August Violet Box

Ahh, Violet Box! I'm getting more and more excited to receive this box every month! While still fairly new (I think we're on box... three?) the contents of each box have been pretty darn impressive!

I love the chosen design of their box; the gorgeous purple ribbon is a really nice touch!

All the goodies this month!

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Collection *

Sally Hansen has done it again with their newest collection; the Fuzzy Coat! Textured top coats are all the rage these days, and the Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Collection does not disappoint! In Australia, Sally Hansen has released seven colours out of the eight that are available in the US - but I was lucky enough to find the eighth shade online!

August Lust Have It!

This month's Lust Have It arrived on my doorstep extremely late this month. I blame Australia Post - I have taken notice that in my local area, I always get products with an accessible tracking number a lot quicker than products without. (Sometimes they take weeks to arrive - even when they're coming from the same state?!) But in saying that, I was happy to wait because this box is pretty darn good!

Lust Have It didn't have a theme this month, and reused their old boxes as they are revamping their packaging yet again! Hm, intriguing!

The goodies this month. I'm already getting excited!

Antipodean Beauties - Lashes

I am super excited - today is my first time participating in a new makeup challenge I discovered run by the gorgeous and bubbly Omega (whose blog you can check out here - her looks for this challenge are amazing!) Basically the Antipodean Beauties challenge is for Aussies and Kiwis, and is much like the Weekly Makeup Tag run by the lovely Aqeela (whose blog you can check out here - also amazing looks!) except anybody taking part in this challenge hosts their own post, rather than it being in one collective place like on Aqeela's blog!

This week's challenge is Lashes! I was a little bit stumped at what I could possibly do to make this interesting, as I'm not very creative when it comes to makeup looks! (Which is a reason I joined this challenge as well, it's a great way to experiment!)

I ended up deciding on a simple FOTD featuring some of my newest favourite lashes - the Daiso Volume Long Straight Type D Lashes. These babies cost a measly $2.80 from Daiso, and while they are plastic, they are actually pretty flexible and easy to position on the eye!

These babies really make my small eyes pop!

Selfie!

As this was a challenge dedicated to lashes, I did a very simple makeup look! I used only foundation and eyeliner, so as not to distract away from the beautiful lashes!

So like I said, this one is probably a bit boring in comparison to the other ladies taking part in this challenge, only because I'm completely new to the group and still a little shy!

Make sure you check out all the other lovely ladies taking part!

August Lip Factory

I always love receiving my Lip Factory, and this month's box was no exception! I was actually surprised at how early this month's box arrived, usually this is my last subscription to make it to me!

Lip Factory has very vague themes, which is a good idea in my opinion, because it means most goodies they decide to include will match up. This month's theme is "The Diva In You."

All of this month's goodies... 

MeMeMe Shimmer Stack in Gold

This is the second MeMeMe product I have received this month - or ever! The first was the Beat the Blues illuminator from Her Fashion Box, (which you can read here) and strangely enough this is another illuminator! I can't wait to use this one!

NYX Wonder Pencil

I've heard so much about this and have always wanted to pick it up, so I'm so excited to receive this! This is truly a wonderful pencil - you can use it as an eyeliner, lip liner or concealer! I can't wait to start using it!

White Towel Makeup Remover

This is basically just like a makeup remover wipe, so this will be good to throw in the handbag for emergencies!

Red Cherry Natural Lashes

Oh gosh, I am so excited to receive these! I have always wanted to try Red Cherry lashes, but have never gotten around to ordering any online. These lashes are absolutely gorgeous, I can't wait to wear them! I love that they are natural, also!

Sweetpea & Fay Lip Joule

I love lip products, and this is such a gorgeous colour! I haven't tried this as yet, but it looks really lovely! I've never heard of this brand, but that's what I love about Lip Factory!

Colour U Cosmetics Matte Lipstick

I loved the last Colour U lipstick I got, and this one is a lovely matte natural brown-pink colour! It looks like it's a my-lips-but-better colour so I can see this being used a lot! 

