3 Different Ways to Exfoliate

Hi Beauties!
Exfoliating is definitely an important part of your skin care routine, to aid in the removal of dead skin cells which reveals the gorgeous skin underneath, preventing a buildup which can make your skin look & feel dull & lifeless. This post isn't exactly about different groundbreaking ways to exfoliate but more about different formulations in the exfoliaters I am currently using. 

 I went without exfoliating over a period of time, except for a few aspirin masks here and there but all I needed to do was buy another one, but wasn't sure what.
Over the past few months I've found a few products that have been able to work in conjunction with each other, which may seem over the top but I make sure not to overdo it by letting my skin rest for a few days in between. I don't recommend it for everybody but I haven't had any bad reactions and my skin is always feeling soft & smooth.

 DMK Micro Peel, Biore Warming Anti-blackhead cream cleanser, Michael Todd Tropical Fruit Enzyme Exfoliant Scrub

DMK Micro Peel

 The DMK Micro Peel is the main exfoliant that I make sure to use weekly. This 'peel' (note- I do not have any extra peeling occur afterwards) works chemically unlike typical exfoliants which work mechanically. It has a thin, runny consistency & applies like a masque, which slightly tightens the skin so it's not going to run off the face. After 5 minutes I rinse it off with cold water & moisturize.
This is the most expensive skin care item I own at $68 but I can see it lasting a long time as I use it strictly once a week and I only need the size of a 50c coin.
-Can only get through a salon that sells DMK skin care. Learn more here

Biore Warming Anti-blackhead cream cleanser

This is actually a cleanser but it has similar properties to a scrub. I use this 2 nights a week if needed, usually when I notice a pimple starting to appear because it helps to bring it out so it can heal, or uneven texture around the forehead, nose & chin. I do actually notice a big difference with the presence of blackheads on my nose & chin & I like the warming feeling that it provides. It has a very thick & sticky texture with very small beads in it, which works pretty nicely as a very gentle, healing scrub.
-Can buy from Woolworths or anywhere that sells Biore products for around $12.

Michael Todd Tropical Fruit Enzyme Exfoliant Scrub

 This is a product that I'll also use just as an extra boost, and I make sure not to use it within 3 days of using the DMK Micro Peel. It is a creamier exfoliant that smells divine & glides really smoothly over my face without feeling too harsh & leaves it feeling smoother afterwards.
-$18 from the Michael Todd website

Comparing the different textures of each product

Remember to use products that are made for your skin type & to cleanse & moisturize as normal!
What is your favourite exfoliator?
xx

This is not a sponsored post, all products bought with my own money

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Hello dolls, sorry for the lack of posts/ comments!
Today I am bringing you my MAC lipstick collection. I've posted my lipstick collection (back then, anyway) sorted out by colours, so I do have some of these in there but I wanted to group my MAC ones all together and do a generalized review.

MAC has to be one of my favourite brands for lipsticks, because I can really notice the quality compared to cheaper brands. The biggest differences are the pigmentation, how they apply & how long wearing they are. I find some of the brighter/ deeper ones stain my lips so much that I still have a tinge on my lips when I wake up in the morning.

The packaging is quite simple with the usual black, bullet shaped tubes, but I like how the Viva Glam ones stand out with pink instead of silver on the inside. I also love the standard vanilla smell that all MAC lipsticks have.

MAC lipsticks have come in 9 finishes: Matte, Satin, Frost, Cremesheen, Cremesheen Pearl, Lustre, Amplified, Amplified Pearl, Glaze. Wow that's a lot more than what I thought there was until I looked it up. For a great in-depth description of each finish, this blog describes them better than what I could ever do.

Hue

A light nude pink, Hue is perfect for when you don't want a full on nude look.The glaze finish is the most natural out of them all, providing a subtle colour but also lasts the least amount of time, which is ok because it is easy to reapply.

Creme D' Nude

A nude peach colour in a very moisturizing & creamy formula which makes it only last around the 2 hour mark, but is also easy to reapply. It has a decent amount of coverage but is still fairly natural.
Myth

A pink-beige nude which I find way too creamy & have to smooth it out with my fingers after applying it from the tube, but it is perfect for a blanked out lip look. You can tell from the skin swatch how much comes off from a light application. Is anyone else's the same? From what I've read it is one of the more drying shades but it is not like that on me at all.

Angel

One of the most perfect pink nude lipsticks I own, I do not find this as frosty as what everyone else claims it to be. I can see why this is a cult classic!

Please Me

A matte muted pink lip colour which is more forgiving than some mattes which will dry out your lips completely & tug on application, which this does not. One of my favourite muted lip colours of all time!

Snob

A satiny-matte finish that is a cool toned lilac-pink, a bit less dramatic than Saint Germain, which makes it a wearable barbie-pink and is non-drying!

Crossswires

A gorgeous coral-orange that I thought never really tried when I received it from the lovely Amalia in a blog sale, but started wearing later and really appreciated the colour. It is perfect for spring & day time & has a lovely sheen thanks to the formula!

Viva GLam Nicki

The first MAC lipstick I had ever bought by myself, that i had to go back & buy as a gift for a friend because I loved it that much! This can pull off different colours on different people, on my friend it looks fuchsia somehow but on me, a vibrant, almost neon coral-pink. DAYMN! Such a nice formula, it applies nicely & lasts a long time.

