New-Found Loves ♥

Hello everybody! I haven't been posting very often as I have been completely bogged down by projects and assignments so I apologise for that. This post is something that I just couldn't wait to write because I am so overwhelmed by how much I am loving these products that I feel like the whole world needs to know about them!

Last night I posted this photo to my instagram , and gave myself a bit of a pamper session using these products and I absolutely loved the way they all worked so well and complemented each other on my skin so I thought I would share them with you.

First up, Frank. Now for those of you who are avid instagram users like myself, there is a high possibility that you will know a lot about Frank and even have ordered some of him for yourself. For those of you who have no idea what i'm talking about, let me break it down for you. Frank is a completely natural body scrub that is made from fresh coffee grinds. This one that I've got contains grapeseed oil, coconut oil, coconut flakes, brown sugar, jojoba seeds and sea salt (omg does that not sounds delicious).

Here's a summary of my overall opinion:

First impression: After ordering, it came within about 3 working days (and free shipping in Australia woo). The packaging is simple and minimal. The information on the back is to the point (and also pretty flirty... Frank knows how to please the ladies, ladies).

Use: The directions say to use 2 handfuls but I found I only needed one handful to successfully scrub my whole body from head to toe.

Be warned: it is extremely messy. I recommend using this only in the shower/bath tub because it literally gets EVERYWHERE.

Results? I am in love. Absolutely and utterly in love with Frank. Firstly, the smell- it smells amaaaazing. I am one of those people who love the smell of coffee but hate the taste of it (weird, i know). Secondly, it works- it really, really works. I have never used a body scrub that is so softening, so smoothing, gently exfoliating and smells fabulous. My whole body felt so soft afterwards I literally wanted everyone to touch my skin because I didn't think anyone would believe how well this works. I have NEVER felt my skin like that. Just trust me. Its $14.95 but I would honestly have paid more for this. Buy it here!

Next up, The Olive Branch by Lush. This is such a gorgeous body wash from Lush. I've actually not been into Lush all year (shock horror, i know) and that is because I still have leftover products from christmas/my birthday! But I definitely will be going back as soon as this baby runs out because I am addicted to it. It's the perfect night time shower gel. It's got a very mediterranean scent to it- made from bergamot oil, olive oil, mandarin oil, vine leaves and lemon oil. The olive oil is fair trade which is great too. Its got such a warm scent to it, yet somehow its also quite fresh. I loooooove this! 

And last but not least, Neutrogena's Light Sesame Body Oil. The bottle says this can be used as a light moisturiser but I personally love using it as a bath oil. It is so smoothing and softening and moisturising and yet somehow light enough to not leave you feeling greasy! I actually got out of the bath and didn't need to moisturise at all (which is huge for me, usually my skin freaks out if I haven't moisturised straight after a bath/shower). 

So I wasn't expecting this post to be long but I really am obsessing over these products. Hopefully you found something you'd like to try (hint: try Frank!!). Are there any products you've been obsessing over? If so, let me know in the comments! 

My Top 10 Apps

Hello everyone :)

To take a little break from beauty products I thought I would share with you my favourite apps! Now these apps don't include the obvious (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, GoogleMaps etc.) These are more the random little apps that get me through life! So here you go, in no particular order; my top 10 apps. 

1. Afterlight

Afterlight is a photo editing app that I love to use as it allows you to choose from many different settings such as clarity, saturation, brightness, etc. It also has a large range of beautiful filters to choose from- all of which have a controllable intensity which is great for creating a more subtle look. I actually love every single filter in this app, as they are quite unique to anything else I have seen in other apps. 

2. PifFx

This second one is called PicFx (this app was recently updated and so the icon looks different to this now). This is very similar to Afterlight, except it has more filters which you can layer on top of each other. It doesn't however have the option to change the brightness/saturation etc. I use this app specifically when I want to add light enhancements such as bokeh to my photos. A combination of PicFx and Afterlight creates the perfect Instagram photo for me! 

3. Instasize

Instasize is a great app for re-sizing photos so that you can use a full length portrait/landscape photo within the square limitation that Instagram sets. Don't like that the square cuts off your hair in that fab selfie? Don't like that the square cuts off the sun in that landscape photo of the beach? Use this app!!! 

4. Shazaam

Okay, lets move on from photos and onto music. Shazaam is probably my favourite app right now. Ever walked into a store or a bar and heard a song you've instantly fallen in love with? Or perhaps you've heard a song a million times but never known the name/artist? This app will tell you all! Simply press the circle in the middle (and stop talking for a minute) and the app will actually listen to the song and identify the name, artist and album. Often it will also give you options to buy the song. With the recent update it also stores every song you've "Shazaam'd" so you can go back and download them once you get home. 

