The Weekend Pamper || A Priceline Haul

Ahhhh Priceline, the Australian equivalent of Boots, filled with cheap bits of beautiful makeup and some superb skincare finds. A couple of weeks ago Priceline had 40% off all makeup and cosmetics. It was only natural that I picked up a few things. I've since used a number of these products, so I'll give you a little bit of a review when I list them.

The first thing I grabbed upon entering Priceline was the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Barely Branded. I've been longing for a daily wearable eyeshadow, something low key and natural looking. Barely Branded fits the bill perfectly, distributing the right amount of shimmer on my lids in a beautiful Champagne-y colour. It's just perfect for everyday wear.

I was hoping to pick up the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, but there weren't any in my colour. Instead I thought I would try the 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream. Holly cowl, it's amazing. I've been using this every day to conceal my eye bags. It's not the highest coverage concealer, so if you're after the Kim Kardashian look, this isn't for you. It does everything I want it too, without looking too concealed and fake. It also doesn't crease. At all.

Essie's Master Plan also made its way into my basket, upon ravings from Anna (link). Although I like the colour, I found myself bored of it after a while, craving for a colour with something more. I've got a feeling that it would look fab with a matte topcoat. The wear time is the standard 5 days-ish that comes with all Essie nail polishes and the finish is super shiny. A good colour to have in your collection, but not a staple.

Although I don't wear winged eyeliner as much as I used to, I've grown tired of the Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Eyeliner, so I picked up the Maybelline Hyper Glossy liquid eyeliner. After only a couple of applications, it certainly lives up to its name, it is super glossy. Which I love! I'm yet to form a proper opinion however.

Another product I picked up was the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder, something I had been thinking about for a while. I wanted a powder for my handbag, it had to be translucent, pressed and mattifying. Stay Matte is just perfect for what I wanted and it truly is matte. I wouldn't want to use it every day, the ingredients are AWFUL! Parabens, silicones and even mineral oil. How ironic, a powder with oil in it.

A couple of boring bits follow, I picked up three different makeup brushes: a cream eyeshadow brush, a fine eyeliner brush and a traditional foundation brush. I've been desperate to try the very popular L'Oreal Elnett Satin hairspray and I just finished off a different brand. My old nail file snapped a couple of weeks back so I picked up a new one. 

Quite an extensive haul don't you think? 

X Suzy 

The Weekend Pamper || Sticking to New Year's Resolutions

It's the middle of March, which is perhaps an unconventional time to review my New Year’s Resolutions, but I feel like I need to assess my progress and see what's working and what's not. Before we go any further, here are some of the goals which I set out to achieve earlier in the year:

1.      Post more often. I feel like I've done a decent job at achieving this goal, I certainly have gotten more into blogging of late. Of course I would love to blog more, but there are other things in my life which take up more of my time. I'm looking at you uni.

2.      Stop picking my zits. This is the goal I’ve struggled with the most. Currently, I'm trying to break this habit using bribery, but more on that later.

3.      Look after my body skin more. A pretty successful goal so far in my opinion. I remember to put sunscreen on my neck almost every day, I cleanse it with a facial cleanser each evening and apply some samples of moisturisers and serums. 

4.      Eat more healthily. As with goal two, I struggle with this as well. I attempt to go by the 80% healthy food and 20% unhealthy, but some days that goes completely out the window. And my skin shows it the next day. I'm targeting less milk and sugar at the moment, two of my most loved foods...

5.      More exercise and Pilates. I've definitely improved my fitness levels by doing much more walking, which I'm pleased with. However, I'm yet to improve my level of Pilates, something which is so helpful for my health (I have a really bad back). Rather than doing Pilates when I'm in pain, I should be doing it regularly to prevent back pain, duh.

To achieve my gaols, I write up a little checklist on a monthly calendar. Each night I check off which goals I have achieved during the day and which ones I didn't achieve. If I achieve everything during the day, I draw a pink box around the day to celebrate my achievement, and treat myself with another square of chocolate. If I'm really struggling to achieve a goal, i.e. stop picking my pimples, I've started to bribe myself. When I can go a whole week without picking a zit, I'm going to reward myself with a NARS Velvet Lip Pencil. I'll get another prize if I can go another two weeks without picking another zit, and once I go a whole month without popping a zit, I'll get another prize. I'll report back on how well this works. 

