The Monthly Roundup || January 2014

Wait, what? January is over? I can't be the only one who can't believe that 2013 is over, let alone January of 2014 is over. For me, January brought a lot of sunshine (and sunburn), swimming and celebrations (New Year’s Eve, my birthday & Australia Day). Next month both Uni and a new job start up so this is my last week of relaxation.

January Favourites

My most loved product of the month is the Eau Duelle fragrance from Diptyque. I got this for my birthday, and I love it so much. I'm going to attempt to describe the sent to you, but I strongly suggest reading other reviews online for a more accurate review. To me it smells of holidays in Bail, it's got quite a beautiful incense smell to it, combined with vanilla and musk. It's everything I look for in a fragrance, long lasting yet not overpowering.

Another present which I got for my birthday comes in second place on my favourites list. The Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers were gifted to me by my sister, and not one morning I have gone without them! The difference is quite amazing, some days I feel as though I've over done the eyes for every day wear (a very good thing).

The YSLRebel Nudes Glossy Stain in the colour Naughty Mauve (107) is next up on my favourites list for January. Whilst I haven't had that many opportunities to wear it, it gives my lips an amazing colour. I would describe it as a "my lips but better" base colour with the most lovely purple sparkles and sheen in it. Don't let that scare you, the purple sparkles are subtle enough for casual nights out. And let's not forget to mention the longevity of these stains and their weightless formula. 

A couple of things from BareMinerals finishes of my monthly favourites. I have been head over heels in love with the Original Foundation this month. It looks so flawless on the skin, is super quick and easy to apply and provides the perfect amount of coverage. My only problem with this is the lack of SPF, I'd rather it had none that SPF15. Also from BareMinerals is the Eyecolour in Nude Beach. Another gift I received for my birthday, this shimmery eyeshadow is so lovely. The colour is right up my street, and it's one of those one sweep wonder shadows, where you sweep the shadow on and nothing eels is needed to complement it. 

One non-beauty favourite this month would be my Sencha Mango green tea from T2. It's equally delicious served hot or cold, perfect for hot afternoons. The tea is flavoured only with real bits of mango, so the nutritional benefits of drinking green tea are not compromised.   

This Month in Blog Posts

One of my many New Years resolutions was to post on this blog more regularly. I feel although I'm doing OK, not as regularly as I had hoped. My goal is to publish a new post every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Some weeks I was able to manage this, and other weeks I failed a little.

This month I brought to you my super spot fighter post which details what I slap on when a breakout threatens.

The weekend pamper posts of this month featured my Christmas wish list and my nail careroutine.

My thoughts of the BareMinerals Original foundation can be found here and you can check out the makeup which I’ve been wearing on nights out here.

Finally, I did two posts on “How much my face is worth” each focusing on the skincare side of things or the daily makeup. 

The Monthly Roundup || September

Welcome to a new series here on my blog, called the Monthly Roundup. It's basically a monthly favourites post, a summary of all my posts this month with a few other bits thrown in the mix.

Firstly, I apologise for the lateness of this post. I didn't get organised before I went away this week!

This Month's Favourites:

The most-loved-product-of-the-month award goes to the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum. This has recently been reformulated and it is phenomenal - the difference in my skin is amazing, it has totally cleared up my skin! Look out for a review coming soon.

Quite a strange favourite of this month is the Coles Makeup Pads (Coles is a supermarket here in Aus.). I never thought there would be much difference in cotton makeup wipes, but there definitely is! These Coles ones are much stronger than the Swisspers which I have used before. I like to wipe away my makeup, then rinse the cotton wipe out and run it over my face again. This is something that the Swisspers had issues with - they would just fall apart at the second rinse. Another bonus is the price!

I have also been loving the Organic Care Dry Nourish Conditioner. I've been trying to use more natural conditioners, however I've struggled to find one that actually works. With my thick and slightly frizzy hair, I need some silicones. Don't be fooled by the brand saying they are 'natural' - there are quite a few silicones on the ingredient list. But this strikes the perfect balance, yummy natural oils and some silicones to smooth the hair down.

I have re-discovered the MAC Prep and Prime BB Cream this month and I love it. Previously, I found this to be so thick on my skin and applied horribly. But I've ditched using a primer under this (why was I using one anyway??) and stated to apply it with a dual fibre stippling brush - the result is louverly! For me it gives the best coverage, sheer enough for my freckles to shine through but covers the worst of my blemishes.

A little DIY product that I have been loving is a pillow spray. It's basically lavender oil, tea tree oil and water in an old sprayer bottle. I spray it on my pillows in the morning so that I don't have a wet pillow at night. I will do a post on this soon as well.

The nail polish which has been gracing my fingers is OPI's Suzie and the Life Guard. This is a beautiful pale pink with a touch of shimmer, a really lovely nude for my skin tone. I felt that I had to buy this purely because of the name...

My non-beauty favourite of this month is Green Rose tea from T2. It's delicious! It's a green tea with mango, currants, papaya and rose. When brewed, it tastes beautiful and fruity. Another bonus is it smells like lollies!

September in Blog Posts:

Going on a trip any time soon? Check out my Travel Essentials for some tips on what to pack!

My Winter Face #1 shows you what my makeup has looked like all through the winter.

Struggling to get excited about skincare? Check out my Morning Skincare Routine #1 for some inspiration.

Added to the Wish List this Month:

Firstly, the YSL Glossy Stains in the Rebel Nudes look so lovely. I need to get down to my YSL counter and do some swatching. Perhaps a Christmas present? *hint hint*

I'm also on the hunt for a pink/peach blush. I like using brown blushes for day to day, but I haven't found a single pink based blush that looks good with my pinkish skin tone and red hair. Anyone got a suggestion?