Impassioned

The first MAC Lipstick I had ever lusted over, is finally no longer a lust! This beautiful amplified finish makes the warm watermelon pink colour stand out & makes it a long wearing, moisturizing lip colour.

Girl About Town

A fuchsia berry colour that I could assume would look awesome on any skin tone & colour. Another amplified finish that leaves your lips glossy & moisturized.

Candy Yum Yum

So glad I ended up buying this at the last minute! A gorgeous **bright** candy pink colour that will be sure to make you stand out. It is matte so it lasts for ages and is slightly drying but I find it very forgiving to wear.

Morange

A super bright, neon orange lip colour that applies exactly the same as Impassioned & is extremely pigmented with just one swipe. This is lovely to wear with minimal makeup or a brown smoky eye.

Ruby Woo

A classic blue-based red lipstick which has become a cult favourite, Ruby Woo is super matte which also means it is one of the most drying lipsticks I own and tugs on your lips when applying, but also lasts throughout pretty much anything & even when it wears off, your lips are so stained that you almost only need lipgloss to freshen it up.

Rebel

An almost impossible colour for me to wear, mainly because I find it way too creamy (just like Myth- I think I got both dud shades from a flash sale website!) I can't get this to apply evenly, so I have to stain it on. It looks a lot more scary in the tube but when applied is a deep plum-berry. I have no idea why it doesn't work on me because everybody else loves it!

 Edit: Just realized that I forgot to include the arm swatches!

L-R: Hue, Creme D' Nude, Myth, Angel, Snob, Please Me, Crosswires

L-R: Viva Glam Nicki, Morange, Candy Yum Yum, Impassioned, Girl About Town, Ruby Woo, Rebel

So that is my MAC Lipstick collection. I am very happy with it and think I have a nice selection of brights & nudes. My favourite colours, if I had to pick any, would be Angel, Please Me, Viva Glam Nicki, Impassioned, Morange & Ruby Woo, although I do love them all.

Let me know what your favourite MAC lipsticks are, or your favourite brand for lipsticks!
xx

Smashbox Master Class 2 | Review & Swatches

The first time I had ever walked into a Sephora was when I first eyed this beauty.. the Smashbox Master Class 2 palette. I wasn't sure about it but when I found out the value I knew I had to have it. Definitely something that would come in handy for traveling (next time!) & in a makeup kit.

Pretty Purple & Pink | FOTD

Hi dolls! The other week I was wanting to play with some of my purple eyeshadows. I had a vision of pairing it with a pop of pink in the center of the lid & peaking out from the edges of the purple. This is what I came up with & I hope you enjoy it.

Too Faced Pretty Rebel | Review & Swatches

One of my favourite buys would have to be the Too Faced Pretty Rebel palette. Just look at it and you'll know why! I was so excited when I saw Thatgirlshae on Youtube use it & then realize that I was able to access it! Woot! Unfortunately it is Limited Edition so I am unsure if it is still around but if you are able to get your hands on this palette then do so if you're into dramatic, glittery makeup. Let's get on with it!

FOTD's Abroad | Complilation

So I didn't always go to the effort of doing my makeup, as when you're on holiday you usually like to keep it simple, like during the day time I would keep it to a minimum especially in the hotter climates where it would just sweat off.

Here are mainly some of the night time looks I would wear out, testing out my new products. I'm going to put down a brief product description so please let me know if you want to know anything specifically!

1
Eyes: Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze, MAC Woodwinked, Urban Decay Naked 2, Maybelline Master Precise
Face: Nars Laguna & NYX Peach
Lips: Maybelline Vivid's in Fuchsia Flash, Nyx Butter gloss in Peaches & Cream

Last haul for a while! Holiday buys

I like to think that I'm all shopped out for a while.... now that I have basically anything I've ever wanted to add to my collection there is no need to buy anything for a loong time. Everyone was right about shopping in the US, everything is so cheap! Except there's one little thing that is not mentioned to often and that is service tax, a % charged on top of your purchase, for those who didn't know. But in the end that doesn't really matter too much because everything is much cheaper than home & it's just like if the GST wasn't included in our products.

So anyway, in almost each place we visited I went to Sephora more than once. My Fiancee didn't mind once he found out they had free Wifi so that was good to keep him happy while I shopped, and in some places where wifi was harder to find, he actually asked if we could find Sephora which is something I never thought he would say! So we both won. I also enjoyed visiting MAC on a few different occasions and loved what most of the drugstores had to offer. So let's stop blabbing & get into it!

**Disclaimer: Sorry for the huge post with lots of photos. Everything bought was paid for with my own money & over a period of 5 weeks. I'd hate to come off bragging which I'm not because I'm just so happy with my new goodies!

I'm back! Happy holiday snaps.

Hey guys, so I've been back settling into home & reality for a week, catching up with family & friends and remembering how to work again, although I wasn't gone for that long I suppose it's true that once you catch the traveling bug, you don't want to stop. I had left my blog in the hands of my scheduled posts, although for some reason that never worked so I had to physically post them myself! Has that happened to anybody else?

So I wanted to compose some pictures to post.... but considering I have over 2K it was so hard to choose! If you are a follower on my instagram you may have seen some already. It's going to be a pretty brief & to the point post but I hope you enjoy it!

L.A: 1. Hollywood Sign waay in the background. 2. Santa Monica Pier. 3. Walk of Fame 4. Rodeo Drive