2014 beauty discoveries that blew me away

I was going for the image of Mr Wabbit being blown away but gravity ruined all my plans, and he needed the support of those products

EYE- LIDS, LINE, LASHES & BROWS

Etude House Eye Primer. What the hell do they throw in here, it's magic in a bottle. If I were to paint the exact same eyeshadow look on my eyes, left side with primer and right side without - you'd be comparing a child with a crayon next to Da Vinci.

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Palette. The champagne shade in this palette (far left) imparts such an elegant sheen! Angel-kissed lids is a very accurate representation of what I'm trying to describe. That's not to say the others are useless, just throw that blue & purple on the lid, highlight under the brow bone, cream on the inner corner and you have a perfectly functional night time look!

Maxfactor Wild Shadow Pencil in Caramel Rage. I don't have time to finish a proper shit in the morning, let alone a proper face so with one/two swipes on the eyelid and another swipe on the lower lash line, your eyes will emerge from under the covers of puffiness. It's the perfect taupe/bronze/brown shade that you don't even have to blend because it'll blend itself with its creaminess. 

L'Oreal Le Kohl Pencil in Carbon Black. This is a great, creamy eyeliner. Not completely transfer-proof, giving my lower lash line a bit of smokiness by the end of the day but never raccoon circles. Also also, I discovered how to tight line free from torture, just move your eyeball the other way...away from the pencil and you can still keep your eyes open!

Benefit They're Real Mascara. Now if you have any Asian DNA, you might be so lucky as to have those very straight and very stubborn lashes that point straight down. Where's my cute little feminine curl? (Note: need to buy a good quality eyelash curler, thinking Shu Umera). Even once lashes are curled, some mascaras will not cooperate and the curl is lost again. The first time I tried this I was so excited to have the most beautiful lashes in the world but "omg c'mon". The most popular mascara in the world wasn't working for me. It didn't work so well the first time but once it dried a lil', I could confirm the hype is REAL - smudge proof and so fabulous.

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Cement (used as brow powder). This product's shade name traumatises and inspires me to be better daily, I imagine brushing this over my brows will cement them in place and they'd set and remain for the rest of eternity. Which is truly terrifying because on some days, my brows are sharp upside down V's and we cannot have that immortalised. However, since it's so light there is hope that my screwed up brows won't be the prominent feature, it's a nice colour.

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black Brown. I'll use this on days when I need/want to feel freaking fierce, keeping in mind to do short, quick strokes or I'll be sporting a monobrow. My brows are naturally sparse and light so this isn't my natural brow colour at all but I keep thinking I can make it work - whether or not it looks good on me isn't my concern hey? Strong brows that kill sure lend you a confidence boost YAAAAA.

Gorgeous Cosmetics Brow Fix Gel. If this were a hair gel from 1 out of 10, it'd have 9 in hold because my face can go blalala in the wind but my brow hairs stay put like the guards in front of Royal precincts.

                                                                                                   

                                                                                                     

LIP- COLOUR, BALM & EXFOLIATOR

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey. This is Nanoblur (haven't tried it, but imagine those promotional before & after shots) for your lips, well for my pigmented lips at least. 

Hurraw Lip Balm in Black Cherry. I am addicted to applying this like a road rager loves honking his/her horn. That's saying a lot since artificial cherry is the most disgusting scent/flavour to ever exist, whereas real cherries are the most delicious fruit to ever exist (anybody else notice our amazing cherry season? Eat up!). The tinted part is a lie but that hydration isn't.

ELF Exfoliating Lip Treatment. Smells/tastes like sugar because it's made of it. If you crave cupcakes but need to eat clean, use this and be rewarded with Kleenex tissue-soft lips.

FACE

CONTOUR- BRONZE, HIGHLIGHT, BLUSH

Benefit Hoola Bronzer.  A brilliant contour shade to give definition to cheekbones & nose (just recently 'discovered' my nose is kinda fat in proportion to the rest of my face). Life could be so much better if bronzer worked on the entire body too.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch in Shimmering Sand. This is like the champagne shade out of the Lancome Eyeshadow Palette but it's as if the angel was sunbaking then came to kiss your cheekbones. I didn't have to do no frying in the sun, very happy about this.

