Pretty in Pink // My top 5 pink polishes

I thought that this would be appropriate seeing as Valentine's day is all about the pinks and the reds!  I don't have the biggest polish collection, but I still have plenty of choice when I give myself a mani at home.

I was happy to see that when I rounded these up there was quite a variety in terms of shade, even though the majority are a cream formula.

Maybelline Mini Colorama in #5 Cotton Candy $5.95 AUD

I find that these mini Maybelline formula's last better than most other brands on me, and I love this shimmery pink that really does look the colour of cotton candy, or fairy floss as we call it here in Australia.

Ulta3 Bo Peep $2.50AUD approx.

Bo Peep is a bright fuschia colour that I adore! I find that even though I'm pale, I look alright in these bright colours. They also make me smile when I look at them, so it's win-win!

OPI Pink-ing of You $19.95 AUD

Apart from this having a gorgeous name, it was a bargain that I picked up from duty free last time I went overseas. It's a nice pale pink that I find quite plain, so I like to jazz it up with a glitter over the top!

Kit Cosmetics Chiquita Pink $15.95 AUD here

This came out with the Viva La Colour collection, which was one of the most exciting collections I've seen in a long time. It's a plummy, wintery sort of pink that makes me want to wrap myself in a big oatmeal knit and read a book.

The Face Shop PK110 $3.00 AUD

This not-so-cutely named shade is my Barbie polish- pale pink, creamy, simple, stunning. I love the bottle shape, and the affordable price tag. This is darker than OPI Pink-ing of You and I like that.

As in order above: PK110, Chiquita Pink, Pink-ing Of You, Bo Peep, Cotton Candy

Cotton Candy and Bo Peep

Bo Peep and Pink-ing Of You

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What are some of your favourite pink polishes?

I'd love to get some recommendations on what I should buy next!

A Giant Benefit Haul

I had seen Hervana online and since I'd been looking for a new pink blush to depend on, she became it. Sadly, being in Australia means we have to wait an eternity for products to hit our shores. I decided to make my first order from the U.S. Benefit online store, which had free shipping when you spend $95 (normally free when you spend $115) Candice wanted a few things, too, so we combined our order and ended up spending just under $150.

I've never tried the Benefit Creaseless cream eyeshadows before, and when I saw this brand new golden shade Farenheit Fab I decided I would give it a crack. I recently realised I have a shortage of gold in my cosmetic collection, so I'm working on rectifying that.

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Knew I needed to try the new They're Real mascara after hearing raves from some of my favourite bloggers, including a YouTube review from Amarixe here!

I ummed and aaahed over which boxed blush to choose in my order, I was contemplating Coralista and Chris voted for it as well, but I went with my gut instinct and chose Dallas instead. It's a plummy sort of shade, and reminds me of Nars Sin a little. I love blushes like this on my fair skin, so I'll see how I go.

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Candice purchased the High Beam highlighter, and the Pocket Pal Benetint which is in pen form and contains their classic Benetint with a clear gloss on the other end. You are able to choose two samples with your order, and I chose the Stay Don't Stray shadow and concealer primer for Candice and the Hello Flawless powder cover-up for myself. (I don't have any pictures of Candice's items, she will have them up on her blog when she reviews them!) 

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So this is how you receive a pressed powder sample! It's a sheet of it pressed onto the cardboard, with a cute little powder puff included.
Now, onto the reason for the haul, the beautiful Hervana blush!

*cue angels singing*

Could this be any cuter? It smells like lollies and has four shades in a pinwheel design, and the box says the blush has good karma! I'm elated to have this in my hot little hands, and to have saved money overall despite hauling all of these beauties. I've shown the price comparisons below so you can see what you'd save if you chose to buy from the online U.S store as opposed to a counter in Australia.

Hervana/Dallas: $28 USD each / $51 AUD
They're Real mascara: $22 USD / $38 AUD
Creaseless Cream: $19 USD / $35 AUD
Pocket Pal: $20 USD / $39 AUD
High Beam: $26 USD / $45 AUD
Total haul: $143
What I would've paid here? $259

The price difference between countries is quite astounding, and makes me think about how expensive cosmetics in Australia really are.

Do you have a favourite from Benefit?
What do you think of the price differences?
Are you lemming Hervana,too?

a stroll down a sunlight path

Sometimes you look at a colour in a bottle and your heart leaps, but as soon as it hits your nail it falls again.

China Glaze Stroll, I'm lookin' at you!

While I liked this colour more with each coat, the golden shimmery look in the bottle just didn't translate enough for me. I need my shimmer craaazy!

Stroll is a raspberry toned red that contains fine gold shimmer, but they look a lot more defined in the bottle. I chose this at the nail salon when I got my acrylic nails refilled, but I wasn't completely happy with them either.

