It's Good To Be Chubby - Clinique Chubby Sticks in Two Ton Tomato and Curvy Candy

Ok, so I know I'm VERY slow with getting on the Clinique Shubby Stick bandwagon but now I finally am I'm hooked!

Have you ever had that one product that you lusted after every day but just couldn't get yourself to actually buy it for some reason? That was me and the Chubby Sticks. I stopped at my local Clinique counter practically every time to drool over these beauties and swatch away, then I would always just walk away empty handed.

Why you ask? Well, I'd read so many mixed reviews for them that I was reluctant to part with what really is a sizeable amount for a glorified tinted lip balm. So, I dreamed my little dream but never took the plunge to actually purchase one.

Then came Valentine's Day this year. Hubby was awesome enough to go out of his way at lunchtime when he was at work and walk up to a Clinique counter and explain his silly wife's obsession to the sales assistant, all while she swatched away so he could try and choose some shades he could see me wearing.  was so impressed because I had no idea of his intentions and I really don't think I have said enough on this blog how much I really do love my hubby :-)

Between the two of them they decided on Two Ton Tomato, a gorgeous sheer red, and Curvy Candy, a lovely sheer flushed pink.

My favourite is definitely Two Ton Tomato and I have been wearing it a lot due to it being just such a lovely, wearable red for everyday.

The Chubby Sticks feel just so moisturising on my lips and amazingly last around 3-4 hours on me without having to be reapplied. They really are a glorified tinted lip balm I'll admit but as far as I'm concerned they can get away with it by being just plain cute and so easy to apply due to the twist up nature of the stick.

(Left: Two Ton Tomato, Right: Curvy Candy)

 

(Wearing Cliniqe Chubby Stick in Two Ton Tomato)

I'm very keen to try out a couple more of these now that I finally have some.

What does everyone else think of the Chubby Stick? Am I the only one who still issues a small giggle whenever I say the name of these?

Have a great week!

Michelle xx

Mirenesse Pore Perfect Cover Air Mousse Primer

Yep, that's a mouthful and a half for a name isn't it? From this point on I will refer to this little gem as 'Pore Perfect' to save my delicate fingers.

Mirenesse Pore Perfect is a skin perfecting multi-purpose mineral foundation and pore perfecting primer in one. I purchased this a couple of months ago and have been using it most days ever since.

It has a lovely, light 'mousse like' consistency that is so easy to blend onto the skin for a flawless look all day.

I have been very into minimal makeup looks during summer and have been lucky to have had my skin in the best condition it has been in for a very long time. Therefore, this little tube of goodness has been pretty much all I have been putting on my face instead of foundation when I feel like I need a little bit of extra coverage than just some tinted moisturiser and powder.

Pore Perfect really does live up to it's name and definitely does a great job of covering my pores and smoothing the surface of my skin. It makes my skin feel a little like velvet after being applied and amazingly lasts all day without caking into fine lines or making my skin greasy.

As far as I can tell it only comes in the one shade which is a perfect match for my pale skin tone. It's virtually undetectable when blended in properly which I love.

My only gripe is the size of the packaging that it comes in. It's a tiny 13gm tube that does go a surprsingly long way but a tube in double the size would seem a little bit more practical to me for an all over face product.

Has anyone else ever tried Pore Perfect?

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

Michelle xx

Her Fashion Box - Subscription Information & Discount Code

Her Fashion Box is a new monthly subscription service that is unique in the way it combines fashion and beauty.

Every month, they'll send out a beautifully packaged Her Fashion Box to your home or office. Inside will be an on-trend fashion accessory tailored to your style profile, as well as a number of carefully selected beauty products or deluxe size samples from high-end, boutique and cult brands from around the world. Each month will be a different mix of beauty products, ranging from makeup, skincare, fragrances, body, hair, and nail. In addition to your fashion accessory and beauty products or samples, Her Fashion Box will bring you products, samples or offers from premium lifestyle brands that could include things such as gorgeous stationery, luxury candles, beauty or spa services, hair and make-up tools, gourmet food or wine tasters, cute home wares, online products, entertainment and more.