5. Soundcloud

If you're a music junkie like me you'll love this app. I love finding new artists, DJ's and music producers and this app is a great way to do that (the website is also great). It gives me a chance to browse through songs, artists and playlists that my friends are listening to through a stream of music that appears on my feed- similar to Facebook or Tumblr- but for music. Often times I have found great up and coming DJ's and found music that isn't on the radio that I can love. If you're anything like me and often get sick of hearing the same songs over and over again on the radio- this one is a good one for you! 

6. TripView

Tripview is a great must-have app for anyone living in Sydney (If you live elsewhere there will be others that are similar). This app lets you plan your trip on public transport. Train trips, bus routes, ferry times are all included! If you pay $1 and buy the original app you can also save your favourite routes so you can instantly check what time your train is coming. This app also updates with real-time data. Train running 10 minutes late? (with city rail this is something most of us are used to by now) Guards not explaining why? 9/10 times this app has explained to me what the situation is before the guard on the platform makes an announcement. "Emergency trackwork on the Northern Line, Expect delays up to 10 minutes". Cool, now I can call work and explain why I'm going to be 10 minutes late. 

7. MyVodafone

Most service providers have their own app that is similar to MyVodafone. This app is great at showing me how much of my plan I have used up- usually it's my data that i'm slowly running out of :P 

8. 13CABS

Any taxi/cab app is great for those times when you just need to get somewhere. Had a night out? No trains running? Need to get home but you live nowhere near where the nightrider bus stops? Order a cab for a specific time at a specific place and it will be there to pick you up. I have actually had a cab come to my house and drive me down the road to the station once (no i'm not lazy, I had a huge suitcase and it was 43 degrees celsius that day). 

9. Dictionary 

Nerd alert!! I love my dictionary app and i'm not ashamed to say so! I'm constantly reading a new word in a book or an assignment (especially on my 1 hour train rides into the city) so having this app handy to look up words is great for me. I highly recommend it if you are someone who likes to study/read on the go! 

10. 2048

This is a game. A very hard game. If you have played this you will know what I'm talking about! If you have played this and gotten to 2048 TELL ME HOW!  If you have no idea what I'm talking about- download it, and prepare to get addicted. 

kthanksbye

xxxx

 ♥ 

Current Loves ♥

Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since i've posted but I have been so damn busy with my new degree that I have barely had time to even think about what to write. However I have been dying to update this blog as soon as possible so here is a quick post about some of the things i've really started loving recently :)

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash

Oh my gosh. This is something I have wanted for many months now and never actually bought but boy am I glad I finally did. This is probably the best smelling body wash I have ever used. It smells like freshly squeezed lime and brown sugar. asdfghjkl its so sweet (but not over powering) and fresh and delicious ugh I could literally eat it. I may or may not have thought about having a lick... :P 

Simple Eye Makeup Remover

Are you looking for something to remove waterproof mascara? This won't do the job. But it will however, remove any eye makeup that isn't waterproof, and it does it so gently and easily. I soak a cotton pad, hold on my eye for about 5 seconds and then swipe and the majority of my non-waterproof eye-makeup will come off. Of course there will be a little bit leftover that will be removed once you cleanse but for an everyday remover it works pretty well. I even use it to wipe off the makeup on my face too sometimes. I just wish it had a nozzle rather than just a hole for the product to come out of as i find myself pouring out more than I need- this bottle is almost empty and I only bought it a month ago :/ 

Natio Gentle Facial Scrub

I find it really difficult to find an exfoliator that I like. They're either too rough, too soft, too grainy, not grainy enough, too drying, or they have those nasty blue beads (STAY AWAY FROM THESE!!!). I have really been enjoying this exfoliator from Natio. It says it 'Purifies, Exfoliates, Refines and Polishes'. Now I don't know about the last two, I haven't really found my skin to look super duper amazing because of this, but it does get the job done. The job being; scrubbing away the dead skin cells without harshly grinding your skin away (this is what the blue beads do). Those tiny blue beads can also be really bad if you've got a breakout as they can rupture your breakout and actually cause it to spread to other parts of your face! Just trust me on this one, stay away. 

L'oreal Telescopic Mascara

I LOVE mascara. It is probably my favourite part of doing my makeup. I just think mascara makes you look finished, awake, and just beautiful. I do however, hate smudging and excessive clumping. This mascara is probably not the best if you're looking for something to really volumize, but what I love about it is that it separates the lashes beautifully and really defines each lash. This mascara can get a little clumpy if you put on too many coats though and you can begin to look a bit spider-y so try and avoid layering on the coats too much. 

