Australian Beauty Stars

Australia Day is upon us once more, and I thought it an appropriate time to sit down and pull out some Australian products from my stash to share with you all. I will be honest and admit that I don’t really think of where a brand is based when making a decision to purchase, so I am glad to see so many stellar Australian brands that have crept into my collection.  Here are some of the Aussie beauty stars in the Bovary household!

 

Bronzers:

Napoleon Perdis Blush Patrol

Nvey Eco Nourishing Bronzer in Oasis*

Face of Australia  pressed powder in Bronze*

My favourite from this bunch would have to be the Face of Australia offering, as I adore the sleek and slim compact. The colour is quite shimmery, so a light hand is recommended to get that world renowned Aussie beach babe glow!

Face and Eyes:

Sportsgirl Get Cheeky Cheek & Eye Shimmer

Face of Australia blush in Hello Dolly

Sportsgirl Get Cheeky in Rose

Nvey Eco eyeshadow in 162*

Sportsgirl Shady Lady eye colour in Prom Night

Face of Australia Liquid Liner in black

Face of Australia Loose Powder in Outback Translucent*

My favourites include the FOA liquid liner and loose powder, they are seriously hard working and so easy on the purse that it is quite hard to believe.  

Lips:

Lanolips Lip Ointments in Apples, Lemonaid, Mulberry* and  Sunshine

Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment*

Grown Alchemist Watermelon & Vanilla lip balm*

Face of Australia lipstick in Malibu Barbie

Lipstick Queen lipstick in Saint Red*

I am loving all of these nourishing lip products this summer, but Malibu Barbie is such a happy shade of pick that it takes the cake!

 

Indulgences:

Urban Rituelle Organic Hand Cream with lemongrass, lemon myrtle, grapefruit and eucalyptus

MOR hand cream in Cassis Noir

Endota Spa Lemon & Organic Sugar body scrub*

Sukin Wellbeing Body Oil*

Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy perfume*

The Sukin Wellbeing Oil is so amazing, I am hoping that they decide to cancel its status as ‘limited edition’ and keep that baby on the shelf forever. Massage oil, moisturiser, hair tamer, it seriously does it all and smells brilliant. The Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy is finally back out in a 100ml bottle, I have been clutching the purse sized spray that I bought and not wanting to waste it, and am so happy to now have this to clutch instead.

 

Skincare:

Sukin Facial Moisturiser*

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

Grown Rose Absolute, Ginseng & Chamomile Facial Toner*

The Jojoba Company Antioxidant Serum*

Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz*

The Jojoba Company Intense Recovery Balm*

Simplicite One Step Exfoliating Cleanser*

Simplicite Plant Gel Cleanser*

Of course Jurlique had to be mentioned when writing about great Australian brands, they have products of such a high quality with beautiful packaging, and I love the indulgence they bring to my beauty routine. Sukin are also an amazing low cost brand, I recommend them to people all the time and love their clean packaging and affordable skincare.

 

Did you know that all of these products were true blue? If you are a fellow Aussie, I would love to know how you are spending today (or the public holiday on Monday!) If you are one of my beloved International readers, I am curious to know what your perceptions of our country really are? Would love to hear from you in the comments!

*Marked products were provided for editorial consideration. Honesty, always.

February Favourites (Holiday Edition!)

For the better part of February I spend my days lounging around a resort in Thailand, soaking up sun (slathered in SPF of course!) and enjoying quite a few blue cocktails. My favourites have a distinctly tropical feel, naturally.

*

My Thailand staple scent has always been MOR's Lychee Roll-On Oil* (review here)so I made sure it came along with me on this trip. I enjoyed Tresor Midnight Rose quite a bit also, it seemed to suit the humid climate better than it suits Melbourne weather for me.

Basic face was all I could muster due to high heat and water activities, so I leant on my sample of Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear which has an SPF of 30+. I set this with powder as it is quite thick and shiny in appearance, but the coverage was perfect for me and I really enjoyed using this! I scrubbed my face (and Chris') a fair bit so that the residual creams didn't build up and clog pores, and took along my sample of Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant for the job. I am still undecided as to whether I like my Alpha-H exfoliant better as this one smells much more strongly, but it worked amazingly on this trip so it made it into my favourites. The Ardell brow gel was a must, my brows have been nuts lately.

This holiday was definitely all about the lips! I didn't mind having bare eyes while away (which surprised me) but with all the photos being taken of me, I needed a pop of colour on my lips to look alive. I found these shades a lot of fun, and will keep wearing them now that I'm home.

The Estee Lauder Berry gloss came from a travel set that Chris' Mum bought a few holidays ago and shared with me. I wear it all the time, it's so flattering and non-sticky. This is what I wore when I couldn't be bothered thinking. The Hissyfit Lip Service is the bomb, I felt great knowing that my lips AND my face were protected with SPF30+ and Chris used this every now and again too (when the Softlips went walkabout. FYI, he broke two this holiday ><)

Revlon Coral Reef is amazing, but you should already know that. I took Smashbox Overexposed gloss(review here) because it can never leave my sight, I love it that much. Plain lips with a vanillery amazingness is necessary on holiday, ya know.

These mini MAC glosses came from the limited edition Christmas bauble for the season just gone, I am so happy I picked it up. Like Venus Dazzleglass is a sparkly pink gloss chock-ful of pink and golden sparkles, with a distinctly purple tinge to it. Petite Indulgence Cremesheen Glass is a lovely formulation, and a mid tone pink shade which suits me so well, if I do say so myself. Compliments were thrown at me every time I wore this, so it had to be in my favourites.

Topshop eye shadow in Mercury is one that I wore when out at night in Thailand, and it definitely deserves it's own review. In short, it's amazing, and makes me feel like a million dollars when I wear it.