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Overall I'm really happy with this month's box! There are so many amazing products, and all of them will be used! I'm really loving Lip Factory at the moment, it's a great way to try out products that we can't really get here in Australia!

Have you received your Lip Factory yet? If so, what did you think? Have you tried any of these products before? 

Redken Body Full Shampoo & Light Conditioner

Recently I was asked if I wanted to test out the Redken Body Full Shampoo & Light Conditioner! For all of those who know me and keep up with my social media, you'll know how much I love my hair!

My major hair gripe is that because my hair is so long, it's fairly flat and lifeless. I often look out for anything that can give my hair volume, and the Redken Body Full range is perfect for that!

August Bellabox

I was unlucky enough this month to catch a few spoilers about the August Bellabox, so I wasn't overly surprised when I received my box in the post a few days ago. This particular variety of products has been described by a few people on social media as "boring" or "lacking thought" but I always reserve judgement until I go through everything myself! 

The general theme of this month's box was "Get Active."

All the goodies...

Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion Skin Conditioner *

Nivea has answered every lazy girl's prayers (oh, and let's not forget those lazy boys!) by creating my new favourite shower product ever; the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion Skin Conditioner. Yes, it's exactly how it sounds - it's body lotion you can apply in the shower!

Much like Lush's popular Ro's Argan Body Conditioner (but more wallet friendly) the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion Skin Conditioner is applied after your soap, and then rinsed off. (The other major difference between Nivea and Lush is that Nivea has actually told us how to use it - sorry Lush!)

The Skin Conditioner comes in a handy upside down tube (my favourite for showers) which means it will be easier to get every last drop of this baby out of the tube! My skin is fairly normal and not overly dry already, so I opted for the Normal Skin variety. You can also get a Dry Skin version, which is in the dark blue tube.

The smell of this is classic Nivea. I have no other way to describe it. I love Nivea products; but I love it even more than they smell the same! There's a real sense of familiarity and comfort when I use a new product that smells the same as my toner!

August Her Fashion Box

I was so excited for my August Her Fashion Box to arrive this month, as I was super happy with last month's box! (You can check out the July box here.) Come to think of it, I've never been unhappy with any of the previous boxes!

I was lucky enough not to catch any spoilers, so the contents of this month's box was a total surprise to me!

Love the magazine, as always! I was totally surprised when my friend Mel (whose blog you can read here) messaged me to say that one of my Instagram snaps was featured on their back page! How cool!

All the goodies this month!

Recent Giveaway Winnings

As of late I have been extremely lucky in winning competitions! This usually never happens, as I grew up as one of those kids who never seemed to win anything - ever. Same goes with everyone else in my family, come to think of it!

Now, please don't take this post as bragging. I'm super grateful to have won these prizes, and that's why I want to show everyone all the new products I got! (I don't know but there's something about winning a prize and not being excited about it that makes me feel like the person is being ungrateful or doesn't really care?) I do care, and I am grateful - so I want to share my excitement with you all! 

Eco Store Body Wash in Rose & Cardamon *

If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you'll know I'm already a fan of Eco Store products. (Having reviewed a shampoo & conditioner duo, their beautiful coconut soap and their light moisturising body lotion already!) I received the Eco Store Body Wash in Rose & Cardamon and have already used practically the entire bottle!

I adore Eco Store's packaging - it's so simple yet beautiful. When I first opened the bottle, the scent was very strong. The rose & cardamon mix together really beautifully so that neither is overbearing; and the end result is almost like incense. Having said that, I decided not to use this body wash in any sensitive areas, due to the strong scent.

Sleek MakeUP Showstoppers Palette

If you follow my blog regularly, then you'll know I'm a complete sucker for anything Limited Edition. I'm also a really big fan of Sleek MakeUP - their palettes especially! So when Sleek released the limited edition Showstoppers palette, I couldn't say no!