Illamasqua & Essie Nail Polishes 

Lets start with the Illamasqua. The pink one is called 'Scarce' and the purple is called 'Speckle'. These were an absolute bargain! I caught them hiding out in a well hidden sale shelf in Myer- $5 down from $20! I had remembered hearing about them from the lovely Lily Pebbles 's video. They are both really muted colours but with little grey speckles in them. I love this look as  I find glitter speckles can be a little intense for my liking, and the grey just made it a little more casual- pretty but casual. I will say however that they do chip pretty quickly so I would definitely use a top coat for these! 

The Essie nail polish is in the colour 'Mint Candy Apple'. Oh boy am I in love with this colour. Its the perfect blueish, greenish, pastel colour and perfect for those of you going into Spring! The colour payoff is great too-  I only needed one coat :)

Sleek iDivine Palette

This is a great drugstore brand that we unfortunately do not have in Australia :( You can however order from their website. I literally paid about $4 for shipping which is crazy awesome considering it's coming from America! Okay now onto the product! This is a great neutrals palette, it comes with 12 shades- some matte, some shimmery- and all of them are absolutely beautiful! Great pigmentation, hardly any fall out, you get a big mirror which is perfect for travelling/on the go. I don't really have anything to fault with this! For $12 it's pretty freaking good value for money too. These palettes come in a whole bunch of other colours too so check out their website for more :) 

Sleek Face Form Kit

Okay I use this nearly every time I do my makeup. It's basically a multi-tasking kit. The brown shade is a matte brown which is perfect for contouring as well as bronzing, the centre is a shimmery highlighter which is perfect for highlighting the cheekbone, under the eyebrow, in the inner corner of they eye and above the cupids bow-pretty much anywhere you want to highlight! The blush on the left, i'm not that thrilled about- mostly because its a coral colour (which majority of people like in which case you might, however I tend to stray away from anything slightly orange). I also am not a big fan of this blush because its extremely shimmery which is not something I look for in a blush- i prefer it to be matte or have a very subtle shimmer. This kit is in the shade Light. I know what you're thinking, "but you're so tanned you can't possibly be the shade light". But believe it or not I am, the sleek bronzers can be very dark, if you are lighter than me I would highly suggest you get the shade Fair. Unless of course you love a serious contour in which case go for the light but I prefer mine to be a lot more subtle. I also find that the darker you go with bronzers the more orange they tend to become- and like I said, i hate orange. 

Glasshouse- Galapagos

Last but definitely not least- the Glasshouse, triple scented candle in 'Galapagos'. Kaffir lime and Cocoa Butter. Are we sensing a theme here? My obsession with the mix of citrus and sweet? Yep. Obsessed. These big babies can burn for up to 80 hours, which kinda makes the $40 price tag almost worth it right? Yeah maybe not for everyone but for me, a candle like this is one of my guilty pleasures. I love burning them during a bath, or before I sleep to calm me down or just whenever to be honest. I do think this scent is a bit summery though so I might go out and get the caramel vanilla one mmmm perfect for winter :) 

What have you guys been loving recently? 

Let me know in the comments!

♥ 

Uni/School Bag Essentials

Hello Everyone!

Yes it is that time of year again when most people go back to university/college/school, and after a couple months of laid back holidays we can sometimes forget exactly what we need to keep ourselves awake during that boring history class! So here is a list of some of the things I always have in my uni bag just to get your memory jogging. 

The Bag Itself- A good sturdy sized handbag is absolutely necessary. Mine is from Colette and is a pretty big size. I like that it has an outer pocket (on the side you cant see) where I can put my phone, keys and lipbalm as all these things are within easy reach and I don't have to stick my hand in and search endlessly for them (if you've ever lost keys in a full handbag you'll know what i'm talking about). As much as I do love this bag, I am still on the lookout for another uni bag as I used this all summer as my go-to handbag and its starting to fall apart slowly so if any of you know any great uni bags let me know in the comments! 

Bottle of water- I don't usually take this VOSS water bottle as it's glass and only holds 375ml (definitely not enough for Sydney's heat) however I thought it would look better than a plastic bottle for the purposes of the photograph. Water is a pretty simple one as it's important to stay hydrated during long days at uni. After all our bodies are 75% water! Water can also help alleviate things such as headaches and cool you down :) 

Deoderant- Shouldn't really need to explain this; Just use it. 

Cute notebook & Pencil Case- I don't really know whether it's cool to have matching notebook and pencil case, but I bought these from Typo and they were the only prints that I actually liked haha! Typo does some great stationary- i've bought most of mine from there. The notebook has 4 sections which is perfect for anyone like myself who has 4 subjects. The pencil case is perfect size for me and holds everything my stationary-obsessed self needs!

