August Bellabox 'Sport Your Style'

Bellabox is $15 a month and you receive 5-6 beauty samples (sometimes full sized products!). The August box was the third Bellabox I have received and what I have figured out is that there are actually a few different boxes that get sent out each month, so you may get the same box as someone else, or with a slight difference, or you may get a completely different box altogether. Also I received my box much earlier this month compared to other boxes which was a nice surprise!

// Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion
I really enjoy the Aveeno range and already own a full size of their Stress Relief lotion. I think this is a great sample size and I will definitely be popping it in my travel bag which I am carrying a lot lately for overnight stays. While not an overly exciting inclusion, definitely a practical one and I can't look past the fact that it is a product I already love.

// Australian Bush Flower Calm & Clear Mist
This is a fantastic inclusion to this month's box as I definitely need some help to calm down! I have been spraying this on my pillow before I go to sleep and it definitely has a nice relaxing scent. A really unique inclusion to this box and something I wouldn't have tried otherwise. The only annoyance I have with this sample is their are no instructions on the info card or on the packaging itself on where you can spray it - can I use in on my skin? I will never know.

// Coconut Revolution Body Scrub
I am completely obsessed with body scrubs at the moment because my skin is super dry. This scrub smells absolutely AMAZING, lucky I like coconut! Definitely excited to try this out, particularly as it is a brand I've never heard of. Again, this is a good sized sample as well.

// Burt's Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser
So much skincare this month! Whilst I already have two holy grail cleansers that I'm not rushing to turn away from, I really enjoy the Burt's Bees skincare line and will definitely try it out. It seems to be a cream cleanser too, which I prefer. Another good sample size, which is important for skincare if you want a proper gauge of how a product works with your skin.

// Australis Lip and Cheek Combo Creme in Dusk til Dawn
This product definitely added value to this months box being the only full size inclusion this month. I love creme blushes and Australis as a brand as well, so was really excited to see this in my box. While the colours are both really pretty as well as being quite pigmented the texture of these is off. The orange one in particular is really sticky and not smooth and all. As a result these are super hard to blend, especially since its hard to pick up a small amount of colour. The formula actually does work nicely on both the cheeks and lips though so I just feel kind of 'meh' about this product. I have much better creme blushes in my collection so won't reach for this much.

The bonus product this month was a sachet of Palmer's Cocoa Butter. This bores me immensely so I won't bother writing any more about it. I much preferred receiving a sachet of a face mask!

Overall, I am content with this months box and definitely prefer it over last months because I will get use out of everything and there was no double ups from previous boxes. I've seen a lot of negative comments about Bellabox recently, particularly from bloggers and on instagram, however, I am still happy with the service and will definitely continue my subscription. I think the only reason I would stop subscribing if I wasn't using the samples, however, I have definitely used everything (or someone else has) I've received. Also while I've seen other people's boxes that contain products that I would have loved to have seen in my box, I try not to let that impact on how I view my own box.

I give the August Bellabox 4/5.

Thinking of signing up to Bellabox? Check out my reviews of previous boxes:

Bellabox July Review 'American Beauty'

Bellabox June Review 'Iconic Beauty'

Sign up to Bellabox here.
NB: The BB website is being upgraded so not all the regular features are live, including the Bellabox online shop.

xx Catherine

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Brand Focus: BOE Beauty

I love shopping at Big W. It might sound super daggy but my mum and I always check out Big W when we do the groceries on the weekend as they always have great deals on fashion, beauty and other exciting things like stationary and storage! In our most recent trip I picked up some more products from BOE Beauty which is a makeup range exclusive to Big W in Australia. The best thing about the BOE Beauty range is that all their makeup products are $2! Yes $2. So I thought I would show you what I picked up as well as some of the other products I already have and share my thoughts with you.