The Weekend Pamper || Bed Time Beauty Bits

I'm sure many of you have your own unique ritual to get yourself ready for a good night sleep. Mine involves a number of products slathered on after the nightly skincare routine (yes there's more skincare), comfy pjs and a good book.

Usually I apply some of the Sukin Rose-Hip oil just before I go to bed, I don't like feeling greasy while I'm awake. Plus I wake up with the most amazing glow the next morning. I also top up the spot creams, hoping to kill them over night. Finally there's the Jurlique Love Balm for lips to prevent any chaps and dryness. That's usually all for the facial skin. I give my hands a bit of nourishment next, applying the Jurlique Love Balm to my cuticles and the Jurlique Jasmine handcream all over. Lastly my feet need a little bit of love, I use some of Lucas'Paw Paw Ointment on my heels and any other dry patches. To finish off, I smother my feet in some sorbolene cream, which means I wake up with such soft feet! 

In order to properly wind down, I charge all my electronics over on my desk, where I can't reach them whilst asleep. I take fifteen minutes to write in my journal and write a to-do list for the next day and then I spend the rest of evening reading a book. At the moment I'm reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

How do wind down for the night?

X Suzy  

The Weekend Pamper || What's in my bag?

"What's in my bag?" videos are my favourite to watch. There's something about having a good old snoop inside someone else's handbag which intrigues me. A woman's handbag is kind of a life line, and I feel as though you can make a pretty accurate judgement based on her handbag. A big oversized bag filled with everything makes me think that this girl is prepared for every situation. Tiny bags conjure thoughts such as "low key" and "streamlined". I fall into the first stereotype, I'm into the big bags. I envy those who carry so little on a daily basis, but I think of to many questions like  "what if I get a sudden blood nose? I'll need those tissues then" and "what if I get caught in the middle or a tornado? I'll need a hairbrush and some lip balm then".

On to the contents of my bag. I don't tend to carry around that much makeup, I'm not a fan of re-applying makeup during the day in public. The only product I regularly reapply is the Lanolips Lip Colourin Rhubarb (has anyone else noticed these have disappeared off the shelves? I'm praying there only reformulating it...). Some days I find my lips to be super dry so I need the Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Ointment on hand because the Lip Colour just won't cut it. If it's going to be a long, hot day I'll pop the JurliqueCitrus Silk Finishing Powder into my bag for some touch ups. Generally I don't bother however. I also keep the Jurlique Jasmine Body Cream in my bag purely because it's tiny, it works great as a hand cream and as a body cream. Hand sanitiser is another must, currently I'm using the Jurlique one. Just in case I do encounter that tornado I do keep a mini hairbrush, some hair ties and bobby pins in my bag.

Beauty bits aside, you'll also find tissues, Band-Aids, my dairy, iPhone, iPad, wallet, glasses and a water bottle lurking in there. If it's a uni day then a document wallet and a couple of note books join the party. I go between three bags, a brightly coloured embroidered bag from Bali which could fit the entire kitchen sink in, a large black leather bag also from Bali and a medium light blue leather bag which I brought from the leather markets in Italy. I'm looking for a cute backpack and a smaller bag. I aspire to be able to carry around less junk.

What are your handbag essentials?

X Suzy 

The Weekend Pamper || The Game Changers

This weekend's post is all about those products which I just love. Each of these have changed the beauty game for me. A number of skincare bits, tools and some makeup all make the cut.

Something I've been using since I had hair is the Mason & Pearson 100% Bristle Hairbrush. Incredibly pricey for a hairbrush, but worth every penny. I've only had to replace it once, after about 10 years of everyday use. This hairbrush leaves my hair tangle free, static free and shiny without pulling of tugging. Provided you’re not someone who loses hairbrushes often, the Mason & Pearson is a fantastic investment to make.

