OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet and Maybeline Lip Liner in Wine - A Match Made in Heaven!

I have a confession to make - I am absolutely frigging terrified of using OCC Lip Tars. In my opinion they are the most difficult lip colours that you could ever use and are not one to use if you don't have a good amount of time to perfect their application before leaving the house.

Because of this absolute terror I have had my OCC Lip Tar in the colour Strumpet for quite a while now and have used it a total of 2 times. One of these times I didn't even make it out of the house with it on because I lost courage and wiped it off so I could apply something a little more 'safe'.

Strumpet is a gorgeous medium to dark magenta colour that I am totally in love with, but, because of it's brightness it takes no prisoners and is completely unforgiving if not applied absolutely perfectly.

It has been a mission of mine to find the perfect shade of lip liner to pair with the gorgeous Strumpet. I have found that if you use a good lip liner with the OCC Lip Tars it makes application a hell of a lot easier and also helps to reduce any bleeding outside the lip line which is a big hazard with these lip colours if too much product is used. Unfortunately, every liner I already owned just did not suit this colour and showed too much of an obvious difference around the edges of my lips. They were either too pink, too purple, too light, too dark..... you get the drift.

That was until I stumbled across the Maybeline stand in my local Priceline a little while ago and had a 'hell yeah' moment when I spotted their Colour Sensational Lip Liner in the shade No. 55 Wine. It just screamed out 'Strumpet will be my BFF' so I couldn't resist buying it and racing home to see if I'd finally found the perfect match.

Well, here is the comparison of the two:

 (Left: Maybeline Colour Sensational Lip Liner in Wine, Right: OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet - No flash)

   (Left: Maybeline Colour Sensational Lip Liner in Wine, Right: OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet - Flash)



I actually paired the two of these last Saturday night when hubby and I had our monthly 'date night' while bub stayed at the grandparents for the night and it was the first time I've been able to wear Strumpet with full confidence that it looked good and wasn't going to budge. Hubby even commented on how good my lips looked before we left the house so that's saying something!

What do you think? Have I found the perfect match? Has anyone else used Strumpet before and combined it with a different liner they think matches it just as perfectly? 

Book Review - 'The Potato Factory' by Bryce Courtenay

Well I literally felt like I was reading this book forever even though it really only took me about three weeks. I'm still not used to having such broken up time to read in between bub's sleeps and before I go to bed at night and taking longer than a week to read one book just seems like a lifetime to me.

The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis: The Potato Factory is the story of Ikey Solomon, the true character on whom Charles Dickens patterned his notorious villain Fagin. Though Fagin, it transpires, is in fiction a pale imitation of the Ikey Solomon of fact. Ikey, 'The Prince of Fences', is a nocturnal creature, brilliant, ruthless, unctuous and quick-witted. Hannah, his brothel mistress wife, is rapacious, sharp-tongued, amoral and filled with a burning hate for her husband and a fierce love for her children. Mary Abacus, Ikey's sometime mistress, born in St Giles, London's vilest rookery, survives a young life of distress and misadventure but is gifted with a knowledge of numbers and possessed of a spirit that somehow never loses the power to love and the determination that she will someday succeed. All three are transported as criminals to Van Dieman's Land where the two strong and determined women raise separate families, each with the surname Solomon, the one legitimate, the other not. The destinies of both family groups are irrevocably locked into Ikey's greed, Hannah's hate and Mary's soaring ambition - a potent combination that, when love is added, becomes a vengeful and explosive mixture as each woman sets out to destroy the other. The Potato Factory is the first book in a trilogy that spans the short and brilliant history of Australia and tells of our painful journey into freedom. No nation ever made a less propitious beginning, nor choose a more alien landscape on which to start its human journey. Yet few people have stumbled to nationhood as free, nor welcomed through its gates a greater mix of colour, creed and race. Bryce Courtenay digs beneath the myths in a cutting and powerful narrative that gets closer to the bone and sinew of truth than perhaps any other fictional account of our history. He tells us who we are and where we came from in a richly peopled and compelling story that touches the heart.

