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Tuesday 29 March 2016

Beauty Graveyard // Empties March 2016

Today I'm reviewing a whole heap of products I've completely used up over the last couple of months or so and let you know whether or not I liked them enough to repurchase!

Skincare, Body & Hair

// Lacura Micellar Cleansing Water
I am a huge fan of micellar waters, as you probably already know, and so when I saw that Aldi had one I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, its one of those limited edition products Aldi brings out so it's not part of their regular line. This was okay, but I still prefer the Garnier one. Most annoyingly the lid broke after like a week so I had to be careful not to spill it everywhere. Would not repurchase.

// Lancôme Tonique Douceur
I absolutely love this toner! A bit pricey, but a little goes a long way. It's alcohol free and I find it great to help remove any leftover makeup after cleansing and also leaving my skin feeling really soft and refreshed. I also find it helps with balancing out the oiliness in my skin - I recommend a toner for anyone with oily skin! At the moment I'm still using my Mario Badescu toner but will definitely repurchase after I finish with that one.

// Trishave Shave Créme
This stuff is a complete life saver and I can't believe I've only discovered shaving creams in the last six months or so it actually has made my life so much better! It contains rose and tea tree oils to hydrate the skin and also help prevent shaving rash, itchyness and ingrown hairs. I would recommend this to everyone and I'm never going back to shaving without it. Already repurchased!

//Rexona Clinical Protection Deodorant 
The Rexona Clinical Protect Deodorants are absolutely the best option I've found in terms of deodorants. They not only control odour but actually help a lot with wetness as well. I was really keen to get into natural deodorants but they weren't nearly as effective as this one. Already repurchased.

// Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head
Just like a toothbrush, with the Clarisonic brush heads you know when it's time to get a new one. The bristles get a little bit soft and splay out in all different directions. I usually use my Clarisonic once a day after removing my makeup so I found my brush head lasted about five months. I definitely found using my Clarisonic really helped improve the quality of my skin and my skin has been consistently clearer since using it to cleanse my face. I'm using a different brush head to this one at the moment but would definitely go back to repurchasing the sensitive brush head in the future.

// Philosophy Purity Cleanser
I love Philosophy's Purity Cleanser and have been using it for around six months now. It's great at removing makeup, including eye makeup without stinging your eyes, and it works well with my Clarisonic. I have already repurchased, especially considering that the 480mL is such awesome value!

// Schwarzkopf Biotin' Volume Dry Shampoo
I've tried my fair share of dry shampoo over the years but this one is hands down my favourite! It actually feels like it cleans my hair properly as well as giving it heaps of volume. I've definitely repurchased (and I have about four backups too)!

 Makeup
Another BB has met its end thanks to mould :( Can't live without though so I have already repurchased. 

One of the most surprising discoveries of 2015, I absolutely fell in love with Urban Decay's All Nighter and never miss it in my makeup routine. I find it makes such a difference to how well foundation sits on the skin and also helps prevent foundation from breaking up on the skin. I also find it is really great at extending the wear of blush and bronzer too. Although it is quite pricey, the bottle lasted me around 9 months so I could definitely justify the spend. Already repurchased.

I absolutely love Tarte mascaras and this one was no exception! Its really build-able but never gets too clumpy so you still get a really pretty fluttery effect. It didn't give me as much length as I wanted though and I found towards the end of the tube as it dried out it started getting super flakey. I do have a backup of this mascara but I will probably give it away since there are other mascaras I enjoy more.

When it comes to luxury products, Hourglass does it so right. Their mineral veil primer is probably the best primer I've ever tried and during Sydney's humid summer its the only product I can rely on. I have repurchased, but stuck with the travel size because I don't use it all the time and wow this stuff is expensive.

The Gimme Brow is one of the best brow products I've ever tried. It has little fibres and a tinted gel that fills in the brows really nicely. I really like how it has a really little brush so you don't get product everywhere. I haven't repurchased yet and probably won't in the near future because I have a few brow products on the go already.

The YSL Touche Eclat gets a fair amount of hype on the internet and I definitely believe that it deserves the hype. It has the most beautiful, thin formula that blends like a dream and it fantastic at brightening under the eyes. It doesn't provide much coverage so I like to apply a corrector under my eyes first. Would definitely repurchase (just haven't gotten around to it yet because it's so expensive!!)