Benefit Rockateur Blush. I need to get this out of my system. I HATE THE PACKAGING OF THE BOXED BLUSHES. It takes up a ridiculous amount of space in storage, it's cardboard and very very square in shape (sharp corners are a no-no). Yet this blush found its way into top beauty discovery of 2014, it smells good, has nice pigmentation and very very pretty in shade which I am attracted to.

BASE- the only base product I need 

Bourjois CC Cream in Rose Beige. The only product I've ever had a perfect skin match to, it just melts onto my skin and hides what I want hidden. 

I don't bother with primer/concealer because I can't stand to have too many layers on my skin. We can't neglect sunscreen though - my favourite: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch, mine has been rolling around on the beach playing in the sand so it's really not up for taking photos right now but it looks like:

QUICK SKINCARE/BODY CARE LOVES:

Indeed Labs Facial Powdered Exfoliator. Early December: face plagued with pimples that haven't left since early November - til death do we part I guess. Received this before Christmas and it's improved my skin dramatically. By the new year my skin was on the road to recovery. This is so much better than the Dermalogica one because it foams up which is more fun, works faster and is cheaper but be aware of the large hole...I dispensed a copious amount the first time and my chest + arms got in on the foamy, exfoliating action too.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. Dries the pimples but not my skin, very smart. I think if you use this twice a week, it'd last 6 months. I got it in September and 4 months later with sporadic use, at least 50% remains though it gets harder to reach the pink calamine layer.

Lush Dream Cream. Name says it all, it soothes like no other then helped me treat some itchy/dry skin issues :)

Rexona Clinical Protection Deodorant. The only deodorant that's ever been brave enough to battle the sweat to keep my underarms bone dry. Thank you for making 2014 a lil' more comfortable.

Okay! I procrastinated on this quite a bit but in the end I had so much fun sharing those with you, link me up to your favourites as I'd love to read about things that made your beauty-loving heart happy :) Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2015!

If this clever piece of art is anything to go by, 2015 will literally 'kick ass'.

Oh how I've missed the bright orange walls of Blogger

Hello everybody! I apologise for my inactiveness...not a word. Just became one, deal with it & yes, the walls of Blogger are actually white - I miss the Blogger logo I guess? But that doesn't sound as poetic as I'd like, now go dissect my title as you would a poem (so glad to be done with high school English) :P

Like the dude made out of rock formation (do you see him?), I have been ponderin' life too (this is at La Perouse by the way)

So what's been consuming me the past month has been anxiety concerning the future, results came back and I wasn't sure what to do with them. Eighteen year olds shouldn't be put in charge of four-year-long, fifty-thousand dollar decisions without certainty over job prospects or our own personal happiness after making such an investment. That being said, I settled for my interests over the paycheck and I'm a keen bean ready to start uni :)

I've also deleted a whole bunch of photos for the blog accidently (camera memory was full, dunno how I managed to wipe out all my photos, some were backed up, some weren't). The sun will come out soon and so will my camera.

The other half of my time was spent wisely between family (they call it a family tree because when you shake it, all the nuts fall out) and friends, at beaches and on the toilet seat (my water consumption has increased in proportion to my sodium intake).

Mugs like this are brilliant plant holders, well, make sure they're cacti or succulents because there's no draining hole

So I've realised I need a break from things every once in a while to process things and that's fine because I still enjoy doing what I do here. I have a good feeling for 2015!

I'm not making promises but my next post should be up on Sunday, come back anytime xo

November Lovers and Leavers

Alright! I've done enough of this lazing around sipping pina coladas business (jk I'm straight edge and water is always my drink of choice) and not enough productivity I feel so it's time to get back into things. November was a pretty momentous month for HG discoveries and I have to share them with you!

