Olive Green and the Power of Compliments

Years ago when I was an undergraduate at university, I walked into an afternoon tutorial on an average Wednesday rugged up in a big scarf and with my bag heaving with a new stack of library books. The lady running the tutorial at the time is a local author and she stopped speaking to compliment my makeup and ask me where I was heading after class! The quickest and most simple compliment (I was heading home to read after class!) stuck with me for all these years, and subsequently every time I wear olive green or khaki eyeshadow I'm reminded of that moment and it makes me smile. It also reminds me that if you think a nice thought while out and about, it's often worth saying something to the person, it could make their day! I often throw quick (genuine!) compliments if I see someone wearing something lovely and some may think me strange, but I'm happy to take the risk so that they have a chance at that lovely feeling that I had years ago. Here are some of my favourite olive toned shades that I love to wear (not including the MAC shade I was actually wearing for that tutorial, Mink & Sable!)

-MAC Cosmetics 'Grand Entrance' from the Intriguing Scarlet Warm Eyes Palette (MAC Passions of Red collection, 2008)

-Chanel Illusion D'Ombre '84 Epatant'

-Prestige Total Intensity shadow 'Bewitched'

-Inglot Eyeshadow Pearl '419'

-Lancôme Ombre Hypnose 'Erika F'

-Colourpop Super Shock Shadow 'Hammered'

-Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Crayon 'Urban Camouflage'

Swatches! MAC, Chanel, Prestige, Inglot, Rimmel, Colourpop, Lancome

Have you ever given someone you don't know well a compliment? Or have you been given one yourself?
Are you a fan of green shades like the ones I've shared today?
-Emma 

L'Oreal Pure Clay Exfoliating Scrub Review

As much as I adore luxe skincare, sometimes I love finding an affordable staple that comes from a solid brand even more! I have recently finished this 150ml tube of L'Oreal Pure Clay Exfoliating Scrub which promises to exfoliate, smooth and cleanse the skin. It's targeted towards combination to oily skin, and even though my skin is closer to dry/normal I found it really worked for me at scrubbing as a second cleanse type of product. I did find the 3 pure clays (Kaolin, Montmorillonite & Ghassoul) took some moisture from my skin (as clays should!) but as long as I made sure to moisturise properly post-cleanse it wasn't an issue for me.

I enjoyed the smell of this scrub and it reminded me of having a spa treatment done, luxuriously pampering (which lets be honest, is as close as I'm going to get at the moment!) It's often on sale at Priceline and the full price is only $14.99 anyway, which means it fits into my budget easily, and the tube lasted a really long time so the value was brilliant.

Overall I would repurchase this scrub, and will once I finish up trying out the other L'Oreal face products I bought alongside this one.

-Emma

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask

My skincare weaknesses would have to be facial cleansers, scrubs and masks - the three products that make the biggest difference to my complexion. I have a good collection of all 3 but masks are the most fun - a bit of a pamper and a good shot of somethin' somethin' for my mug. My favourite kind of mask is an overnight one that you don't have to rinse off (definitely perfect for my new Mum status!) and alongside the popular Origins Drink-Up Overnight Mask is another true skincare star, Sisley's Black Rose Cream Mask*.

The scent of this product is so luxurious and I literally inhale and sigh every time I use it, so it makes for a really nice (yet quick!) home spa kind of experience. It's a deep and heady rose scent, and the mask is a thick cream style that I actually prefer to use lightly as an overnight face mask rather than applying it thickly and removing the excess. With a thinner layer overnight I find the mask has lasted such a long time and I haven't had an issue with residue, and I really like waking up with glowier, plumper skin for hardly any effort. The Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask is targeted as an anti-aging 'Instant Youth' product, but that isn't something I need yet I still adore the hydrating, plumping and smoothing it provides.

I looked up this mask while preparing this post and was impressed to see that it's the top seller in France and loved by celebrities like Lara Worthington, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone among others, but I've been using it without being aware of it's popularity which is actually quite nice. I have also been using it without being aware of the price tag - I knew Sisley was a luxury brand and that I love all of the products I've tried from them, and it indeed feels like a high quality mask and not one to disregard when it comes to quality...and so I now know that it's $180 AUD. This makes me glad that I prefer to use it lightly as an overnight mask!