//Matte Lip Cream in #34 Pillarbox

This is an absolutely beautiful bright red matte lip product that is absolutely incredible for the price. It doesn't dry down to a completely matte finish like the Australis Velourlips or Rouge Edition Velvets from Bourjois but definitely sits on the lips really nicely. My only issue with this product is that the doe foot applicator doesn't seem to pick up much product, but for $2 this seriously packs a punch! A great option for a red lip as it is bold and long lasting.

//Lipstick in #13 Natural Tea Rose

I had been on the search for this shade for a while after I read Lucy Sparkle's post on her top 5 lip colours for winter. I was blown away with this product not only because of the gorgeous colour but I was shocked at how creamy it was, for $2!? I expected it to tug on the lips a bit, however, it glided on so smoothly and felt absolutely gorgeous on the lips. It has quite a glossy finish, similar to the cremesheen formulas by MAC as well as being really pigmented. Overall I am simply stunned and will no doubt be picking up more colours.

//Liquid Eye Liner in Metallic Purple

I love playing around with fun colours so this liner stood out to me because I love purple! However, my feelings about this product are fairly 'meh'. It is quite patchy, not as bright and pigmented as I imagined and the applicator is a bit of a pain to use. I do think the packaging is quite sleek though and for $2 I'm happy to have this colour to play around with.

L-R: Pillarbox, Natural Tea Rose, Metallic Purple

//Eyeshadow Duo in Uptown Girl

Just like the lip products from BOE Beauty this eyeshadow duo impressed me a lot. It is a little bit chalky in consistency but still performs excellently as an eyeshadow as it blends really well. I really love both shades and they go together brilliantly. The shadows aren't the most pigmented I've tried but they do have a beautiful, subtle shimmer about them that looks gorgeous on the eyes. With an eye primer underneath, they will last all day.

//Blush Powder in #2 Rosy

As a powder, this is quite chalky but still performs well as a blush. It blends well and leaves a lovely flush of colour on the cheeks. The shade is quite a natural rose shade as the name suggests and there is a bit of shimmer but nothing too crazy on the cheeks which is quite nice. However, the colour isn't overly pigmented and generally I'm not too fussed on this blush as for me the shade is just average. I would recommend this blush if you were looking for a really natural everyday blush.

BOE Beauty's range also includes face powders, bronzers, a highlighter, pencil eyeliners, mascaras, heaps of different lip products and nail polish. I think these products are incredible quality for the price and I would recommend them 100%.

L-R: Rosy, Shade #1and #2 Uptown Girl

xx Catherine

*This post was not sponsored. All products were purchased by me, with my own money. Honesty as always.

Makeup and Outfit of the Night: Law Ball

Last weekend was the annual Law Ball for my university Law Society so I thought I would share with you how I wore my makeup and also some photos of my outfit as well! I've also tried to link as many of the items from my outfit as I can.

I had been planning my makeup look for so long and really wanted something really soft and pretty using corals to compliment the colours of my dress. I took a massive risk and wore a foundation I never had worn before - the Bourjois Healthy Mix - but I was so happy with the finish. To finish off my base, I set my foundation with the Face of Australia translucent setting powder, contoured with my favourite Body Shop bronzer and added a pop of colour to the cheeks using Posietint from Benefit. I created my eyeshadow look using the 'Oh So Special' palette from Sleek and smudged a darker shadow along the lash line instead of using a liner. Finally, on my lips I wore 'Coral Bliss' by MAC one of my new favourite lip colours.

My dress was a gorgeous, floor length gown which I ordered online from Miss Selfridge. It fit beautifully and the intricacy of the beading and sequins was stunning.

Because of the detail of my dress, I went pretty simple in terms of my accessories. I wore simple pearl earrings from The Peach Box and tied those in with a few gold and pearl rings from Colette. My gold and crystal bracelet was also from Colette. I wanted to wear simple nude polish on my nails to add further sophistication to the look. This polish was 'No Angel' from the Face of Australia Screen Siren LE collection.