Currently there are three different types of box you can subscribe to depending on your personal preferences. These are Trendy, Classic and Feminine. Once you subscribe you are asked to answer a few personal profile questions to ensure that your box is tailored to you.

At $49.95 per month, it is a bit more expensive than the other monthly subscription services available at the moment, but considering you get an on-trend fashion accessory as well as beauty products, samples and other offers, the price seems reasonable enough to me.

To celebrate the launch of this new and exciting subscription service, Her Fashion Box has kindly given me a discount code to offer to all of my readers which will entitle you all to 50% off the price of your first box.

The code to enter at checkout is 'MYLITTLESPACE'.

I have recently subscribed to receive the Classic box and cannot wait until I receive it!!

To find out more you can visit the Her Fashion Box website or go to their Facebook page as well.

I hope everyone has a lovely day!

Michelle xx

Nude by Nature Soft Focus Illuminator

I have to admit that I love using illuminating and highlighting products this time of year as they make the skin glow and seem to brighten up any look.

The latest favourite of mine has to be my Nude by Nature Soft Focus Illuminator. It is a liquid mineral illuminator that is so easy to blend onto the skin and gives my face a flawless and glowy look all day. It also adds a little bit of warmth to my skin which I love.

I think I received this in one of the monthly beauty subscription boxes a while ago and promptly put it in my beauty collection box and forgot about it. I finally discovered it again a few weeks ago and have been hooked ever since.

As you can see in the below picture, this illuminator is a subtle golden shade with a hint of shimmer that you can just see when it is blended out.

(Left: Straight out of the tube, Right: Blended)

My favourite way of using it is to mix a small amount with some liquid foundation and then apply the blend all over my face. It's also great for a subtle cheek highlighter but you have to be very careful not to squeeze too much out as a little goes a very long way.

This product definitely isn't your disco-ball type of illuminator so is perfect for daytime use and for practically any look when you want a bit more of a glow to the skin.

Surprisingly, this is actually the first product I have ever tried from the Nude By Nature range and I am quite impressed. I'm very keen to check out some more of their products now.

Has anyone else tried this illuminator before? If so, what did you think of it?

I hope everyone has a lovely day!

Michelle xx

My Favourite Lip Products This Summer

Over the past couple of months I've definitely been all about simple, easy makeup looks due to the hot weather we have been having here in Australia. Also, my skin has been in the best condition it's been in for years and I haven't wanted to hide it by wearing heavy makeup for once.

Due to this I've been favouring fresh and pretty lip colours that are easy to wear with almost any look during the day or night and are also moisturising on the lips as well.

Here are the lip products that have been on high rotation for me this summer:

Listed in Order of Swatches:
1) Avon Simply Pretty Colour Bliss Lipstick in Darling Mauve - Such a pretty bright pink which almost borders on a cool plum. This lipstick has amazing staying power and has rekindled my love for the brand Avon again.
2) Avon Shine Attract Lipstick in Plum Berry - This is an unusual lipstick where the colour is encased inside a clear gloss. It's a colour that is barely there on the lips but it gives such a pretty shine and makes my lips feel lovely and moisturised for hours.
3) Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart - I love this lip butter because it gives just the right amount of colour without being too much of an over-the-top red. These don't stay very long on my lips though and I find I am applying it a lot during the day.
4) Models Prefer Lipstick in After Party - I first mentioned this lipstick here and it is still a favourite that I bring out regularly for a fun night time lip. I am always amazed at how long this lipstick stays on my lips and it never feels dry.
5) Napoleon Perdis Lip Patrol in Private Kiss - This is such a pretty My Lips But Better kind of colour that feels lovely on and is a great lipstick for when you want to have a subtle look but still want a hint of colour.
6) Models Prefer Ultra Lipgloss Pencil in Kiss & Make Up - Probably my favourite lip crayon of all time and my go-to colour when I can't be bothered thinking about what I want to wear. It's a pretty pink that goes with everything and lasts a nice couple of hours on the lips.
7) Face of Australia Sheer Lip Gloss Crayon in Cupcake - I usually wear this pale pink when I don't have much else on my face as it gives a hint of colour without looking like I've really got anything on. These just don't seem to last very long on and need constant re-application which is the only disappointing thing I have found with these crayons.
8) Clinique Long Last Glosswear in Sunset - An old favourite that always comes out this time of year as it's such a pretty gold gloss that gives a lovely shine to the lips and lasts forever.
9) Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in No. 47 - It's no secret I'm a huge fan of these Mirenesse lip glosses and this one is my current favourite as it's a really pretty pale coral shade.
10) Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate - I love the feel of these butters on my lips but I hate the container and having to use my finger or a cotton tip to get the product out. This is such a pretty colour though and makes my lips feel super moisturised when I'm wearing it.

