The Monthly Roundup || March

So this month my saving plan went through the window. Priceline had 40% off, so duh I brought stuff. We also are in the middle of a small skincare change up, so I 'needed' a few purchases. I haven't tested them out for long enough for them to be incorporated in the favourites list, but can usually tell straight away if I love or hate a makeup product. Here's what found their way into my heart this month:

March Favourites:

The Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream steals the show this month. Never have I encountered an under eye concealer which is so perfect. It does an awesome job at ridding my eyes of shadows whilst remaining crease free all day. You need it in your life now.

Another new favourite product is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Barely Branded. It's been a daily addition to my everyday makeup look, departing a wash of shimmery colour. It's subtle enough for daily wear, but I expect it would look great with a bold lip at night. 

I ran out of hydrating toner earlier in the month, and I'm not loyal to one so I thought I would try the Calendula Redness Rescue Toning Mist, a new release from Jurlique. It smells divine, think cucumbers, and leaves the skin feeling hydrated and calm. It's cool and quite refreshing, I think I will be going through this at an alarming rate, considering its $55 per bottle. Ouch.

I've really started to enjoy watching Reign this month. Reign is all about Queen Mary of Scott's' early life at the French Court. It's my ideal TV show with a blend of romance and historical fiction.

This month in blog posts:

I started off with a bit of a slow start to the month, I think there was about two weeks’ worth of posts missing. Uni has been crazy recently, with assignments coming out of my ears. I've got three due this week!! 

I started off by showing you my evening beauty bits and my other skin care post this month was looking after the décolletage. 

As mentioned above, Priceline had a sale, here's what I brought. 

I took a moment to review my New Years Resolutions, I'm pleased to report that most of my goals are on track. 

The beautiful Love Birds Collection from Napoleon Perdis made its way into my hands, here's a full review.

What products have you been enjoying lately? 

X Suzy

The Monthly Roundup || February 2014

My recent buying habits have been quite slow and I have to say that I'll be like this for the next couple of months. I'm saving my pennies for when it go to Europe in July (I've already got a shopping list!). So I only brought a grand total of 5 cosmetics this month. And yes, I'm am feeling myself.

February Favourites:

The product which wins the most loved product this month is the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, something which is helping clear out my skin. It's totally cleared up my forehead, I've got no need to wear foundation there anymore. It's still early days so I'm waiting for it to clear up my cheeks and chin area too. I use this as my morning serum, to prevent any makeup causing blemishes during the day.

Something I've come to love this month is the Real Techniques Duo Fibre Face Brush. I think I've mentioned this before, but it's become invaluable for applying my mineral foundation. It buffs the product in to the skin flawlessly, leaving my skin looking natural and uniform. It also a dream to apply translucent powder with, and because it's quite thin, it works wonderfully with powder highlighter.

I've had some nail polish loves also this month, the Barry M nail paint in Mint Green and the Napoleon Perdis nail polish in White Swan. The Barry M is cheap and cheerful, for $5 the colour is decent, it took me three coats to achieve a level of opaqueness which I was happy with.  I got the Napoleon Perdis with their Valentine’s Day set, and I doubt you can buy it separate. The finish of this nail polish is lovely, super shiny and opaque. Someone asked me if it was shellac, that's the sort of finish this nail polish has. It's lasted me four nights and there's a little bit of chipping, nothing to major (it would be a lot better if my job didn't consist of finger painting and chopping up fruit).

This month in blog posts:

I'm glad to tell you that I wrote quite consistently this month. I started my new feature called The Craft Post, and I featured my Patchwork Lace Curtain. I hope you’re all interested in hearing about my crafty projects I whip up. Next I brought you my first “Empties” post. I reviewed my Real Techniques Brushes and my favourite shampoo and conditioner in Feb. I also wrote quite a detailed post about those products which I just love and can always count on to perform. The body skincare bits also got a mention this month, particularly because it’s one of my New Year’s resolutions to look after it a bit more. You got to see the makeup which I applied daily in summer. And lucky you, you got a peek inside my handbag.

Hope you all had a great February!

X Suzy  

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 || November

I feel like I've only just written the October roundup, but here we are at the end of November. Summer has hit and I've been at the beach and enjoying some sun. I've been big on the purchasing side of things recently (look out for a haul post coming soon), and a number of these new items have turned up in my favourites.

Monthly Favourites:

The most loved product of the month goes to the MAC Blush in Pink Swoon. I brought this at the end of October, and it actually didn't leave my cheeks during the night. I'm not a fan of wearing blush during the day, don't ask why, but I have been loving if on nights out. A very close runner up is the Aesop Control Gel, something I brought on the recommendation of Caroline Hirons. And it's absolutely amazing. I had a bit of a breakout at the start of the month, and thanks to this, it all cleared quickly.