I think Gelish or Shellac are the next option for me, long nails don't seem to suit me? I can never seem to decide what shape to go for, maybe that is the problem.

What are your thoughts on acrylic nails? Do you prefer long nails, or a shorter style? Have you had Shellac or Gelish?

I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments below as to what you think I should do next!

january favourites!

I really enjoyed these products this month, some of them were recently acquired around Christmas time and others were just a result of appreciating the things I already had.

Have been trying to take better care of my skin lately, and have enjoyed using this L'Occitane Immortelle Precious Night Cream* to really hydrate my mug. Have a full review coming up, but suffice to say I'm happy with it.

Now that Melbourne is heating up for summer, I've been reaching for my 'tropical holiday' fragrances. Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess was last years release and I bought it for a steal at the Estee Lauder staff store. It's coconutty and fruity and makes me wish I was on a deserted island. This is Chris' favourite on me at the moment, he loves it. My Thierry Mugler Angel ETD* (review here) is breathtaking, always.

I've been absolutely obsessed with my Bioderma Crealine H20* lately, as the heat has wreaked havoc on my 'can't decide if it's oily or dry' face. It's nice and gentle, and makes me feel a little more French every time I swipe my makeup off.

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I adore the L'Oreal Infallible shadows, and this shade was one Chris bought me for Christmas. Sahara Treasure is a shimmery neutral shade that is stunning and very wearable. I wore this over my MAC Painterly paint pot with lashings of mascara more than half of this month. For night, I slicked on some liquid liner with it.

I have been loving cream blushes lately, and this YSL Creme de Blush in 2 Powdery Rose is my very favourite. I apply it using a Royal and Langnickel stippling brush, and it sets to a powder finish and smells like watermelon in the pot. I really regret not picking up more of these, but was elated to find them on Strawberrynet for a mere $36 compared to the RRP of more than $60 that I paid. Link is here, hop to it!

I am a massive advocate for MAC paint pots, I use one every day (usually Painterly) and this month I've been daring by adding a few darker looks into my usual faces. I've used MAC Dangerous Cuvee from the Cham Pale collection (haul here) as a base for most of them, it's stunning.

It took me a while to warm up to the new Revlon lip butters,  but now that I know I just need a good lip scrub before I use them (lips are acting out atm) I'm loving them all. Creme Brulee is one of the few nudes I like, it's really easy to wear and suits both the dark and super bright eye looks I've been wearing lately.

Ah, the Naked palette. Seen a million times, and I go through stages where I'm bored of it. I've been using it every day this month, and have highlighted the standout shades. Virgin as a highlight, Sidecar or Toasted as a wash over the lid, and Darkhorse in my crease. The beginning of a lemming for Naked2 may have begun...

What products are your favourites this month?

Have you tried any of mine?

(* denotes items provided for consideration for review, which doesn't affect my love for them or their place in my favourites this month. Honesty, always.)

little old me

Saw this tag over at Click Your Heels and thought the questions she came up with were good enough to steal;)

1. What diary are you using in 2012?
I am a compulsive note-taker, and so hardly leave the house without my diary. This year I picked up a slim dark brown week to a page diary from Typo for a measly $5 AUD.

2. Have you travelled overseas before? Where?
I was lucky enough to be taken along on my parents' travels over the years, so I've been to Scotland, England, France, Bali and Thailand. I'd love to go to France again, and I'm heading to Thailand in a few weeks!

3. What is your family heritage?
Both of my parents are Scottish, but my siblings and I were all born here in Australia.

4. What is your favourite place to eat out?
I have a few favourite restaurants I like to eat at, Chris and I eat at Indian restaurants quite a bit as it is my favourite cuisine. We also like Mozzkito in Clifton Hill (Melbourne) for their huge servings and consistently tasty meals.

5. What handbag are you currently using?
I've been using a large grey tote from Sportsgirl, but since I spilt my lemon lime and bitters slurpee in it I've moved on to a small black cross body bag. I have a new piece from Foley & Corinna on the way, and to say I'm excited is an understatement! 

6. What is your favourite alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink?
Apple Cider, and soda water.

7. What type of exercise or hobby do you do?
Not much, if anything I walk but am not one for team sports or early morning gym sessions.

8. What is you favourite lipstick or lip gloss?
MAC Viva Glam Cyndi is my all time favourite lipstick, I was so sad when it was discontinued.

9. What is the most daring thing you have ever done?
I am terrified of pretty much everything- flying, boats, fire, heights, crowds etc. The two most daring things I've ever done would be climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and snorkelling in the middle of the ocean last time we were in Thailand.