I finally whipped out the camera to take photos of my own, the last post contained a collage in a stocking which took a ridiculously long time to edit so I'm never doing that again :)

 LOVE ME

Moxie pads - HG

Look how cute the packaging is! These are solely responsible for a more pleasant menstruation period period with their pinkness and bows even though I'm not into cutesy things, I will forever love and support this brand because of their 'Pads for Pads' initiative.

What is this you ask?

Mia Klitsas, the driven, forward-thinking cool chick (#lifegoals) in charge of the Moxie brand explains in more depth if you'd like:

Not only is she easing the burden of periods by ensuring our pads and tampons stop flying around in our bags, but she's enriching the lives of those young women whose periods no longer stop them from going to school and receiving an education! Double win, I urge you to support Moxie.


Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - HG

This saved me so many times this month. There was this one pimple residing on my eyebrow since forever-til death do us part, but then I remembered I had this and it helped me get rid of it without mess over two nights. Good stuff, I even like the funky smell of it now. I do worry that I'll drop a cotton tip in there as it gets harder to reach the pink calamine layer.


Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer - HG

I changed my mind about wanting the NARS eyelid primer because this one has fulfilled all my requests. At only $7US or $12.95AUS on eBay here, it's nothing short of incredible because it enhances eye shadow pigmentation as well as prolongs their wear. My eye shadow clung on for 12 hours through crazy dancing and tears a few days ago at formal and I forgot I had the issue of oily eyelids. A+++, highly recommend!


MOMMA (mineral makeup)  

There are no stand-outs in this sample pack (contour powder, silicon finishing powder + 2 variations of foundation) because they're all amazing! I will have a post up shortly on this affordable, Australian brand.


Awesome UNSW Silicon Wallet - HG

This silicon wallet is magic. It fits the essentials (money, licence, transport card) perfectly. It also prevents my phone from tipping over the edge as it always does. And finally there's no sticky residue left over when it's time to peel off. Love love love.



ELF Lip Exfoliator

Using this feels like face-palming the concrete, it's really rough but also equally effective.
It's so much more convenient and cleaner to use than the traditional lip scrub, though I sometimes feel it's a waste of metal because I am powering through this and I just got it at the beginning of November (will probably last 2 months or 15 applications, whichever comes first).


Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer in Light/Clair (11ml)

Shoulda cleaned that lid, mhm soak up that grime.

I don't hate my eye bags because they come out mostly when I smile but on days when I wanna look like a different person, I whip this out to lessen the severity of those dark circles.

It's creamy yet doesn't crease and lasts as long as I need it to (5-6 hrs). This imparts nice coverage and hence really does make me look more fresh-faced, this only came in two shades: light & medium (medium is quite dark, would suit ~ MAC NC/NW30 & above. The light shade highlights my blemishes so I really only use it to conceal under eye darkness on my NW25 skin (I've never been shade matched so it's my educated guess as I have cool-toned medium skin).


Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black/Brown

I would dye my hair a new shade every month if it weren't so damaging, I have black hair so I'd have to bleach it first and that's always bugged me. This month, I realised me sporting dark brows wouldn't hurt and I've been loving this shade in ma brows! This pencil isn't overly waxy yet creamy enough to achieve the desired colour. Don't stop making this Rimmel!


Physician's Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black - HG
These pens rolled so much I had to chuck them into one photo.
This'll be any novice’s best friend in eyeliner application. Thick, thin, straight, flowery artwork, whatever you want on your eyes – this is incredibly easy to work with :) I haven’t noticed longer, thicker lashes but I really don’t mind because it's so freaking impressive as a long-wearing, waterproof eyeliner. I love doing wings on my eyes with the assistance of sticky-tape so I can be as sloppy as I like and it still turns out decently.

LEAVE ME

Montagne Jeunesse mask

Hard to look cute when it's burning so bad

They thought they'd save us the messy clay mask application but I'd much prefer that over this crappy cloth mask.
How does one relax with a tingly, stinky (like toilet cleaner), wet and oversized mud-dipped cloth on their face? It dried leaving a white clay film on your skin (cream 'stache above) that you had to wash off anyway. I was on the verge of tears from the pungent scent which stung my eyes (evident above) and it irritated my skin then broke me out. I just wanted nice skin.