My Review: I really did enjoy this book for the most part. During some of it I felt like it did drag on a little but I guess all that detail added to the realness of the story and the building of the characters.

I could not believe how much character development there was in this book. It virtually ran over a period of almost 20 years and it was kind of exciting to see where the main characters ended up after all that time. You almost felt like you were part of the lives of Ikey and Mary by the end after experiencing every aspect of their trials and tribulations over the years and how their personalities changed.

The language used in this book is unbelievably descriptive and it made you almost feel as if you could smell and taste what was being described in the story. I kind of felt dirty sometimes after reading sections of this book because the language really made me feel like I could totally imagine the slum conditions they were living in. It truly amazes and disgusts me that this was how people were treated and managed to lived back then. The dirtiness and diseases that were commonplace really makes you appreciate how times have changed in our society.

I've never actually read any other books that tell the story of how Australia was settled and how the convicts were brought here and subsequently treated once they arrived. Reading about this was very thought provoking and made me realise just how lucky we are that we don't have to fight for our lives in our country like that anymore. The differences between classes and how men treated women was horrendous and it makes you really sad to think that human beings were once so savage and had such little regard for their fellow man.

One dislike I did have regarding this book was some of the language used when the characters were speaking. Most of it was abbreviated into trying to replicate the real old cockney English and sometimes that made it a bit difficult when there were long conversations going on and you had to follow the broken words. But that is obviously not something that would bother everyone.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a fictional account of how our society started as it was apparently based loosely on real people and events.

Overall I would give this book 4 stars our of 5 as it definitely held my interest right to the end and I always felt disappointed whenever I had to put it down and knew I wasn't going to get to read it again for a while.
Has anyone else read this book? If so, what were your thoughts?


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January Addiction - Kosmea Australia

I thought I would start a new monthly post where I share what product and/or brand has had me absolutely smitten for that month. I sway towards having a bit of an OCD tendency towards some products if I like the way they perform and end up living and breathing that product until either something better comes along or I use it up.

This past month I have been absolutely obsessed with the brand Kosmea Australia. Over the past couple of months I have received three of their products in various subscription boxes and I am totally in love.

These products are from left to right: Hydrating Rosewater Mist, Skin Clinic Rescue Balm and Purifying Cream Cleanser.

Kosmea is an Australian natural skincare company and an international success story, founded on the healing properties of certified organic rose hip oil.
I have been using all three of these beauties in some way, shape or form on a daily basis over the past month and am hanging to visit my local David Jones store to see what else I can pick up in the range.

Hydrating Rosewater Mist
I must admit that I was a facial mist virgin until I received this so I never really knew what all the hype was about. I can now honestly say that I am hooked! I love keeping this in the fridge for a cool and refreshing pick-me-up spritz whenever I have been doing work around the house and/or when I get home from work and feel a bit flat. It's got a lovely subtle rose scent which instantly calms and refreshes.

Skin Clinic Rescue Balm
This is a rich pot-purri scented balm that is just great for everyday use on any dry or irritated skin. I love using this on any spots of eczema that come up and have found it awesome to use on irritated skin after shaving to prevent shaving rash and ingrown hairs. It's also good as a lip balm and for use on itchy mosquito bites. If you've got a skin issue, this stuff will deal with it.

Purifying Cream Cleanser
This is a great all-round cleanser which is so gentle on my skin and removes all traces of makeup and dirt. It's got a very light scent and is easy to distribute and massage onto the face. It feels so creamy when applied and I haven't experienced any dry or irritated skin on my face since I've been using this. Any blemishes I had seemed to have totally cleared up as well which is an added bonus. Sometimes I even almost forgot to moisturise my face after cleansing with this product because my face felt so soft and moisturised already. I will definitely be purchasing a full size version of this very soon.

Has anyone else used any products from Kosmea? Can you suggest other products in their range that are worth trying?

Review - Sun Sense Moisturising Face Lotion

A few weeks ago I was in the market for a new face moisturiser containing an SPF and I decided to pick this one up and give it a go as I hadn't tried it before.

