February 2015 Favourites

So, I've only really gotten back into caring about what products I was using in the past month because prior to that when I was in the worst of my morning sickness and exhaustion period I really didn't care about anything!

During February I found that I was gravitating the most towards all of the following products:

* The Body Shop Shea Body Butter - Now I have an ever growing belly I've been slathering this stuff on every day to make sure I don't get any stretch marks again throughout this pregnancy. I managed to be lucky enough to not get any last time so fingers crossed!
* Cowshed Lazy Cow Soothing Bath & Shower Gel - Hubby was kind enough to buy this for me one day from Sephora on one of his lunchtime walks (he works just around the corner so lucky me!) and when he saw that it contained essential oils of jasmine, chamomile and sandalwood he thought it would be a good thing to try and calm me down at night when I wasn't feeling so good. The scent is very strong and took a little getting used to but I am totally in love with it now.
* Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream - This has been hands down my most favourite BB Cream of all time so far. It goes on nice and smooth and the coverage is great. It's also quite matte too which I really like and it makes a great base for those days when I just can't be bothered wearing foundation but want my skin to look more even.
* Kosmea Australia Replenishing Moisture Cream - I have been using this of a morning as I find the Rose scent soothing. It's a lovely, light cream that makes my skin feel nice and moisturised for the day. 

 

* Sephora Contour Eye Pencil in Black Lace - Hubby scored again by taking another trip to Sephora and buying me one of their 'Best of' gift sets which contained around 8 of their best selling products. This eye pencil was in it and I have used it exclusively ever since, mainly because it is waterproof and therefore does not budge for at least 8 hours on me which is a pretty big event considering I have the worst hooded eyes in history and am usually lucky if an eye pencil stays put for up to two hours.
* Sephora Nail Lacquer in Pole Dance - This was another product in the 'Best of' set and I have worn it exclusively on my toes for over six weeks now and am a bit obsessed with it. It's such a gorgeous, deep, burgundy red that looks really elegant in my opinion. It wears pretty well too and takes quite a long time before it starts to chip.
* Sephora Hydrating Powder Blush in Romantic Rose - Yep, another goody from the 'Best of' set that I have developed a deep love for. It's such a flattering, natural pink shade that is so easy to apply and blend out and it has helped me on many days to not look like the zombie that I really felt like.
* Beesline Beeswax Jelly - I have been using this on my lips at night before going to bed and love how soft they feel in the morning when I wake up. It's got no scent that I can identify which has been great on my worst sick days and I've also found it great for any dry eczema patches that pop up now and then.
* Benefit Lolli Tint - I have been using this stain on my lips prior to applying any lipstick or gloss as it means I am left with a nice pink stained lip at the end of the day. I'm not really a huge fan of using it as a cheek stain as I find it a bit too fiddly to blend out before it sets but it's definitely a winner for the lips.
* Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Mascara in Noir Max - This is a great mascara for lengthening and thickening the lashes and I have been using it every day lately.
* Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - I don't think I really need to say very much about this concealer as every man and his dog probably knows about it already. All I'll say is that it has been my saviour on many mornings when my poor under eyes were not looking so fresh and is a product that I would hate to live without.
* Ulta3 Colour Me Pretty Lipstick Crayon in Pretty Nude - So here is yet another lipstick crayon product on the market and one that I've really grown fond of. It doesn't have any taste or scent at all and is nice and smooth to apply. It gives quite a good colour payoff and leaves a lovely glossy shine on the lips. Nude lips have been my favourite lately as they make me feel put together without having to make too much of an effort with the rest of my makeup.

So those were my favourite products over February.

I'd love to know what products you've been enjoying over the past month or so?

Have a great week.

Michelle xx

My Favourite Online Shopping Websites

We all love a bit of online retail therapy right? Well, ever since having my first son and realising that going shopping just isn't as easy (or enjoyable) as it used to be with a small baby/toddler in tow, I've become a huge fan of online shopping.