2014 Diary- A 2014 diary is essential for keeping up to date with assignments, exams and your social life. It's important to have a balance between study and social life so having the dates of due things all in one place can help you manage your time effectively. I just used the one that UNSW gave us as it has all the dates of parties and other uni things going on.

Umbrella- Because Sydney's weather can go from 40 to 10 degrees in five minutes. Enough said. 

Jumper- See point on Umbrella^

Earphones- To listen to some fab tunes on the 1 hour train ride into uni. 



Emergency kit:

In this pouch from Kikki-K I store everything I have ever desperately needed in the past but never had with me- learning from my mistakes good job Tay! Basically this pouch travels with me everywhere I go, if I change my bag, this pouch along with my wallet, keys and sunglasses will always be moved with it. 

Paw Paw Ointment- Great in the winter for chapped lips but also great for soothing minor cuts and bruises 

Dettol Hand Sanitiser- Because there are people in this world who don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom. Sigh. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy roll on perfume- Just in case I need a touch up of perfume or if I forgot to put it on entirely on an important day

Kleenex anti-bacterial wipes- Always comes in handy for messy spills 

Natio Spot Treatment- Perfect for that random breakout that decided to show up on the same day as that date you have! 

Panadol and Naprogesic- These are two things that I always regretted not carrying with me on an everyday basis. Headaches can pop up at any time, even if you don't have one, someone you're with might. As for Naprogesic, when period pain strikes this is the only thing that makes me feel slightly better about having my uterus shed itself. (If you're a boy reading this, quit getting squirmish and grow up. Half the population goes through this every month) 

Tweezers- Another random thing that always comes in handy; plucking out the odd eyebrow hair on the train,  picking at ingrowns in lectures, removing an unsuspecting splinter from your finger, this list goes on. 

Bandaids- Because recently I have come to understand the world of blisters. They suck. 

I hope this gave you a few ideas of things to keep in your uni bag to get you through the day! If you have any ideas that I could use for things to keep in my bag then leave them in the comments :) 

xoxo Tay ❤ 

Aleisa's Edit: Koalabi Boots

One boot suits all.

As a uni student, casually employed, running my own car and paying all fees, textbooks, supplies and whatever else, there usually isn’t much money left for pretty things. I’m talking about designer clothes, shoes, makeup, and all the other ‘in’ things that are on my want/need list (which is incredibly long). So when I splurge on something it has to be good. And I mean really, really good. Something that won’t get left at the bottom of my closet and that will wear out completely before it is thrown out.

Something like Koalabi boots.

When I received my ‘Amberly’ Koalabi boots I could hardly contain my excitement! Just thinking about where I could wear them, what I could wear them with and how ridiculously comfortable they are got me extremely hyped up!! Plus I’d never owned something with such great quality before.

Hence I’ve come up with 10 reasons YOU absolutely need to splurge on them:

1. They’re an Australian brand

2.   They go with absolutely everything in my wardrobe; and I mean everything!

3.  Yes, I wear them with summer clothes when I go to markets, casual jeans and a tee for university, a formal dress for fancy dinners, a tight dress for going out, dressing up shorts and a top when mucking around with mates (check out my pool skills), EVERYTHING!

4.  This even includes an ugly old suit my mum had. Indeed I tried them out with it. And guess what. I think it worked!

5.   They are made from 100% leather and sheepskin.

6.   Sheepskin= soft and oh so comfortable. Meaning I also wear them around the house, in my pj’s.

7.   The ‘Amberly’ pair I own is black, which goes with everything. They also are a wedge/heeled so my legs are always looking good and firm which is a major plus.

8.  They definitely live up to their hashtag #stylemeetscomfort.

9.  One pair of boots definitely suits everything I own, meaning they’ll only leave me when they eventually wear out.

10.  You will definitely get more than your money’s worth on this splurge!

Cons of owning a pair of Koalabi boots:

1.   Mum continuously ‘borrows’ (steals) them.

2.     See 1.

If you haven’t gone and bought yourself a pair of Koalabi’s by now then stop reading and get moving onto http://www.koalabi.com to get yourself a pair cause you’re missing out!

Love the girl whose pure happiness is a result of these boots.

Aleisa

PS. I have photos to prove it.

Makeup Brushes + Haul

Hello everybody!

I feel like I'm boring you all because this blog is supposed to be about more than beauty products but I've been soo busy with work around this Christmas period that I've had absolutely no time to even think about redecorating my room. I'm hoping I can get it done during January when life settles down a bit so stay tuned!