Quite a few skincare products make the list. There's no surprises here, you've heard me ramble on about these products a number of times no doubt. Bioderma is the most recent addition, but I've already used one whole bottle. The Jurlique Purifying Mask and the Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum are also on my game changers list because each of them make such a difference to my skin. Finally, the Grown Organic Alchemist's Matte Moisturiser deserves a mention for being the only moisturiser to actually moisturise and to keep my skin matte thought the day.

A few makeup loves include the first "high end" makeup product I brought, the MAC Studio Finish Concealer. This concealer is the answer to all skin problems, masking all imperfections. Two other complexion enhancers include the BareMinerals Original Foundation and the Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder. I'm sure this isn't the first time you've heard me mention these, together they create the most perfect base, without being too perfect. My favourite mascara in the form of Maybelline's Full N'Soft has earns its self a place on this list but my eyes wouldn't be complete without a squeeze from the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers.

What are products make your game changers list?

X Suzy   

The Weekend Pamper || Empties #1

Empties, while not the most unique post idea, are one of my favourite blog posts to read. I love to hear what products my favourite bloggers have used up, I feel like it’s a good indication of a good product. I've kept all these products for a number of reasons, firstly I'm a bit of a recycler. DIY toners and pillow sprays all require a little sprayer bottle. Secondly, Jurlique do an awesome return program where if you return your empty tubes or bottles, they give you 10% off the same product. Finally, I've kept all these products in hope of writing one of these posts. I've got some body bits and some skincare, but no makeup. Does anyone else find makeup impossible to use up?

Starting off with the body bits, I've finished up the Jurlique Jasmine Shower Gel and Body Care Lotion. A lovely sent and a lovely product. Both of these lasted me a whole year before I needed to replace them. I'll eventually repurchase these but I'm currently working my way through the Citrus versions.

A couple of toners were next to go, the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Mist and the Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner. Both of these were OK, I am holding off a repurchase of both of these, I'm looking into trying the new Jurlique Calendula Redness Rescue Calming Mist next.

Bioderma reigns as the favourite makeup remover and a repurchase is about to happen. Makeup and sunscreen glides off like no other with a cotton wipe drenched in this cleansing water. Although Priceline now stocks Bioderma, it’s near impossible to get a bottle because it’s always out of stock. If I'm out of luck I'll have to resort to ordering it online.

I've also used up the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Cream and repurchased another in a Christmas box set. A lovely product which keeps dryness at bay whilst also preventing fine lines from developing.

Two spot treatments have also been used up, the Aesop Control Gel and the Origins Super Spot Remover. The Aesop worked fantastically with my skin, quickly removing all spots. I suspect that it’s the Niacinamide because I had such good results with the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum which also uses Niacinamide. The Origins however I found a bit useless. I'll repurchase the Aesop soon, but not the Origins.

Finally, some moisturising bits. The first to go was the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum, which I've sung praises to here. I've since repurchased in the 100ml bottle, it’s that good. My favourite daily moisturiser, the GrownOrganics Matte Moisturiser was also finished off recently. The perfect product for me, moisturising yet mattifying and smoothing to provide a perfect canvas for makeup.

What products have you finished off recently?

X Suzy  

The Weekend Pamper || Nail Care Routine

My nails are often envied by my friends and so I thought I'd share my routine this weekend. It's a fairly simple routine, something I enjoy doing every second weekend. I prefer a short square nail, similar to the shape of my cuticle. One tip I've picked up along the way is to replicate the shape of your cuticle when shaping your nail. Rounded cuticles equal rounded nails, square cuticles equal square nails. 

First up, I remove all previous nail polish with some tea tree oil. This works a treat at removing all my nail polish, a tad more elbow grease is required than ordinary nail polish remover, but the all natural nice ingredients overweighs the extra work. I start by trimming my nails with a pair of nail clippers straight across the top. Next I shape my nails using an ordinary emery board. A little bit curved a round the corners and straight along the top. Once that's completed on all ten digits, I lightly smooth, buff and polish my nails with the good old Woolworth's Home Brand Nail Buffer. I'm telling you, this does an amazing job and it's cheap as. I smother my nails in some of the Jurlique Love Balm. Finally I push my cuticles back with an ordinary orange stick and lather my hands in my current favourite hand cream. 