It's so much easier these days to just sit at home at any time of the day or night and browse my favourite sites without having to constantly watch my son to make sure he's not touching/pulling/damaging everything in store or trying to run off and hide behind clothes racks or in a different aisle or annoying other shoppers (I think you get the gist?)

So, I have developed a list of my favourite websites that I often browse and buy from and I thought I would share this list with you all today.

1) Ebay - Ok, who doesn't love Ebay? It's is seriously the site I spend the biggest amount of time on for anything from office furniture, beauty items, gardening products, homewares, stationery, you name it, Ebay has it.

2) Etsy - I'm a relatively newcomer to this site and am still learning the best way to navigate around but once I am on there I can kiss at least an hour or so goodbye as there is just so much to look at from every corner of the world. Like Ebay you can buy practically anything and my favourite things so far have been some cute stationery/scrapbooking items and unique homewares.

3) Adore Beauty - I love this online beauty store and the fact that they have free shipping on all Australian orders. They do a lot of promotions and goodie bags as gifts with purchase that I am always a bit of a sucker for.

4) Kikki K - I am a major stationery addict and Kikki K just has some of the most delicious stuff around. I love to browse their online store whenever I am in the need for a new pretty for my desk and the fact that they offer free shipping for all orders over $50 is a winner too.

5) Fresh Fragrances & Cosmetics - Again this is another online beauty store that I regularly peruse whenever I am in need of a little fix. They also have a great loyalty program and offer free shipping on all orders.

6) Ozsale - This site is the reason that I have way too many shoes. The constant daily sales on practically anything are always so enticing and can range from clothing, footwear, stationery, pet products, homewares to kids products. Delivery is usually capped at $10 regardless of what you purchase.

7) Styletread -  What else can I say except shoes, shoes and more shoes!

8) Strawberrynet - This is a great website to get a lot of beauty products that aren't always stocked at my local shopping centre. Their prices are usually well discounted too and they also have a loyalty program that's a good bonus.

What are some of your favourite online stores? I'd love to know of any other gems that I may not have discovered yet.

Michelle xx

Clinique Haul & GWP

So I am a self-confessed sucker for the Gift With Purchase, especially those that are usually run by Clinique so last week I couldn't help but give myself a little treat by purchasing something that I really did NEED (I truly did!) just so that I could get their latest GWP.

First up I decided to buy myself some of their Youth Surge Night Moisturiser as I had actually run out of my last night cream. I haven't tried this one before so I'm hoping for good things.

Also, because I placed my order online I was entitled to two little bonus extras with my order. I chose to get the mini-lipstick in Runway Coral and the Liquid Facial Soap.

The Runway Coral lipstick is a shade I have been wanting literally forever so I was so excited to be able to get the mini version as a bonus. It is such a pretty and flattering coral shade that I can tell I am going to get a lot of wear out of.

Now, on to the gift with purchase! Overall I am pretty happy with what was included in it this time around and will definitely be getting use out of everything.

 

The cosmetic bag is what really caught my eye at first. I just think that the love heart pattern is so sweet and cute and it's a nice size for overnight trips.

 

 The products included were as follows:
* Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser - 30 ml
* Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion - 30 ml
* Colour Compact with an Eyeshadow Duo in Strawberry Fudge plus a Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Bashful Blush.
* High Impact Curling Mascara mini in Black
* Chubby Stick Baby Tint mini in Poppin' Poppy
* Clinique Happy Heart Perfume Spray - 4 ml

The eyeshadow and blush compact is really cute and contains shades that will be great for everyday wear.

My only small disappointment is with the Chubby Stick Baby Tint as I hadn't tried one of these before and was really surprised at how little colour payoff you get with them. The shade in the GWP was Poppin' Poppy and it is practically a clear balm with the teeniest hint of a peachy shine. I tried really hard to photograph it below and had to wait until I could get a bit of sun shining directly onto the swatch before it would show up at all. Even then it's very hard to see anything except a bit of shine on my arm.