I also did makeup for my beautiful girlfriend, Maddy. I chose a purple palette for her look to really compliment the green tones in her dress. To even out the complexion I used her favourite foundation from CK One (Calvin Klein's makeup range which can be bought at counters in Myer). For eyeshadow I used the Marc Jacobs Eyeshadow palette in 'The Tease'. I had such a fan girl moment over this palette and it is now at the top of my wishlist! I also created a winged liner look with the Maybelline Master Precise liquid liner. For a flush of colour on the cheeks I used Lollitint by Benefit and finished off the look with Rebel by MAC on the lips.

I was so happy with how Maddy's look turned out and probably the best makeup I've ever done on another person!

I had such an amazing night seeing all my friends looking so beautiful, dancing and of course drinking champaign by the bottle!

I hope you enjoyed this post! What's your favourite look for a formal event?

xx Catherine

Review: Unico Hair Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner*

My hair has always been really thin and as a result of this (and laziness) I never really did much to take care of the little amount of strands I have. My hair has always just sort of sat flat against my head or I would scoop it back into a bun. However, I recently had quite a dramatic haircut and have started wearing my hair pretty short. Ever since then I've been looking to add some volume into my hair to really emphasise my awesome new cut.

I was really excited to try the Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner* from Unico Hair as other volumising products had left my hair way too light and uncontrollable! However, I found after using the Unico Hair volumising products my hair had the amount of volume I was after but didn't strip away the weight that I really need to stop my thin hair flying all over the place. My hair had 'bounce' rather than 'I've been out in a windstorm' look.

Individually, the products also perform really well. The shampoo provided a good clean, removing all the oil from my hair, whilst the conditioner is amazing at adding moisture back into the hair leaving it feeling so soft and looking healthy and shiny.

In terms of packaging, I think it is brilliant that this shampoo and conditioner comes in short, round plastic bottles which makes them so much easier to store in the shower. I hate really tall shampoo bottles that are always being knocked over. The packaging is also simple and sleek which definitely appeals to me. The smell of the product is also gorgeous. It has a subtle fresh and natural smell which I have definitely been enjoying.

Unico is an Australian company and you can learn more about their products here. Their range of hair products are available to purchase from Adore Beauty.

xx Catherine

*These products were kindly provided for my consideration. Honesty as always.

Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner - Worth the Hype?

There was a lot of hype surrounding Benefit's latest release and newest addition to the They're Real! range and I just couldn't help myself so I picked up the Push Up Liner.

Its a little bit fancy and pretty innovative but a new application method means that there is going to be some getting used to. I don't believe this product makes applying eyeliner any easier than felt tip liners and I've never tried to apply gel liner with a brush before so I can't comment on how it compares to that. However, I previously had no interest in using a gel liner and this product did make me want to try to use a gel formulation.

The formula itself is quite dry. It balls up, flakes off, clumps my eyelashes together and creates a bit of a mess. Unless the tip is completely clear and you twist up *just* enough product it can be difficult to create a smooth line. I think the biggest issue I have with this product is that it does create a bit of mess trying to wipe the excess product on your hand or tissue. It's difficult and fiddly but when you get it right...it all comes together.

Even the first time using this product, the final look has been pretty impressive if I say so myself. This liner is super black, matte and looks so bold on the eyes. It is really great for creating bold looks, and much faster too than using a felt tip liquid liner. I love doing big flicks or wings with this liner because it is much quicker and easier than using my Maybelline Master precise. However, doing really thin lines, close to the lashes was a bit more difficult.

Whilst the product is marketed to get in really close to the lash line, I had quite a bit of trouble doing so. When I did get in close to the lash line, the product clumped my lashes together which became an issue later and started smudging under my eyes.

Overall do I think it's worth the hype? Yes. It is innovative and definitely a game changer in terms of gel eyeliner. The packaging is cute and the price point reasonable. There are a lot of issues with using this product but as I have mentioned, I think a new type of application is bound to need some time getting used to. The final looks you can create with this product is well worth the effort in my opinion, especially if you are already comfortable with applying eyeliner and love bold looks. However, I don't think this is the first eyeliner you should buy as I think it's a bit tricky for makeup beginners.