EOS lip balms

My nostrils really appreciate the smell of these, albeit rather waxy and plastic-y in scent and texture. They did more sitting around than moisturising, my sister bought these at Costco and I'll use them up but won't repurchase and they plunge off my desk into darkness often because of their round shape. I don't even think they're that cute and every time I use them, I feel like I'm rubbing a nipple-less breast against my lips.

Twas a good month. How about you? I'm super nosey so let me in ;) Any lovers/leavers this month?

PS: Embarrassing update - my mum saw the plastic bottle of Coogee sea water beside my desk and threw it away. I'll have to hit up another beach soon hey?!

PPS: Knocked one thing off my wishlist - that NARS eye primer. Beautyheaven's beautorium event will give me the opportunity to knock off the Indeed Labs Microfoliant too - it's 700 points though and I was hoping to save up (only on 1,400 points) but I am a person of impulse and who knows how long I have left to live so I'm gonna order it! Looking forward to the freebies they throw in too :D

Have a wonderful week! Don't forget to maintain a positive attitude to help you continually conquer any curveballs thrown your way.

Good things are up ahead this month, and the next, and the next...perpetually.

What's in a wish - at 11:11 on 11/11

I don't believe that on the eleventh minute after every hour (because let's not forget timezones), if we wished hard enough, concentrated our brains hard enough on what we wanted, that it'll come true.

Or that if I blew until we went red on a dandelion seed head and all the seeds flew off, my wish will be granted.

But I wish on these things anyway. 

Because every new wish you add onto that list goes into the forefront of your brain and implants itself there, always guiding each action of yours towards it. In that way, wishes evolve into goals, if you wish hard enough - work hard enough, who's to say you can't achieve what you wished for? 

I do have a personal wishlist but to ease into things, I'll share my material wants which my personal goals ($$$) will help me buy. I decided to put it in a stocking because I love my socks, and in no way does it hint at what I expect this Christmas.

Starting from the bottom and working our way in a zigzag motion up we have:

1. NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base 

Sometimes it feels as if all my oil glands gather under one/two roofs and have a party under my eyelids leaving me in the aftermath of an oil spill problem to which nothing non-polar adheres, no matter how crease-proof the eyeshadow. I hear this primer by NARS should prevent such an event from occurring.

2. Revlon Colorstay Skinny Liquid Liner in Electric Blue

$25.95 for blue liquid to smack onto those eyelids, I could buy 3 kebabs with that much. Though rad blue eyeliner would last longer...and a fun wing would make me feel super cool as opposed to kebab breath.
(Thank you to the ever fabulous Kat from Kitsch Snitch for sharing this! She makes YouTube videos and provides a blog post for most videos too - talk about dedicated!)

3. Yonanas Dessert Maker

To whoever discovered blended frozen banana make wonderful ice-cream treats (yes-just frozen bananas on their own!), I tip my hat to you.
My mum buys boxes of fruit weekly which end up rotting so I'm glad we now have an excuse to freeze a box of bananas. Should I try blending frozen pawpaw and mangoes? They're the fruits my mum loves to buy in bulk. I'm gonna go bananas on my Yonanas yo! 

4. Lush Big Shampoo 

Big hair, mhm. There's lots of sea salt in it, which reminds me I still have 150mL of beach water from Coogee which I'm yet to turn into a sea salt texturising spray. Basically you filter out the sand, boil it to rid of the pathogens and pass it through microscopic membrane to kill the tough pathogens (jks we're not drinking it here) then add essential oil(s) of your own choosing to make it smell nice, spray into hair + crunch it a bit. Will it work? I will update you! 

5. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Wardrobe
Hello pretty thing! I hate using powder as it clings to dry patches but this doesn't look like any old boring powder y'know? It's supposed to be ultra flattering and leave you ultra-glowy, especially under different lights.

6. Indeed Labs Hydraluron
I know we need to be patient with our skin but people have said they see a noticeable difference in their skin after the first/second application of a product so where can I find those miracle workers? I've never experienced that except for with rose hip oil.