Today I'll be doing a post that I'm actually really excited about because it mostly involves products that I have absolutely been obsessed with over the past month and I'm kicking myself for not purchasing them earlier!

Soooo I have recently been a little bit addicted to buying beauty products online (where there is free shipping of course) because they tend to be a lot cheaper than buying them say in Myer or Priceline. These first two products I bought online from here.

This is the EX1 Delete anti-blemish/dark circle concealer in D200. Roughly $12 from Beauty Expert. 

This has become one of my makeup staples, I have been using it nearly everyday under my eyes to conceal my dark circles. I absolutely love this stuff. It's quite a thin product but it still has the perfect coverage for me- enough to cover the darkness but not so much that its cakey. It barely creases (not at all if used over primer) and i find it lasts pretty much all day. To apply, i use my ring finger to warm up the product and swipe under my eye, which I then blend using one of the products I'm about to mention. Overall, really really loving this. 

This is the Real Techniques setting brush, and it came in a set along with the next four brushes in this post for about $55, again from Beauty Expert. Not Priceline! Priceline is such a rip off when it comes to this brand. The thing I love about these brushes, is that even though they have names and certain uses, they're actually quite diverse. Each brush can be used perfectly for a whole range of things. So this Setting Brush is designed for loose powder however i have been using it to blend in the under eye concealer that I mentioned above. A lot of people would think that this brush is too big for under the eye but I think its perfect for me and it gives good coverage and doesn't crease. 

This is the Real Techniques buffing brush. I can't believe I ever used to use those flat foundation brushes. I don't think  I will ever use them again! This brush is the most perfect foundation brush I have ever come across. It buffs the product into the skin to give perfect coverage and a flawless finish. It gives medium coverage but it is also build able to full if you want. These brushes are also so incredibly soft as well so applying the foundation actually feels good! Very impressed with this product and I'd recommend it to absolutely anyone and everyone. 

This is the Real Techniques Multi- Task brush. I use it for powder bronzer and if i'm on the go it also doubles as a blush brush. Again, super soft bristles, perfect size for bronzer and I just really like it!

These are (left to right) the Real Techniques Essential Crease Brush and Fine Liner brush. Now to be honest I don't actually use the crease brush as often as the other brushes mostly because I don't wear eyeshadow every single day but also because i'm used to using another set of brushes for eyeshadow application. So still getting used to this one! The Fine Liner brush I also don't use all that often if at all because I don't use gel liner or liquid liner that comes in a pot- I much prefer the felt tip liquid liners because I find them easier to use and a lot less messy. 

These are the brushes I use in place of the Real Techniques eye brushes. They are the Manicare angled brush and shadow brush. Super cheap, you can buy them from practically anywhere probably even the supermarket. I bought these from the chemist for about $7 each. I use the angled brush to apply darker shades of shadow along the lower lash line and the shadow brush for applying all my eyeshadows except cream eyeshadows which I often use as bases. 

This is the Airbrush Concealer brush from Ecotools. As the name suggests, I use this for concealer applied on blemishes or redness. The brush is pretty fantastic, leaving a flawless finish without undoing or smudging the foundation you've already applied. I also love that these tools are from a brand that is 100% cruelty free and use recycled materials as well as natural materials like the bamboo handles. Roughly $8 from Priceline (however I have found it online for even cheaper!) its a pretty good brush considering its price. 

Moving away from brushes, I have been on the hunt for a perfect everyday BB/CC cream style tinted moisturiser/foundation that is lightweight and allows the skin to breathe during the day without clogging pores. Mostly I have been using the Garnier BB Cream which i'm not overly impressed with, but it has done the job during my search. So I had a little look through Priceline and liked the sound of what this CC cream from Models Prefer claims to do; even skin tone, reduce redness and give flawless coverage. I have to say I have never used a product that has disappointed me as much as this one. I saw no change in my skin tone/redness, it didn't give a flawless finish, it actually rubbed off during the day and I thought my skin actually looked worse than normal. The consistency is quite greasy and doesn't feel that nice once applied either. Overall, not impressed, wouldn't recommend. 0/10

So as to not end on a bad note, I thought i'd include this into my post. It's not exactly a 'new' product that i've purchased, i've actually been using this for many years now but this particular bottle I recently bought so I thought i'd add it in. It is one of the best face creams i've ever used and even though I try new products all the time I always end up going back to this one. Its lightweight, very hydrating, smells fabulous and is perfect for sensitive skin. Its great for use underneath foundation as well! It's about $16 from Priceline. 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know in the comments if you know of any BB/CC creams/lightweight foundations that are good for everyday use!! 

Love you loads ♡♡♡