What is your dream holiday destination?

Have you tried any of my favourites?

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

With Mother's Day fast approaching, I thought I would share some gift ideas. These are things I myself would love to get if I were a mother, and I've also shared what I think my fussy Mumma would like,too.



MOR
Hand Over Heart gift pack
$19.95
A adorable soapette and hand cream packaged in a stunning embossed tin, this screams 'I LOVE YOU MUM' like nothing else. With snow gardenia, ylang ylang, vanilla and sandalwood, I think this is the perfect scent for my subtle-perfume wearing Mumma.Available at DJ's and other selected retailers.





MOR

Dolce Gift Pack in Pomegranate Passion

$29.95

This is my favourite scent from the brand new Dolce line from MOR, which is available at Target stores. It contains a soap, hand cream and candle, with scents of violet, jasmine, pomegranate, raspberry, black currant and sweet musk. These are gorgeous goodies that any Mum would love to receive on Sunday, and are so affordable it would be a crime not to pick something up for yourself, too!

Bush Heritage Australia
A not-for-profit organisation that help preserve Australia's natural wildlife, Bush Heritage have a range of gift ideas that are perfect for Mother's Day. Purchase these 'Seeds of Hope' (seeds imbedded in clay which is rolled into balls) that assist in the revegetation of areas in need. I think this idea is the cutest of all, and the gift of warm fuzzies is one of the best things you could give your Mum this Sunday.
$25 via Bush Heritage Australia







Bush Heritage Australia
If the adorable 'Seeds of Hope' aren't cute enough, check out this little guy! For just $10 you can provide endangered animals just like him with nesting boxes that keep them safe from predators. If your Mum is an animal lover, this is the perfect gift for her!
$10 via Bush Heritage Australia



Glam Beauty Bar.
I am a firm believer that Mother's do not get pampered enough- as my Mum pointed out last week, she's been taking care of her kids for the past 36 years! To recify this, I think a pamper sesh at my favourite beauty bar is called for. I introduced Glam Beauty Bar here and think it's the perfect place for my Mum to relaaaax. Personally, I love the look of one of the Autumn specials they have going right now 'Facial and Feet', but I know my Mum would much prefer the Facial Fantasy Packaged (1 hr. Dr. Spiller Facial, Enzymatic Peel, Neck and Shoulder Massage, Collagen Facial Mask) All for $140 (usually $180) this is a package fit for a queen, and a good excuse to spend time together.

If all that fails, a nice lippy and eyeshadow palette will be the way to go! I've gone in with my siblings to get my Mum something she's had her eye on for a long long time...won't spoil the surprise just yet, in case she's reading;) We're planning a family roast on Sunday (roasted vegies for me!) and I'm looking forward to catching up with the fam and making my Mumma smile.

Love you Mum xxx



Lip Balm Love-MOR Lip Delight

I was lucky enough to win a MOR Lip Delight in Rosebud in the Beauty Blogger auction that Hannah from Counter Obsession hosted a few weeks back. I placed bids on a few things, and won a lip pack, donated by Mel from Ampersand Mel. I will be reviewing the other items in the near future, but for now will focus on MOR's lip tin.

Packaging: Absolutely adorable packaging, this balm comes in a sturdy tin that is a beautiful pink colour, and has gold imprints all over the lid. Though not the most hygienic balm method, it does gather 'oohs and ahhs' when you whip it out of your handbag. It must be noted, however, that I often find it hard to get the lid of this baby open.

Taste: Nada, plain and lovely.

Smell: As the name rosebud suggests this has a rose scent, but it's not as traditional as I was expecting it to be. It reminds me of lollies a little bit, too. Great mix! (Mister Christopher would like to add that he thinks it smells like 'a flower from Grandma's garden'. Very eloquent=))

Texture: Lightweight and smooth, I have to apply a few layers to get that 'wet' feeling.

Aesthetics: Doesn't give any shine to the lips, but makes them appear really smooth.

Reapplication: Find I have to reapply every now and again, but as with most of the other balms I reviewed I think this is not that they aren't soft or hydrating, but that I want that 'wet' feel. So if that isn't as big an issue to you, the results for reapplication will be different.

Repurchase: The tin is so stunning that I am planning on buying this for my Mum and sisters, and possibly my bestie, too. Look away if you're reading this, Candice!

Hope all you lovely ladies have a lovely Valentine's whether you are single or shacked up! I will be reviewing my favourite lip product tomorrow, and sharing some of my favourite Valentine's themed things, too.

Love, emmabovary xx

MOR Little Luxuries Roll-On

When I was packing my bags for Thailand last September, I needed to find a perfume that would be 'my holiday scent'. I was determined that my first holiday with my man would be forever encompassed in liquid form, and it needed to be perfect. All of my perfumes are in big glass bottles (beautiful but not so travel friendly) and an Impulse spray was just not going to cut it. Along came MOR...

MOR Little Luxuries Roll-On in Lychee

=)

* Attractive packaging, both bottle itself + firm cardboard tube that encased it.

* Strong scent, very tropical and tart

*Lasted well on my skin, despite being in ocean/pool/Thai humidity

*Matching body items available, eg lotions, to layer up with

*Perfect for travel or to pop in handbag for everyday

=(

*Being an oil, it sometimes leaves residue behind when you roll it on

*It's my holiday scent, so I now only sniff it to reminisce as I don't want to taint the memory!

Obviously, the pro's outweigh the cons, and earns this prod a big tick from me. Am keen to try out some of the other varieties in this range, let me know if you have any recommendations!

(*This product was not purchased by me, I received it in the Primped event goodie bag)