What are your favourite types of face masks?
What is the most you've spent on skincare? Was it a product, a facial or a whole regime set?
Emma x

*Product provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

My Priceline 50% Off Haul

I've been patiently waiting for the Priceline 50% haircare sale to roll around, and it is finally on! It ends at midnight tonight (Friday 13th of October) and began yesterday morning, so I popped in last night before I did my groceries to stock up. I quickly perused the makeup section before heading to the busiest aisles and was pleased to see Bourjois was half price during this promotion also, and took the opportunity to grab another new release colour from their Rouge Edition Velvet line, the bright orange-red '20 Poppy Days' ($12 AUD)

The main drawcard for me was my beloved Cedel Anti-Dandruff Medicated Shampoo - glamorous it is not, but it is the only shampoo I can use and is rarely discounted anywhere! I bought 5 bottles at $2.74 each for my stockpile (especially handy since I am now on maternity leave!) I grabbed two bottles of Batiste dry shampoo which I feel will be a new-Mum necessity (in the scents Eden and Sweetie, $4.99 ea for 200ml) and my favourite Dove Intensive Repair Treatment Mask ($3.99 for 200ml) I also picked up two conditioners I am yet to try, the Herbal Essences None of Your Frizziness Conditioner with Mandarin Orange Fragrance ($2.74 for 300ml) and the newly released L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Conditioner ($2.97 for 250ml) How pretty is the L'Oreal packaging?!

My total haul came to $45.38 and I then used my $3.93 Quarterly Rewards to bring my cost to $41.45. I'm pleased with everything I grabbed and happy to have stocked up before baby girl's big arrival! 

Did you grab anything in this Priceline sale, or are you heading in today to pick something up? How do you feel about Priceline not sending out physical vouchers anymore?

-Emma x

Currently

It still feels surreal that I'm off work on maternity leave now and in the final stages of preparing my life and home for the little bundle that will be joining us shortly. Life has been a whirlwind of baby shower planning, tying up loose ends and trying to get the nursery completed before all of the real excitement begins, which became more challenging with the addition of lots of baby gifts from all of the lovely ladies in my life at said baby shower! 

One of the beautiful gifts from my baby shower!

Book
I'm still working my way through What To Expect When You're Expecting, but have also been reading fiction novels centered around mother's groups! Parenting and the dynamics of motherhood obviously fascinates me at the moment but hopefully my own antenatal group will be filled with a lot less drama than the ones I've been reading.
Music
Mr and I have only just come to understand the beauty that is Spotify Premium, so we've been listening to all of our old favourites like Ying Yang Twinz, T Pain, T.I and random rap mixes. We're trying to work out how to go about listening to our favourite style of music with an infant in the house...definitely not child-appropriate lyrics there!

TV
I put the call out on Twitter a week or two ago to find some television series recommendations for binging on during maternity leave, but so far all I want to watch is One Born Every Minute UK, Midwives and am thinking of continuing on with Call The Midwife which I started ages ago. I get so obsessed with certain shows at different stages of my life - it was home shows for a while (still a reoccuring obsession) then wedding dress realities, and now we're onto baby-central viewing!
Perfume
I haven't been wearing perfume during this pregnancy as I've heard people have gone off their favourite scents that they wore while pregnant, and I would be devastated to fall out of love with Guerlain Champs Elysee etc! I've been wearing Bath & Body Works travel sized fragrance mists instead and adore them, but was recently sent the new Vera Wang Princess of Hearts and Katy Perry Indi and have cheekily worn them quite a few times now - nice and sweet, just how I like it!
Makeup
Peach tones that I showed in my most recent post, and I'm finally about to dive into the new Urban Decay Naked Heat palette that I bought during the pre-release but haven't even swatched yet!
Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
I've been rotating the same drawer full of maternity wear for what feels like forever now. I'm absolutely in love with having a bump but it sure does limit your wardrobe when you don't feel like splashing out for lots of new clothes that you can only wear for a short time...
Food
Right now I'm all about fruit, smoothies and cereal. Safe to say breakfast is definitely my favourite meal of the day...

Bane 
Though it might make me sound like a whiny child, my parents are overseas at the moment and this 9 week trip they are on is too long for me! Mumma Bovary is my best friend and there is only so much Facetiming we can do to fill the void - I'm fragile and need a Mum-hug right now! The third trimester has been a tricky one health-wise and it's taking all of my strength to get through the tough days without her by my side.
Joy
My baby shower was last weekend and it was lovely - silly games, extremely thoughtful sweet gifts for my baby girl and I felt really nice and feminine in a flowy floral dress. It left me utterly exhausted though so I'm happy to be able to focus on the upcoming arrival of the little princess instead of party planning.

