working! :)

Adorn samples

My October Bellabox had a $15 Adorn Mineral Cosmetics voucher, which is meant to be 100% natural, eco-friendly and sustainable. I had not heard about Adorn before Bellabox, so I decided to use my voucher to buy samples ($2.50 each). I ordered a sample of the Liquid Foundation in Medium, Loose Foundation in Medium, two lipstick shades in Berry Pink and Coral, and a sample of the Illuminiser in Natural. The samples came within a week, and sadly, were teeny tiny scrapings in the sample pots! There were a lot of unsatisfied customers, and even more complaints on their Facebook page - mostly about the sample sizes, but even complaints about how the labels were attached and issues with how to apply the lipstick samples!

Adorn Mineral Cosmetics were nice enough to send replacement samples, and I loved that they listened to their customers! The replacement samples arrived today, and I really liked that they listened to all the complaints! The sample pots for the foundations were full to the brim, and there was a sizeable sample of lipstick and illuminator this time. The labels for the sample pots were printed on clear labels that were attached to the bottom of the pots and the lipsticks came with those disposable lipgloss applicators! Very impressed with their response to feedback and criticism.

Samples on the left were the original size, and the ones on the right were the replacements

As you can see, the samples are significantly larger than before. I'm especially happy about the illuminator sample! When I first received it, I couldn't even apply it because the sample was so small! Now I get a chance to try it out! :) I also did a swatch of the lipstick samples (sorry for the bad quality, they were taken on my phone!)

It didn't come out so well in the picture above, but the Coral is a bit brighter, and I love it! I think its perfect for summer, and will be on my to-buy list as soon as I finish all my Christmas shopping!

First post!

Hi I’m Amy, and I’ve wanted to start a blog for so long. I told myself that it wasn’t just so I could procrastinate from studying, so I made a deal with myself to start this blog after my exams finished. Lo and behold, exams came and went, and I was busy with my new free time doing nothing chilling out. I now have 2 major essays due (for a unit that I picked because it had no exams!!) this Friday, so I decided that now, before I begin my two big essays, would be the perfect time to start a blog!

I basically started reading blogs early this year to help me make decisions about which beauty products to buy, as well as have a little sneak peak at what people got in their Bellabox and LHI! I’m one of those people that never shut up about anything, and since my friends are sick of me spewing on about all the products I love and hate, I though a blog would be great for me to offload all my thoughts and ramblings. To be honest, one major reason why I haven’t started a blog before now is because I can’t seem to find a suitable blog name. I’ve always had this issue with everything – including deciding on usernames for games, emails, twitter…I’m just so indecisive, and when I think I finally found the perfect name, SOMEONE HAS ALREADY THOUGHT OF IT :( So after an entire day of procrastinating (I’ve been sitting at my desk for at least 10 hours, and I’ve only written 3 sentences!), I just decided to bite the bullet and used a random weblog name generator which spits out 2 random words at a time. The word babbling came up and I immediately thought of bubbles for some reason, so that’s how the name came about. HAHA I just hope I don’t regret this random name (like I regret my grade 5 email address!)

Anyways, I don’t know how long I will keep this blog going (I have a bad habit of starting projects and then never finishing them!), or if anyone is going to read this, but if you do drop by my blog, I hope you enjoy it!!