Damn you skin, what will knock you out of your inertia? 
The answer must be exercise because an object at rest (skin being crap) stays at rest (still crap) unless a force (exercise) acts upon it. Physics explains so much of our world and yet it was my least favourite science subject because I'm self-absorbed and like learning about human body functioning and about chemistry which helps with product knowledge, here are a couple of nail polish remover tips:

• Adding nail polish remover into old, gluggy nail polish is a death sentence.  Use nail polish thinners because that's what they're made for! 
• You should always keep the lid of your nail polish remover on because acetone evaporates very quickly.

Wow, weird tangents!

7. Indeed Labs Powdered Exfoliator 

I have a deluxe sized sample of the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant and would like to see how this compares. Usually I don't feel like these make much difference to my skin but that's my commitment issues and not the product itself (I'll use that awesome Dermalogica one once a week despite it being a daily product), 
I promise to be more consistent and committed from now on because I have the most highly important responsibility of keeping my little corner of the internet alive with only genuine experiences of products.

So keep smiling every time you catch 11:11. Turn those wishes into ambitions.
(Bahahaha! You just read my rambly autobiography under the guise of a wishlist.)

What are you wishing for this fine day? Leave me a couple of products below, I'd love to check them out :)
Have you tried any of these products?

ALSO: let me know if my blog posts are too long, I probably won't cut them down but I'll add more paragraphs to create the illusion that I did. 

Beautyheaven & Beautorium

Hi hey hello!

There's this cool beauty/lifestyle site on the internet called Beautyheaven and they hold an event called Beautorium around 2 times a year. By being a member on the site, you earn points from reviewing products, commenting, participating in the forum, sharing articles, etc. You also learn heaps along the way, the forum community there is v. awesome, people are so friendly :)

When you reach a certain level of points, you can participate in the Beautorium - you redeem your hard-earned points for some beauty products! All you need to pay is $4.95 shipping for 3 items and less or $9.95 if you redeem more than 3 items. Simple!

So without further adieu, I will share what I picked up this time round:

Top row:

• WOTNOT Facial Wipes for oily and sensitive skin I tried a sample of these and they're lovely!
• SkinB5 Acne Control Cleansing Mousse acne is nobody's friend
• Skin B5 Acne Control Moisturiser acne is nobody's friend
• Uriage Lait Demaquillant I felt like a little luxury so I went to French skincare ;)
• Kosmea Replenishing Moisture Cream (a substitute product, I originally ordered the Kosmea Rescue Balm)
• Kosmea Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil this stuff is the bessst

Bottom row (freebies bh included):

• Manicare Glameyes "Miranda" Lashes I can pull these off once I learn how to apply lashes, they look fairly natural!
• Lady Jayne Digital Romance Hair Elastics cutecutecute
• LAPURETÉ Okuru™ Resurrection Night Crème & the Okuru™ Mild Crème Facial Cleanser & Toner
• Vagisil Feminine Wash sceptical about these, I saw their ad and they made it appear as if our natural vaginal odours are gross and should be cleansed away with product --> water is is enough. (However, if you detect a fishy smell, it could be a yeast infection and you should go get it checked out)

My balance before this haul was 2000+ points and the aftermath? 111 sad points, time to climb back up there!  So if you join, we can basically build our points together.

All that for $9.90? I'm pretty chuffed! Thank you bh & participating brands for the awesome opportunity to try these out! I can't wait to get reviewing, on first impressions, the SkinB5 products are great. Acne is the pits but it's okay because there are ways to manage + cure it.

Have a beautiful day!

Hi, hey, hello

Well hello there, you beautiful soul!

My name's Jacqueline from Sydney, Australia, I'm turning 18 this year and I currently have my HSC mid-yearly exams. This blog was born out of procrastination and an urge to reserve the cool blog name idea I had. It will be about beauty and fashion because everyone's got a body to own and it comes with skin we get to decorate, yippeee! :)

I am a little busy at the moment so I'll actually begin at a later date when exams are over and I'm my normal self.

Look forward to great things because that's what will come!!

- Jacq-a line allows progress.

(Bright Eyes) 

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