Another favourite brought on the recommendation of Caroline Hirons is the REN Exfoliating Toner. This has been really nice to us on days that I haven't done a 'deep' exfoliation. And I do love that slightly tingling felling of the acid on my skin.

I have found the perfect eyebrow pencil. When I get my eyebrows tinted, they tend to fade fast in the inner corners. Which leads to blond at the start and brown towards the ends. In order to stop me looking like a creature with two toned eyebrows, I'll pencil this in with the MAC Eye Brows in Lingering. It's the perfect dark brown, with a touch of red, something that suits me. A daily essential.

The final favourite for this month is the Essie Nail Polish in Ballet Slippers. As my first Essie nail polish, this has earned the top place amongst all my nail polishes. It's perfect for every day, and gives that perfect I've just had a manicure look. The longevity of the nail polish isn't the best however.

This Month in Blog Posts:

Here’s all the lovely lotions and potions that save my skin during summer.

This month I was nominated for the Liebster Award!

Check out the usual combination of cheek products that I apply for evenings out here.  

My go to base of the moment is reviewed here.

Finally, two posts which go hand in hand are my Weekend Facial post and my Skin Treatments post.

Added to the Wish List this Month:

With Christmas around the corner, a few products have been added to the wish list. I tend to buy myself cosmetics with any Christmas money I get during the sales, rather than asking for something. First up, I have worked out what colour of the Rebel Nude Glossy Stain I would like, 107 if you’re interested. I also am after an oil absorbing primer and possibly a foundation... 

I’ve spotted this beautiful makeup bag at Country Road, something I’ll pick up in the sales. I’ll also grab myself a pair of these shoes while I’m there.

Finally, my liquid eyeliner is on its way out, and I’m looking for something to replace it with. theBalm Schwing Eyeliner is a possible candidate. I’m all ears for some recommendations!  

The Monthly Roundup || October

Another month has passed, and we are into November already! I've been a bit slow on the product buying side of things, but I've got a few pieces that I brought last month that I've being loving and trialling this month.

This Month’s Favourites:

My most loved product of the month is the Clinque Super CityBlock. It's gone from about 15 degrees to 30+ here, so SPF has been necessary most days. I've been mixing in a bit of the MAC Select Cover Up Concealer in NW20 for some extra coverage. This gives a really lovely finish to the skin, nothing to dewy or too matte. Add a bit of setting powder and some thicker concealer on my zits, and that's been my favourite base recently.

Another product I have been loving this month is the Maybelline Eyestudio Gel eyeliner in Blackest Black. I brought this ages ago and was instantly disappointed with it. I originally brought it to use as I would use liquid liner, but the result was so disappointing compared to liquid liner. But another use had been found, and I'm loving it for during the day on the top lid. For some reason I have issues using pencil liners on my top lids, and this is the perfect solution. The brush I use gives a super fine, soft and defined line.

The last favourite of mine this month is the Bare Minerals Original Foundation in N10. I initially brought this to go over the Super City Block and set it. But this combination is horrible, the foundation settles into all my pores and just goes really gross. However, much like the Maybelline eyeliner, this is something that I have absolutely fallen in love with. It's great for good skin days and when you can't be bothered with a full face of makeup, or when it would be a waste to put a full face of makeup on.

My favourite nail polish combination of late has been OPI’s Princesses Rule with the matte top coat. This combination is super, the matte top coat makes the polish look frosted and flat (I'm not portraying it in a positive light am I?). You will just have to take my word for it.                

Finally, the non-beauty favourite of October is The Vampire Diaries. Its back, and its back with a bang. The storyline this season is really interesting, unlike last season. I'm loving seeing Stephen without his memories and a human Katherine. Here’s a link if you’re interested. 

October in Blog Posts: 

Looking for a pillow spray? Give my DIY version a try first. 

Is the serum category of your skincare routine empty? Read my review of the Jurlique Advanced Herbal Recovery Gel here. 

My evening makeup always looks something along the lines of this and this. 

The nail combination that I was rocking for the majority of the moth looks a bit like this. 

Here and here is some more inspiration to get you into skincare.

Added to the Wish List this Month:

My chin has had a bit of a tantrum, with two cystic pimples. I've been hearing great things about the Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion lately, which I might need to pick up a bottle of soon. 

Inspired by this post from Anna, I desperately want to get a MAC eyeshadow palette. I just have absolutely know idea where to start. And no, I do not want one of those big 15-pan things. When would I ever use it? 

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?