Madame Bovary, the blogs namesake

10. How long have you been a blogger? What made you start?
I began blogging in November 2010, because I wasn't writing enough in my literature course (ha!) and wanted to delve into the beauty world I was peering into via everyone elses blogs. Best decision ever.

11. Are you a MAC or a PC person?
 PC, Chris bought me an Asus laptop for uni (read:blog) at Christmas and I'm in love with it!


I'd love to hear more about YOU! So feel free to do this tag or leave some responses to the questions below, I'd love to get to know my beautiful readers!

Sun Kit : Body Scrub

As a certified fair bear, fake tanning is the only way I go about getting a little colour come summer time. I'm content with most of my paleness, but my glowing legs need a little bronze- just enough to take the edge off, but still leave me the fairest of them all when I'm out. Those who are fair will know how hard it is to slap bronze on fluorescent glowing skin, and so exfoliation is the most important step in any fake bakin' to avoid the oompa loompa knee factor!

I rely on Kit Cosmetics for a lot of my cosmetic and skin care needs, so when I heard that they were releasing a Sun Kit range I was excited to see how scrubby the exfoliating tan prep would be. It comes in a metallic caramel coloured 250g tub, and RRP is $29.95 AUD.

Despite this being a 'working' scrub as opposed to a scrub just for fun, the scent is addictive and makes the whole pre-tan ritual really enjoyable. Even those who don't fake tan/spray tan would enjoy using this when they're in need of a good all over body exfoliation. Ingredients like shea butter, lilly pilly, kakadu plum and quandong makes this tub smell creamy in a super beachy sort of way, which is perfect for summer weather.

This is choc full of sea salt particles which make for a super rough scrub, which I generally prefer especially if I'm about to fake tan. It does mean you should use a light hand though, as too much pressure when rubbing the scrub in can irritate the skin. Just means you have to work less to see the benefits!

Straight from the tub, a snow white scrub which goes a long way.

This shot shows how dense the particles in this are, which is why it provides such a great all over exfoliation and eliminates patchy self tanning results. I am maid of honor for Chris' brothers wedding next weekend and you can bet that I'll be using this before I head off to get my spray tan!

Sun Kit Pre Tan Body Scrub retails for $29.95AUD and is available at Kit Cosmetics here. The Sun Kit range also features a luminous body bronzer and a self tanning mousse, which you can check out here.

What exfoliator do you use before you fake tan?
What are your thoughts on fake tanning?

(This product was provided by PR for consideration for review, which in no way affects my opinion of the scrub. Honesty, always.)

An Absolute Angel

Sometimes a fragrance comes along that smacks you in the face, and you fall in love.

 Not being obsessed with perfumes until recently, I hadn't the chance to sniff the originial Thierry Mugler classic on which this EDT is based. Launching in 1992, when I was barely walking and my mother still fed me with a melamine spoon, Mugler released a gourmand fragrance that was unlike what was available at the time, and named it Angel. The scent has been reincarnated into limited editions over the years,  but none have been so popular as the original, the Angel that literally smacks you in the face.

The most recent reincarnation of this world renowned scent that you either love or hate, is the lighter, more wearable version- Angel EDT. Mugler says that the basis of this scent is comprised of three waves- the first being the celestial wave, where bergamot meets red berries and has a twinge of pink pepper. The delicious wave in the center comes from dabs of praline and berries, which only add to the gourmand touch the new Angel takes from the original. The third and final wave is the voluptuous wave, introducing the infamous patchouli-vanilla aspect to the scent, and mixing with cedar which is a new addition to Mugler's mix. White musk tops off the third wave, and completes what Mugler believes to be the softer, more subtle fragrance stemming from his beloved.

But what do the waves mean for me? Without understanding perfume or how notes are comprised, I know that this scent is amazing. It is warm and creamy, with this risky edge to it that drives me wild. I'm attached nose to wrist whenever I wear it, and it sits on my skin much better than most other fragrances in my collection. It's dangerous in this really wearable way for me, and I've enjoyed it during the day and out at night without a second thought. It's like nothing I've personally smelt before, and having now smelt the original Angel, I can understand why they describe it as the more subtle version. You can see that they are related, but this is like the sophisticated sister to the the original Angel's fierce hot mama persona.


Angel EDT is available from selected Myer and David Jones department stores nationally, with selected products online at adore beauty.
40ml RRP $79 AUD
80ml RRP $115 AUD
40ml refill RRP $40 AUD

What fragrance knocks you for a six? Have you smelt the new comet-shaped Angel EDT? I urge you to go and have a sniff!

This product sample was sent by PR for consideration for review which in no way affects how awesome it smells. Honesty, always.