Once all the hand cream and cuticle cream is absorbed, I like to paint my nails. I will always apply OPI's Nail Envy Sensitive, this strengthens the nails and gives a lovely shine. Some weeks I'm happy to leave it at this and give my nails a bit of a break. Most of the time however I'll paint my nails with either Essie Ballet Slippers, OPI Princes's Rules or OPI Suzie and the Life Guard. Can anyone guess what my favourite nail polish colours are? 

X Suzy 

The Weekend Pamper || Christmas Wishlist

I'm not one for asking for cosmetics for Christmas. Usually, I get a bit of cash to buy all the things I want. First up, is this set from Jurlique. I use all the products in it, and it's currently on sale for $160. Can we say bargain? Its got the beloved Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum in its large size, which retails for $160. Sorry what? So essentially, you get both the Herbal Recovery Night Cream and the Herbal Recovery Eye cream for free. Take a moment for that to all sink in.

The YSL Glossy Stains are a love of mine and I plan on picking up number 107, Naughty Mauve from the Rebel Nudes collection. A neutral lip product is severely lacking in my collection, this looks divine. A neutral lip with purple shimmer running through it does sound a little on the scary side however but I'm keen to give it a try! 

Finally my brush collection is a bit dismal. I would really love to pick up some more brushes from Real Techniques, I haven't tried any yet, can you believe it? If the Duo-Fibre Limited Edition is still around in my local Priceline, it's going straight into my basket. If it is out of stock however, I will grab the Expert Face Brush and the Powder Brush. I'm also lusting after the Stippling Brush, the one I am currently using is HUGE. As in too big for my face huge. 

Finally on my wish list is a pair of the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers. I am an everyday eyelash curler kind of gal, and so this is a necessity (not really) for me to pick up. However, I'm having difficulty deciding whether I should go for the new S-Curlers or the original version...

The Weekend Pamper || The Liebster Award

I have been nominated for the “Liebster Award” from the lovely girl over at http://emilou140597.blogspot.com.au/. I am so grateful for this, I certainly didn't expect to get nominated for something so quickly (I only started blogging a couple of months ago!).

The Rules:

1.      Link the bolgger who nominated you (here!).
2.      Answer the questions which your nominator has asked.
3.      To keep the chain following, nominate some of your favourite bloggers who have less than 200 followers and let them know you've done so.
4.      Create some fab questions for your nominees to answer.

Questions and Answers:

1. Why did you want to start blogging?

I stated blogging because I really wanted a place to record all my thoughts towards beauty and skincare.

2. Whose blog do you visit the most?

I would have to visit Anna’s blog at http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com/ the most. It’s almost a tad embarrassing.  

3. One person you would love to meet?

BEYONCE!!!!

4. Favourite make up brand?

Definitely MAC.

5. What is one of your winter fashion/beauty favourites?

A winter fashion favourite would have to be a brightly coloured scarf. I always get sick of wearing dark colours and a bright scarf is an easy way to inject some colour into you’re outfit. As for beauty I think I'll say… bronzer (a bit of a strange choice!) I usually lose my tan in the winter, so bronzing up the face is a necessity.

6. What is your favourite film?

My favourite film is Breaking Dawn Part 2. I may or may not be a bit of a Twilight fan…

7. How long have you been blogging for? 

I’ve been blogging since August this year.

8. What is one place you would most like to visit?

I would love to go to London!

9. What is your favourite clothing brand? 

My favourite clothing brand… hmmmm … Dotti would have to be my favourite. Their clothes fit me perfectly!