 

Overall though I am very happy with my little haul and can't wait to play with all the new goodies.

Is anyone else a sucker for the GWP like me? Are there any other good ones going on right now that I should (or probably shouldn't!) know about?

Have a great weekend!

Michelle xx 

Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion Skin Conditioner

So, I must confess that I have a new love and it comes in the form of this lovely blue packaging pictured above.

As any long-time readers will know, I suffer from bouts of the driest of dry, itchy skin and can be prone to eczema when it's either really, really hot, or really, really cold. Normally, I have to moisturise every time I get out of the shower otherwise I will pay for it all day/night by itching all over the place, but sometimes I seriously just cannot be bothered, even though I know the consequences.

A little while ago I discovered this little beauty when doing my weekly grocery shopping at Coles and decided that it couldn't hurt to give it a go and see what miracle it could weave on my skin.

What the packaging claims:

' The caring formula optimally works with your wet skin and is quickly absorbed. Result: A silky, solft skin feeling when stepping out of the shower. There is no need to apply a normal body lotion afterwards. Suitable for use after shaving and depilation.'

Well, it has definitely been a bit of a miracle worker for me, that's for sure. Firstly, I love how quick and easy it is to apply while I am still in the shower and now it has just become a part of my normal routine in there before I finish up.

The lotion itself is a little bit thicker than your average moisturiser and all I do is squeeze a palm-sized amount into each hand then quickly distribute it evenly all over my body. Once I've applied it everywhere I do a quick rinse under the running water then I'm done!

I notice that the water kind of beads on top of my skin once this is applied, almost like you see on your car when it's had a polish recently and when I step out of the shower I feel like I have the softest skin around.

The scent is the original Nivea trademark scent which I have always loved as it takes me back to my childhood when my mother used to use their original face cream and it does linger very subtly on the skin after application which I don't mind.

One thing I am going to seriously love about this product is the fact that in the middle of winter there will be no mad moisturising dash after my shower to try and minimise the time spent in the freezing cold before being able to get dressed. I'll be able to just get it all over and done with while still under the lovely hot running water and towel off and get dressed straight away!

Has anyone else tried this product yet? Did you love it as much as I do?

Have a lovely week.

Michelle xx

I'm Not Dead!

But might be just a little bit pregnant!

Yep, you read it right. I'm now just over 12 weeks pregnant with our second child and it has been the roughest 12 weeks of my life to date.

I could seriously pinpoint the day I fell pregnant this time because it all went downhill from there. I've had the worst nausea since November, I keep getting debilitating migraines for days on end (and can't take anything strong enough to deal with them - ouch!) and am seriously ready to go to bed by 2pm in the afternoon. I think that is what has been hitting me the hardest out of everything, the fact that I am just so exhausted in a daily basis and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it but ride it out.

So, this has been my excuse for disappearing off the planet for the past couple of months. I have had to rest a lot and have been struggling to concentrate on more than a little bit of TV and candy crush most days so blogging has been the furtherest thing from my mind.

I have missed it terribly though and am keen to try and make the effort to put some time aside to get posts up again. Unfortunately, with running my own business (which I am in the process of hiring another employee to take some strain off - can't wait until that is finalised!), looking after my almost 4 year old son and trying to make the hubby feel like he doesn't have the most miserable wife on earth, it may take me a little bit of time to get back in the rhythm of this blogging business but I will do my best.

I will tell you that this past couple of months has been a huge shock and eye opener to me though. I hardly had any morning sickness or pregnancy symptoms at all with my first child and just cannot believe how awful I have felt with this one. I'm really hoping that things are improving a little bit from here though as I don't feel like vomiting every minute of the day anymore (a big yay!) but I still am very, very tired every day and the headaches don't seem to be letting up much as yet.

At least I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Have a great week everyone!

Michelle xx