The Showstoppers palette is made up of some of the loveliest shades from previous palettes! I love that the cardboard design is just a little different!

Of course, the Showstoppers palette has the usual chic black casing. 

July Empties

Another month, another empties! I know I complain every month about how quickly the previous month has gone by, but wow, July really flew by quickly! I have a lot to look forward to at the end of the year (IMATS in September and Japan in December!) so I'm pretty happy the year is going by quickly!

I didn't use up a whole lot this month - you know when you have a lot of things that are almost finished, yet seem to be lasting forever? Yeah, I'm experiencing that right now!

You can check out my June Empties here.

Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturising Lotion *

If you follow my blog regularly, then you'll already know I'm a huge fan of Aveeno products. I've reviewed a few different products from Aveeno - and most recently the Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash (which you can read about here.)

I've fallen in love with the Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash thanks to the comforting scents of lavender, chamomile and ylang-ylang, and the Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturising Lotion is no exception!

Much like the other moisturising lotions from Aveeno, the Aveeno Stress Relief lotion is created with natural colloidal oatmeal for sensitive skin. This lotion is designed to calm and relax, with natural essences to help sooth tired and stressed out skin!

I usually slather this all over my legs and arms before bed, and the natural essences of lavender and chamomile definitely help to relax me! I find when I use this, I'm much calmer before sleep, and I find it a lot easier to actually fall asleep too. 

The Beauty Show Blogger Event

On Sunday, I was one of the very lucky beauty bloggers invited to take part in a blogger event for The Beauty Show! For those of you who have been following their news, they were due to open this year in early September, but sadly have had to postpone until next year. No matter as I'm happy to wait for quality!

The Beauty Show Blogger Event was a fairly intimate day, organised by the beautiful Anita, to chat about all things beauty and what The Beauty Show meant to her; and why it was created! It was so good having an insight into the ideas behind The Beauty Show! It's all about celebrating beauty - inner and outer - and all forms of beauty! It was

The event was held at the beautiful Madam Brussels bar/restaurant in Melbourne, where we were served fondue, cupcakes and cheese plates by some hunky man-candy! I've posted some pictures of all the gorgeous ladies that were involved with the Blogger Event, so enjoy our beauty!

July Lip Factory

The July Lip Factory was a little bit late this month due to a delay in one of the products, but I certainly didn't mind as I'm always excited to see Lip Factory on my doorstep! 

This month was the anniversary of Lip Factory, which meant there were a few exciting products included! 

Loving the look of the goodies this month! 

Gatineau Aqua Memory Moisture Replenish Concentrate Day/Night Serum *

I have been using the Gatineau Aqua Memory Moisture Replenish Concentrate Day/Night Serum for a long time now (in fact, the bottle is practically half empty already!) so I felt like it was time to give you a review! I wanted to really take my time with this product, as I know it's a little more on the pricey side, and I wanted to make sure I was giving an honest and complete review!

Firstly, I'm loving the packaging! The light blue looks oh so cute on my bathroom sink. And there's nothing chicer than French words on your skincare! While my skin isn't exactly dehydrated, it's not entirely hydrated either, so I knew a serum would be perfect for my skin type! However in saying that, the Gatineau Aqua Memory Serum is perfect and sensitive enough for all skin types! This just gives you skin's natural hydration a kick-start!

The first time I used this, I knew it was worth the price tag. You can instantly feel the quality of the product. I only use one small pump of the serum but it spreads across my face and neck with absolute ease. There's no greasy residue left over, and it absorbs into my skin almost instantly.

The scent is also so neutral, and very pleasant. I found that the scent disappeared instantly, however, so if you don't like the smell of this serum, there's no need to worry! Also, the product does come out as a light blue gel like substance, but once applied to the skin, it turns clear!

After using it, my skin felt instantly refreshed and definitely more hydrated. I even find that after using the Gatineau Aqua Memory Serum, I don't actually need to use moisturiser. (Although I of course still use SPF+ products!)