My Nominees are: 

Cythia Lions 

Tina's Beauty Scrapbook 

Hyacinth Girl Beauty 

and Student Beauty

My Questions:

1.      What do you spend more time on, skincare or makeup?
2.      Are you more of a drug store or high end kind of beauty gal?
3.      What is your favourite foundation or base?
4.      List your top 5 favourite beauty products.
5.      What is the most enjoyable thing about blogging?
6.      Do you prefer to read books or watch TV?
7.      Which is your most worn perfume?
8.      If you were to give any advice to your teenage self, what would it be?
9.      Sum up your fashion style in a sentence.
10. Two years from now, what would you like to be doing? 

X Suzy

The Weekend Pamper || Weekend Facial

Following on from this morning’s skincare post, here is my last instalment in the skincare series, my weekend routine. Once a week, I'll take about an hour of my time and dedicate it to my skin. I apply a range of face masks and treatments to give my skin a much needed deep clean and detox. This is something I save for Sunday afternoons, so that I don't have to put makeup on afterwards.

I begin by washing may face with the Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser. It's vital to wash your face beforehand, otherwise it's a bit like polishing a dirty floor.

Next up, I steam my face by putting some hot water in a bowl and putting tea towel around my face. If I am feeling fancy, I might put some water soluble tea tree oil or calendula lotion in the water, but most weekends I don't bother.

After steaming my face, I take the Jurlique Fruit EnzymeExfoliator and smother this all over my face. I use about four pumps, and I take this right up to my eyes. I wouldn't recommend taking it around the eyes if you have sensitive skin at all, or if you have just started using this. I leave it on for about 5 minutes as it's recommended, but sometimes I leave it on for longer. I wash it off using a warm flannel, which also helps with exfoliation.

After exfoliating, my face mask extravaganza begins. Firstly, I put a layer of rose hip oil - about three or four drops. This gives my skin a huge moisture boost. I use both the Jurlique Purifying Mask and the Intense Recovery Mask. I take a dollop of both masks, mix them together and apply it through my T-Zone. The Purifying mask is quite dry, and the Intense Recovery Mask makes it a little bit easier to spread over my face. On my cheeks, I apply the Intense Recovery Mask. Both masks are phenomenal, my skin is left so smooth and clean. I wash it off with a flannel and some warm water. Finally, I follow through with my evening skin care routine.

At the end of the week, I find myself looking forward to my at home facial so much. Nothing beats a deep clean and exfoliation, and the result the next morning is so satisfying. It’s worth pointing out that afterwards my skin does go a little on the pink side, but by the next morning it is all fine! 

The Weekend Pamper || Pink & Sparkly

The nail polish combo that I have been rocking recently is OPI's Suzie and the Lifeguard and a statement nail of the Maybelline Sequins Rose Bling. The OPI is very sheer, so I have applied two thick coats. I do like the colour, a soft pink with a subtle shimmer but I must admit the name sold it to me. How could I resist? Me and a lifeguard?! The Maybelline is obviously very glittery with some small pieces of glitter and some big pieces of glitter.

                           

On a different finger on each hand I painted the Maybelline on top of the OPI. I absolutely love this look, the statement nail makes it wearable for every day. On my left hand I've got the glitter on my thumb, and on my right hand I've got it on my pinkie finger. This has been on my tips for about two weeks now, which is a bit of a record for me, just shows you how much I'm loving it!

The Weekend Pamper || DIY Lavender & Tea Tree Pillow Spray

A little DIY product that I have been loving recently is my Lavender & Tea Tree Pillow Spray. I first started off with just tea tree oil for the antibacterial properties, so that I didn't have to change my pillow cases every night as it’s recommended for acne prone skin. Who has time for that anyway?? I thought adding the lavender essential oil would be a nice touch, due to the calming properties it possesses. I usually spray it on my pillows in the morning, so that I don’t have a damp pillow to sleep on.

You will need an old sprayer bottle (typical me, mines an empty Jurlique one) some tea tree oil, lavender essential oil and some tap water. I have used a water soluble tea tree oil, and I plan on buying the lavender version of this once the Jurlique one runs out.

I start by pouring a cap full of the tea tree oil into the bottle. Next I add about 6-10 drops of the lavender essential oil, but this can be altered to your own preference. After that I just fill it up with some tap water. Its probs best to use distilled water if you have any handy. Give it a bit of a shake and your good to go! 