Do you tend to stick with a few favourites at certain times of the year like me?

Michelle xx

January Empties

Wow, am I the only one blown away by the fact we're already through the first week of February? I just don't get how quickly time seems to fly these days!

Anyway, January was another pretty productive month as far as getting through products was concerned. You'd think I'd be making a lot of extra space in my cupboards but they mysteriously just keep being refilled. I really don't know how that keeps happening...... :-)

So, here's what I managed to finish during the month of January:

 Hair Products:
1) Purist Dry Shampoo - I received this to trial but really wasn't a big fan. It made my hair feel sticky and completely unmanageable unlike other dry shampoos I've tried.
2) Ulittle Beauty Natural Repair Hair Masque - I don't really feel this did much for my hair and I felt I had to use half the bottle in one go to cover all of my hair because it didn't really distribute very well.
3) Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Conditioner - This is probably one of my favourite hair care brands and I am never disappointed when I use any variety of their Shampoo or Conditioner.
4) Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Damage & Colour Repair Shampoo - I previously reviewed this brand of shampoo and conditioner here and I have to say that I loved using it to the end.

Face & Body:
5) Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub - I have gone through so many of these samples because I just keep getting them for different reasons. I quite like this scrub and would probably buy it one day.
6) Aromatherapy Associates Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser - This was a nice enough moisturiser but the strong rose scent tends to be a bit much for me after a little while.
7) Nivea for Men Sensitive Anti-Perpirant Roll-on - Yes, this is a men's product but I received the whole Sensitive range to trial from Beautyheaven and my hubby doesn't like using roll-on deodorants so I decided to use this one instead as the light, fresh scent was nice enough for me and didn't clash at all with my perfume.
8) Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - This stuff smells so delicious that I wanted to literally eat my own skin once I applied it. I didn't use it like you're supposed to which I think is to rub it over damp skin and rinse like you do with hair conditioner, I just used it as a thick moisturiser after showering and loved it.
9) DKNY Be Delicious Eau De Parfum - This was quite a pretty and light scent that I really enjoyed using. It might be a new one to put on my perfume wishlist I think.
10) Lacura Renew Hand Cream with Q10 - I'm starting to get a nice appreciation for the Aldi range of skincare products. This hand cream was lovely to use and make my hands nice and soft and it also soothed any dry patches I had.
11) Rich Skincare Advanced Peptide Night Cream - I previously review this cream here and it is still probably one of the nicest night creams I have ever used. I'm already thinking of getting myself some more when I finish off some of the other creams I've accumulated.
12) Skin Doctors T-Zone Oil Control Cleanser - I loved this cleanser and noticed a huge difference in my skin after using it religiously for the past couple of months.
13) Rich Skincare Caffeine Eye Serum - I received his sample when I purchased the Night Cream mentioned above and it was a lovely light serum to use in the morning before applying makeup to de-puff the eye area and make me look a bit more awake.
14) Montaser Cosmeceuticals Eye Revival Cream - This technically isn't an empty but I just can't use it anymore. It irritates my eye area like you wouldn't believe and stings like there's no tomorrow. In the bin it now goes!

I wish everyone a lovely weekend.