I was also lucky enough to be the week 2 winner of Benefit's They're Real! Liner competition on instagram. Here is my Push Up liner look.

I was so excited to win and here are all the goodies I received in my prize pack! So excited to have the whole They're Real! family as well as the Porefessional products.

In other Benefit news, a few weeks ago, Benefit at Myer Sydney City held a meet up for a few Australian Beauty Youtubers. Of course I went along and had a chat to all the lovely girls. Benefit always throw a good party!

All photos from the event courtesy of Benefit Australia and can be found on their facebook page.

Have you picked up the Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner yet? What are your thoughts?

xx Catherine

July Violet Box

After absolutely loving my experience with my first subscription box in June, I decided to subscribe to another service so I could continue to receive new products to try that I wouldn't necessarily pick up myself. I decided to subscribe to Violet Box - another Australian beauty subscription service. I chose Violet Box because the price, which is around $22 a month, as well as hearing really positive reviews from other bloggers. Here's what I received in my first Violet Box:

//Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum
Suffering from really dry skin lately I was really excited to see this sample included. This is a great sample size so I will be able to get some good use out of it! The full size of this product is quite expensive and I really love trying out higher end skincare in subscription boxes so this is a fantastic inclusion!

//Sukin Skin Purifying Facial Mask
If you read my recent review of the July Bellabox you will know I love receiving face masks in my subscription boxes so I was really happy with this inclusion. I also love Sukin as a brand, so I can't wait to try these and possibly buy the full size. The mask itself is supposed to draw out the dirt and grime from your pores whilst nourishing the skin- something I definitely need!

//KMS California Hair Play Molding Paste
This product gives texture and definition to your hair and is quite a thick. I have absolutely no idea about styling products because my hair is dead straight and behaves on its own but I'm quite interested to see how this works. I don't see this product really suiting me, because of my fine hair but I can definitely pass it on to one of my many curly-haired family members or friends.

//Laqa&Co Sheer Lip Lube
For a 'sheer' lip product this definitely packs a punch. The colour is vibrant, pigmented and the product itself feels gorgeous and moisturising on the lips. It's also a twist up pencil which is a must have for me when it comes to lip products - sharpening is just too messy! Unfortunately the colour is so unflattering on me. Because I'm fairly pale, blue based fushia colours just don't suit me. I really want to make it work otherwise I will pass it on to a tanner friend.

//Dr. Hauschka Lavender Sandalwood Calming Body Wash
I'm not one to use fancy body washes so this product doesn't excite me too much, however, I will definitely get use out of it. I always think a successful inclusion in a subscription box is a product everyone will get use out of no matter what. This does have a gorgeous scent as well so I'm sure to enjoy this in my next shower!

//So Susan Flutter Mascara
I love mascaras and they are one of my favourite beauty items to try so I am so impressed to receive a full size in this months box! I also haven't heard of the brand So Susan before so I am really interested to see how I like this product.

I have to say, the Violet Box website is slightly more difficult to navigate than the Bellabox website and I did also have more difficulty setting up my subscription. Never the less, I received my box to the correct address and within July!

Overall, I was really impressed with the box itself and its contents. The variety was excellent and it is amazing value with two full size beauty items! For an extra $7 than the Bellabox, this is definitely worth the extra value and I also feel Violet Box includes more unique and exciting brands.

I give the July Violet Box 4/5.

xx Catherine

Current Favourites ♡

You may have realised I had a little hiatus from blogging at the end of July. Unfortunately a combination of no internet connection, travelling interstate and then starting uni again straight away meant that blogging was put on the back burner. However, I've finally got back into my regular routine and have some super exciting things coming up!

Just because I haven't been blogging that definitely doesn't mean I haven't been playing around with a whole heap of exciting products including some new releases! Today's post will be all about the products I've been absolutely loving at the moment and been reaching for everyday.

//theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer

The newly released highlighter from theBalm looked so amazing I absolutely had to add it too my collection. Compared to the other 'Manizer' highlighters in theBalm's range, Cindy-Lou is a beautiful pink toned shimmer powder that I have been using as a blush! The shimmer is quite subtle in this product and it leaves such a pretty flush of pink on the cheeks I haven't picked up another blush in the past three weeks! The staying power is fairly average but the finish is just so gorgeous I 100% recommend this product to anyone who loves a shimmery cheek look.

//MAC Coral Bliss Creamsheen Lipstick

One of my most recent additions to my MAC lipstick collection and one of my new go-to every day lipstick shade. I initially bought this to go with a dress I'm wearing to a ball, but my love for coral lipsticks means that I just can't help myself wearing it everyday! What I love about this formula is that it almost melts onto the lips after you apply it, leaving your lips looking beautiful and creamy and plump! 

//Maybelline Colour Tattoos

I've loved the Colour Tattoos from Maybelline for a while and have recently added two new colours to my collection which I have been reaching for everyday. Firstly, I ordered Pomegranate Punk off ebay because as a limited edition shade it isn't available in stores anymore. I also picked up Tough as Taupe in the recent Target sale. I reach for these eyeshadows a lot because they are so easy to apply and last all day. I love the Pomegranate shade and so glad I ended up spending a little bit more money to get it because it is so gorgeous and looks really great with purple eyeshadow over the top. I also have been reaching for Tough as Taupe quite a bit as it is the only matte colour tattoo in my collection and is really great for a simple everyday eye look. I could rave on and on about the Maybelline Colour Tattoos but basically they are one of the best value eyeshadows on the market so check them out!

//Face of Australia Translucent Loose Powder

I had put off buying this for so long because I have so many powders, but I'm so glad I finally did. Firstly, I prefer using loose powders over pressed as I feel they give a much more natural look when setting your foundation. This powder is really finely milled and blends beautifully. I definitely prefer using this powder over my Rimmel Stay Matte which I feel is a little bit cakey on me. One thing I have noticed is that I purchased mine from KMart and the packaging has a shiny lid compared to the matte lid packaging at Priceline and Big W. The powder available from KMart also has 10g less product, so I would recommend trying to pick it up at Priceline or Big W (if you can find it in stock!). 

//Kate Somerville IllumiKate CC Cream
If you've been reading my blog over the last couple of months you may have realised I've been struggling with dry skin. As a result some of my regular everyday foundations that are great for controlling oil have been making my skin look dry and flaky. So I pulled out my Kate Somerville CC cream and have switched it back into my everyday routine. The finish of this is so gorgeous and gives that natural glow. As a CC cream it is also quite moisturising and feels great on my skin. I can't believe I ever put it away to be honest, the finish is absolutely flawless! I definitely recommend this one if you like high end bases.

//Clinique Redness Solutions Foundation
And when I feel like a little extra coverage I have rediscovered my Clinique Redness Solutions Foundation. I gravitated back towards this foundation because it is the best match for my alabaster winter skin. I've always had trouble blending this foundation, but I've found with a sponge you can really get a lovely finish. As a redness solution, this foundation is fantastic for those who do suffer from redness and are looking for a little extra coverage.

//Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer

I have had this sitting in my drawer for so long and haven't had much luck using it. I was pretty disappointed because its a fairly pricey concealer. However, I came across this post by the lovely Angie and decided I better pull out this concealer again and have a bit of a play with it. After completely changing the way I use this product it has become one of my favourite products to even out my skin tone and provide long lasting coverage for blemishes. Using a small synthetic blending brush I prefer to apply this concealer over a larger area and buff it in rather than simply dabbing it on top of imperfections. I also find because the product is so thick, using your finger to warm it up makes such a difference. I've been using this daily under my foundation or even on its own with just a little bit of powder to set!

I hope you enjoyed this more chatty kind of post and don't forget to check for new blog posts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday :)

xx Catherine