The Weekend Pamper || Traveling Beauty Essentials

I'm on holiday this week to get some much needed sun in the Australian North. With the sun, heat and humidity my skin tends to at its best, if anything it's a little dry. Pair the climate with some R&R and I'm confident enough to skip the makeup - almost. I apologise in advance, I'm writing this on my iPad which doesn't have the best spellchecker - please forgive me. Also, I can't seem to add links to all the products mentioned. When I get home I'll add them - if I remember.  

Skincare:

Whilst traveling I try to stick with my usual routine, minus the weekend face mask extravaganza. I honestly cannot be bothered - I'd much rather be sunning myself outside by a pool. 

I don't tend to bring big bottles of my skincare with me, I decant things into smaller recycled bottles. I've  filled two empty Body Shop bottles with some Bioderma and my favourite cleanser, the Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser. As for exfoliating, I recived a sample of the Refining Skin Treatment from Jurlique a while ago and I though it would be a great time to try it out.

For toning, I've got a small bottle of the Jurlique Lavender Hydrating Toning Mist. I'm not a huge fan of Jurlique's range of toners, they are all filled with alcohol but the bottle is so cute and travel friendly. 

I've packed both my usual blemish treatments, the Jurlique Blemish Cream and the Origins Super Spot Remover, both in their original packaging. I popped in a tiny bit of the Aesop Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque into a little jar to use as an overnight blemish treatment if I get any serious spots. 

In terms of other skin treatments, there's a tiny sample of the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair II, and the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Cream. 

And finally we have moisturisers. It's the usual culprits, the Grown Organic  Alchemist Matte Moisturiser for day time and into a large plastic pot, I've decanted some of the Jurlique Callendular Cream for night time. For lips and cuticles, I've got my Love Balm from Jurlique. 

Makeup:

Before coming on holiday, I got both my eyebrows and eyelashes tinted to save some time in the mornings and I'm planing to do a lot of swimming this week, so it's super convenient. I want my makeup to be as effortless as possible - there are other things is rather be doing on holiday! 

Base:

I brought the Clinique Super City Block SPF30 specially for this trip but I've been using a sample of it prior to purchasing it. I really like using this suncream, it dosent feel rank on my skin at all, and has a slight tint to it. Another recent purchase is the BareMinerals Origninal Foundation in Fairly Light. This gives a beautiful finish to my skin perfect for those good skin days. It also sets the Super City Block and wipes out enough shine and grease but the finish isn't too matte. Of course I brought my Jurlique Citrus Finishing Powder along - just in case of an oily episode. 

For concealers, I've got the MAC Studio Finish and the Select Cover-Up both in NW20. If I fancy a bit more coverage in the day, I'll blend a blob of the Select Cover-Up with the Clinique Super City Block, and for night time, I'll pop a bit with my daily moisturiser. If I develop any pimples I dab some of the Studio Finish concealer on them. 

Colour:

I did pack one mascara, the Maybeline Mega Plush for evenings, but I doubt I'll bother with it, instead I'll focus on eyeliner. I've got both liquid and pencil eyeliner, namely the Rimmel Glam'Eyes liquid liner and the MAC Technakohl Liner in Graphblack. For the checks, I've got my usuall blush-bronzer hybrid, the MAC Sheertone Blush in Sincere and my MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle for a highlight. I also packed the Maybeline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze but once again I'm skeptical that I'll bother using it. And finally, I packed my Lanolips in Apples for nights out sipping gin & tonics and watching the sunset. 

Tools:

I just brought the basics in the tool department: an eyelash curler from Manicare, an eyebrow brush (cheap un-branded one) an Ecotools blush brush (for bronzer), a Naito blush brush (for highlighting), TheBalm double ended eye brush (for spot concealing) and a Natio kabuki brush for my mineral foundation.

There you have it. My traveling beauty essentials. It all fits into that beautiful toiletry bag which I got in Bali and I've even got some more room in there! Of course I realise I'm missing an entire category of body bits, but I won't bore you with all of that - it's far less interesting!

X Suzy