Anticipation
Definitely the birth of baby girl - she isn't technically due until November but it seems she will be making an appearance a bit earlier than we intended, so I am looking forward to starting this new adventure and finally meeting her! As I type she has the hiccups and is making my whole belly twitch - I'm going to miss feeling things like that when she makes her official entrance into the world.

Wishlist
I've actually started a Christmas wishlist, very early in an attempt to be organised before I slip into a foggy Mum-daze! I think my main wishes at the moment though are for my Mum and Dad to return home (hopefully in time for the birth!) and for baby girl to arrive safely.

Random Thought
My brain is very baby-centric at the moment - sorry if I've bored you here - but I think it's to be expected this late in the game!



How is your October going so far? 
Emma x

(List taken from this post!)

Spring Peaches

It finally feels like spring is actually upon us, and I've been taking advantage by spending as much time as I can outside with the dogs and soaking up some much-needed Vitamin D! Being heavily pregnant has meant walks are short and very tiring so I've just been popping a chair in the garden and letting the boys run around while I relax- never have I appreciated our front fence more! The fresh air has been lifting my spirits and I've also gotten some reading done which has been lovely. I was also inspired to dig through my makeup drawers a little and came up with some products I haven't used in a while to freshen up my everyday look - I was very much drawn to peach tones! 

The Too Faced Sweet Peach palette has a lot of mixed reviews from what I've seen online, but I really like it and appreciate that there are some easy to wear neutral shades in it that I can just throw on when I'm tired. I do wish the green shade shone through more when I put it on my lids but it's still lovely and I've been getting a fair bit of use from it lately. I also pulled out my favourite peachy gloss Revlon Pango Peach which I adore as I don't need a mirror to apply it, which makes it so easy to reapply while I'm out and about. Possibly the most exciting additions to my routine are MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque (which never fails to remind me of Ingrid Nilsen aka Miss Glamorazzi, who introduced me to the shade on her YouTube channel!) and MAC Springsheen Blush which is a darker orange-peach shade. I haven't bought anything from MAC in the longest time but have been enjoying exploring my old favourites from the brand - such a throwback! 

Have you thrown anything new into your routine with the change in weather? When is the last time you purchased from MAC?

-Emma 

My Current Cheek Rotation ft. Hourglass, Too Faced, MAC + more

Over the last few months I tried to push myself out of my Chanel Joues Contraste blush rut (my love for that product is strong, you guys!) in an effort to rotate through my large blush collection. These are the products I've primarily reached for through that time and I have to say that I've been enjoying it - but that I'll always return to Chanel for a good blush rush.

Blushes and palettes are two of my favourite things, so it makes sense that I adore the idea of a blush palette! My current favourite and most used palette is the Too Faced Love Flush Blush wardrobe and I've worn each colour at least once over the last little while. The other blush palette is the Hourglass Ambient Light Blush Palette which I took up to Queensland for our week away, and I'm happy to say that while there I used all of these shades at least once as well. I really like the glowy effect that the Hourglass cheek powders give to the skin and I think those who like a natural but luminous finish would really appreciate these. It kind of takes the need for highlighter away which I like during the day, but I amp up the glow for any special occasion or night out with TheBalm's Mary Lou Manizer, which deserves all of the hype it receives from the beauty community.

Something different that I've been popping on my face lately has been bronzer - I go through stages with wearing bronzer and the lead up to our 'beach holiday' (which ended up being a bit chilly if I'm honest!) I was wearing The Body Shop Honeycomb bronzer every day in excitement for a week away. I love how light and easy to apply this product is, I use it to sculpt my cheeks (which I really need right now, pregnancy puff is real!) as well as give overall warmth to my pale complexion. Two other blushes that have been getting some love are neutrals (surprise, surprise!) Benefit Dallas boxed blush is super pigmented and though I always try to use a light hand with it I always end up buffing it afterwards to tone down the colour. It's a gorgeous though and that perfect bronzer/blush combination shade that I adore. A more pink-toned neutral is MAC Poised which is a staple of mine, it's just an easy colour to throw on if you don't want to put much thought into pairing shades or matching a certain makeup look. 

What cheek products are you currently loving?

Emma x