I didn't actually finish this product but it was a little dried up and had heaps of glitter in it so it was getting impossible to use. I love this formula for doing winged liner because it has a nice matte finish as well as being long-wearing. I have repurchased. 

What are some of your most repurchased products?

xx Cat

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Tried & Tested // *NEW* Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara


When it comes to mascara, there are a few important things I look for. I want my mascara to give me lots of length, hold a curl nicely and give me enough volume so that my lashes still look natural but nice and fluttery. I have been in a long-term, open relationship with the Lancôme Hypnôse mascara for a while now - sometimes seeing the Tarte Lights Camera Lashes mascara on the side and occasionally the Maybelline Lash Sensational too. So when the Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara entered my life, things were already a bit crowded in my mascara draw.

However, I have to admit that it was love at first application with the new Eye Opening Mascara from Bobbi Brown. Although initially I was a little bit put off by the jumbo sized wand I was surprised to find that I was able to coat my short, little lashes easily without making a mess of mascara all over my eyelids!

Immediately I noticed how well the mascara pushed up my lashes and curled them as well as how intensely black the formula is. The formula is really unique in that it contains kaolin, which is what helps the lashes hold a curl.

Image Source: http://www.sephora.com/contentimages/pdf/BB_EyeOpeningMascara.pdf

And of course at the end of all this hard mascara testing, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily it washed off at the end of the day with a little bit of warm water, especially considering how well it lasts without smudging or flaking!

You can purchase the Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara anywhere there's a Bobbi Brown counter for $44. I grabbed mine from Mecca Maxima.

xx Cat

Tuesday 1 March 2016

Best of Beauty // February 2016

My favourite blog posts to read and beauty videos to watch are monthly favourites so I want to try and do a better job at wrapping up my favourite beauty products each month and share with you what I've been loving! It's definitely been a month of re-discovering some old favourites and cult classics.

A fairly well loved foundation, I have been reaching for the Covergirl 3-in-1 foundation a lot throughout the month because I've found my usual favourite, the Urban Decay Naked Skin, wasn't giving me enough coverage. I have loved this foundation for a while because it is just so reliable - if I want something long wearing, full coverage and my skin to look flawless - i'll reach for this. Especially during the humid days of February this foundation has been a life saver. It's also really affordable and available from chemists and even the supermarket. 


Another affordable product I've been loving throughout the month is Real Technique's answer to the Beauty Blender. I love the Beauty Blender but lately they've been getting mouldy so fast and I've been going through them quicker than usual. I still had a RT sponge in my collection and decided to start using it instead of spending another $27 on a BB. The RT sponge surprised me because I had forgotten how soft it was! It applies foundation just as well as the Beauty Blender and washes well too. So far I haven't had an issue with mould either!



A classic cheek duo from NARS has been my absolute go-to throughout Feb because it just goes with every look! Laguna is the most gorgeous gold-toned bronzer and adds the perfect amount of definition and warmth to the face. Orgasm is the prettiest peachy-pink shade with a super flattering gold shimmer throughout. Two cult classic shades that are 100% worth the hype and great for all skin tones.



I've been using Stila Kitten Eyeshadow all month as my highlighter for absolutely everything - cheeks, brow bone and inner corner. It is the perfect champagne shade with such a creamy formula, this versatile product is a must have in any beauty lover's collection.

I'm completely useless with my styling my hair and will usually just let it air dry and hope for the best. The Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow It is amazing because you don't need to do anything just pop it in your hair and let it dry! I usually like to add in a bit of a sea salt spray, twist my hair into little buns and once my hair is dry Don't Blow It has worked its magic to add a little bit of texture and volume to my hair. It's perfect for getting that messy textured look with little to no effort!

// Neutrogena Beach Defence Sunscreen

Finally, as summer comes to an end I have to mention the best sunscreen I've ever tried! Beach Defence has an SPF 50+ and best of all smells great, isn't too thick or greasy and sinks into the skin while actually having a moisturising effect. I've been saved many times from potentially painful sunburn thanks to Beach Defence.

What products have you been loving lately?

xx Cat