Michelle xx 

A Pop Of Colour For Summer

I don't know about everyone else, but I really don't like wearing much makeup during the summer months because the heat just makes it unpleasant in general to have too much going on on my face.

This year I decided to be a bit more adventurous than normal and have branched out into wearing a lot of different coloured eyeliners instead of eyeshadow and I have to say that it's so much more convenient for this time of year.

My regular makeup face these past few weeks has pretty much been just some tinted moisturiser or some pressed powder over my normal moisturiser, a tiny bit of blush or bronzer on my cheeks plus some bronzer applied lightly onto my eyelids as a neutral shadow base with a small amount of highlighter on my cheeks and on top of the bronzer eyeshadow. Then I just apply some good mascara and some coloured eyeliner depending on what mood I'm in that day and finish off with a pretty gloss or very thin layer of lipstick. This look literally takes me 5 minutes to do and still looks like I actually made some sort of effort.

Here are my favourite coloured eyeliners right now that have been getting a lot of love lately:

 

From Top to Bottom: Savvy by DB Automatic Eyeliner in Gold, Mirenesse Inside Out 24Hr Eye Kohl in Isis, Mirenesse Tight Liner in Foxfur Brown, Bourjois Smoky Eyeliner in Dark Purple, Almay Intense I-Colour Liner in Teal, Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliners in Bronze and Zaphir Blue

 

(Swatched Left to Right in same order as listed above)



Each one of these has made it to my favourite pile mainly due to being a pretty colour as well as the fact that they don't smudge on my hooded eyelids too much by the end of the day which is a huge problem I have with a lot of brands of eyeliner.

I've also found that wearing a coloured eyeliner rather than having my whole eyelid coloured means I can get away with a much bigger variety of lip colours and I can take the look from a gloss during the day to a bolder look by using a brighter lipstick at night.

I'd love to know what everyone else does to shake-up their routine now and then? Do you have a favourite coloured eyeliner that you'd love to share?

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Michelle xx

Announcement - Personal Planner Giveaway Winner!

The winner of my recent Personal Planner giveaway has been randonly chosen and I am very excited to send some congratulations to the following person:

!!Sarah Armstrong!!

Sarah can now look forward to receiving a gift voucher very soon for her very own Personal Planner.

I want to say a big Thank You to everyone who visited my blog and entered the giveaway.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Michelle xx

Allegra Rhodes Red Lychee Hand & Nail Cream

It is no secret that I am a bit of a hand cream addict. Having super dry hands which love to burst out in lovely patches of eczema on almost a weekly basis means that I literally have a hand cream no further than a metre from me at all times.

Needless to say I was very excited when I received this lovely hand cream from Allegra Rhodes to try as I am always on the lookout for a new one to coat my poor hands in.

Allegra Rhodes is an Australian made and owned brand that uses high quality ingredients which are carefully blended with a larger than normal percentage of Eau De Parfum for a stronger, longer lasting scent.

I received the hand cream in the scent Red Lychee and Oh My God it is goooood! It is described as a sultry blend of Red Lychee infused with irresistable White Chocolate and flirtatious sensual Woods. This is a scent that creates such a luxurious atmosphere which means that this cream was very quickly relegated to the sacred spot on top of my bedside table so that I can coat my hands (and sometimes even my feet) with it and float off to sleep while it fills my senses.

This cream absorbs nice and fast and leaves no greasy residue. It makes my skin feel lovely and soft and instantly soothes any dry patches I might have.

It also comes in three other yummy sounding scents; Sweet Apple & Grapefruit, Cherry Blossom and Ocean Mist.

The only negative thing I would say is that it obviously isn't a handbag friendly cream due to the packaging. This is a little bit of a shame because I would love to carry this one everywhere with me but just can't trust the pump pack in my bag for fear of it leaking everywhere.

For more information on this awesome brand and to see their other great products go to their website here.

I currently also have their Body Wash in Ocean Mist to try but have been frantically trying to use up another product before I open it. Stay tuned for my thoughts when I do!

Has anyone else tried anything from this great Aussie brand?

Michelle xx


*** This product was provided for consideration but my opinions are honest as always***