This moisturiser has an SPF 30+, very high UVA & UVB protection, is supposed to be ideal for normal and dry skin, is dermatologically tested and free of fragrance, PABA and lanolin.

Now, I was hoping with all fingers and toes crossed that this wasn't going to just feel and smell like a sunscreen and be more of a moisturiser instead. Well, all my hopes were dashed as soon as I used it for the first time.

Unfortunately, even though it claims to be fragrance free, it's got that chemical sunscreen smell that I just can't stand on my face. Also, even though it feels like a really nice lightweight lotion when applying it ends up drying to be a sticky, greasy mess on my skin. I don't think there's anything worse than feeling as if every bug or bit of dust is going to just catch on your skin like some of that fly paper you can get because it's so tacky.

I've tried persevering with this lotion to see if it feels different depending on how much I apply or in different weather conditions but I have to say that I just don't like it.

When I've tried applying my makeup over the top I just feel as if I've got a mask on my face that will slide off at any given moment. Therefore, I would definitely not recommend it as a base for makeup.

I guess it's a good moisturing sunscreen for if you were going to the beach or were going to be out in the elements a lot for a day and wanted something that applied a bit lighter than a normal sunscreen, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it as an everyday moisturiser. It's very obvious that this product's first priority is as a sunscreen and then as a moisturiser second.

Has anyone else every used this product? If so, what did you think of it?

January Glossybox - Worth The Wait?

Well my January Glossybox FINALLY arrived on the 25th of this month after getting a dispatch notification on the 19th! I seriously don't know how it takes 6 days to get from Sydney to the Central Coast but either Australia Post had some serious issues or my box got lost in transit somewhere.

Anyway, here is what was in the January box:

1) Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser (30ml, RRP $5.40 for 250ml) - Probably the most disappointing item in the box. Everyone has probably tried Nivea creams and we all know they are a cheap and effective moisturiser with no frills. I might just keep this little bottle in my handbag for days when my arms or legs feel a little dry while I'm out and about.

2) Sheer Cover Nourishing Moisturiser (30ml, RRP $29.95 for 60ml) - Considering this 30ml sample is apparently worth $15 in itself, you've already made up the price of the box. This is a lightweight, oil-free lotion which also contains an SPF 15 to protect you from the sun. It says to use it under your daily makeup.

3) Sheer Cover Lip Gloss in Pink Praline (Full size, RRP $19.95) - This is a full size lip gloss pot in a very sheer peachy pink shade. I'm excited to try out this gloss as a girl can never have too many lip glosses!

4) Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex (7ml sample, RRP $105.00 for 30ml) - I am very excited to try this as I haven't used an Estee Lauder product in a very long time and used to love them. This serum is to help continuously reduce the signs on ageing and give smoother, radiant and healthier looking skin.

5) Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Colour in Petal Pusher (Full size, RRP $13.95) - This is a very pale pink that will be a good colour when you don't really want a colour in your nails but want them to look 'done'. The brush in something I'll have to get used to though as it's kind of short and fat which is very different to your usual nail polish brush.

There were also two $25 Gift Cards for online fashion and footwear store The Iconic and some Australia themed temporary tattoos. Unfortunately I didn't get to crack the tattoos open because the Australia Day festivities where I live were all cancelled due to our crappy weather. I was hanging to put a couple of these on bub because our plans were originally to go down to the waterfront and have a picnic and stay for some fireworks but we ended up going to a friends place for a casual BBQ instead. I'll have to save them for next year.

So there you have it. The best thing this month to me is that there wasn't a sachet to be seen. I always find sample sachets are more annoying than anything else as they are so fiddly to get the product out and can't be resealed if you don't use it all.

This box is definitely over and above as far as the value is concerned so in my eyes Glossybox have finally redeemed themselves a bit after the past boxes being kind of disappointing.

I noticed that some other subscribers received a Mirenesse eye liner and that would have probably been a nicer addition to mine to replace one of the three different types of moisturiser but I'm still happy none the less.

What did anyone else think of the January Glossybox?