Dusty Girls: Complexion Products*

A little while ago I was contacted by an Aussie company called Dusty Girls. Based in Queensland, they specialise in creating natural mineral cosmetics with ingredients that actually promote healthy skin. Being a country girl at heart, a lot of the brands ethics and ideals hit very close to home for me. 

Created with the idea that your skin always looks better after a day spent in the country, the Dusty Girls developed this range of cosmetics using natural clays and minerals of the earth. They originally designed their range for people with troubled or sensitive skin, but work well for those of us who want natural ingredients on our skin. 

Garnier Body Tonic Smoothing Scrub

As a teenager, I was absolutely obsessed with the Garnier Body Tonic Smoothing Scrub. As I got older, I started trying out new things and forgot all about this scrub. Nostalgia hit when I saw it on sale recently, and I just had to pick it up.

Back then I'm almost certain it had a different name, but upon using it again I can tell you the results have certainly not changed.

One thing that first drew me to this product as a teenager was the design. I love the bright yellow packaging. When I smelt it, I was instantly hit with a wave of citrus - the good kind, don't worry. I would recommend giving it a miss if you're not a fan of citrus scents though. 

Rimmel London Scandaleyes X-Xtreme Mascara*

Rimmel London are really smashing out their releases at the moment, with yet another new mascara on the market. The new Rimmel London Scandaleyes X-Xtreme mascara is actually one that I have not seen a lot of hype around, and seems as though it has flown under the radar a little.

Other mascaras in the Scandaleyes range have mostly been average at best. I had read a lot of bad reviews about previous versions, so I had mostly given them a miss. So when I received this particular version, my hopes were not set high.

Calm Down: My Top 3 Calming Face Masks

Usually, my skin is pretty well behaved. Occasionally, however, my skin likes to have a little tantrum and starts to break out. This is usually due to things like stress, not eating right or not removing my makeup correctly before bed time. Whenever my skin decides to misbehave, I have a few skincare saviors to help keep it in line. I thought I would share my top three calming face masks, all three of which really help to keep my skin calm and under control. 

The three masks I use are not necessarily designed to be calming, but I find they work as calming masks for me. This can obviously be different for everyone, so if you're planning on trying any of these masks, just remember everyone's skin is different. 

Lush Cosmetics - Christmas in July

Merry Christmas everyone! Oh wait - hang on - isn't it July? Lush Cosmetics has brought us Christmas in July again this year and gifted us with some of their limited edition Christmas goodies. 

Sadly not all the Christmas products made it back this July, but most of my favourites certainly did. I managed to snap up a few items before they sell up. (And grabbed a few more after I had already written up this post, oops!)

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar*

This has the sweetest candy smell ever and is one of my favourites. I've been leaving it around my house and letting the fragrance waft about as it smells so good. Personally, I love the bubble bars from Lush more than anything - there's nothing like a good bubble bath to calm you down. I actually have another backup of this one in my stash already because it's such a lovely product.

Empire Box Launch Box

If you know my blog well, then you'll know I'm a bit of a sucker for a good subscription box. I've tried them all, but sadly due to lack of being a millionaire, I'm down to just one a month. All thanks to Instagram, I discovered a brand new box launching called Empire Box. They describe themselves as a beauty and lifestyle box and are pretty much the same concept as the other beauty boxes on the market.

I couldn't resist doing a once off order for the first box, just to see what it was like. The box costs $29.95 a month, which is a tad higher than the other boxes, so I had high expectations. Needless to say the packaging impressed me. But what about the products inside... 

All of the products included. The website states that you get 5-6 samples, but the first box contained seven products and a gift card.

Toni & Guy Nourish Reconstruction Mask

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I recently bleached my hair. Since I was a teenager, I've loved dying my hair. I've been through a lot of different colours, and I've put my hair through a fair amount of stress. Recently, my hair has been feeling below average. I remember picking up the Toni & Guy Nourish Reconstruction Mask a while back. I hadn't used it before now, so I thought my dry and damaged hair would be the perfect base for me to test this out on. 

Toni & Guy promises to intensely nourish hair with this hair mask, which is exactly what I was looking for. The instructions were pretty straight forward; leave on your hair for about five minutes, rinse thoroughly and don't use any further products, such as shampoo or conditioner, afterwards. I was a bit skeptical at first, as five minutes is not a long time at all I've had hair masks that require a good 40 minutes leave time for them to work their magic.

 It doesn't specify to use instead of conditioner, or just afterwards, but I've been replacing my conditioner with this just in case. It also doesn't specify how much to use, which I found a bit off-putting, as I'm useless when it comes to using your best judgement.

So...? Kiss Me Fragrance*

One of the very first perfumes that I received as a younger teenager was the So...? Kiss Me fragrance. I felt oh so adult having my own very fragrance, and the scent soon became my favourite. (Not to mention the favourite of pretty much every other teenage girl in my class.) As I got older, I moved on to other perfumes and different things, and forgot all about my So...? Kiss Me fragrance. Until recently.

I actually thought that production on this fragrance had ceased, as I hadn't seen it in stores. When I was offered the chance to review it for my blog, the nostalgic teenager inside of me jumped at the chance. The moment I opened the package, waves of high school memories came flooding back in the form of this beautiful scent. 

Help Me Sleep - Products That Help You Get a Better Night's Rest

Most of my life I have suffered with a number of sleep problems - insomnia, sleepwalking and nightmares, just to name a few. When I began working overnight shifts, my sleeping disorders became worse. After I left my shift work and began working regular hours again, my disorders became something I couldn't manage in a healthy way anymore, and I eventually sought out medical help.

Eventually I decided that pills were not for me. Not only did they not give me a refreshing or relaxing sleep, they also caused me to have excessive amounts of sleep, which is another disorder within itself. I started to take things into my own hands and try a few natural remedies, and eventually reached a routine that really helped.

My routine mostly consists of some new products, a new attitude and a few lifestyle adjustments. As I worked shift work regularly for over six years, I was used to having a very late lunch, and then a very late dinner. Often I would get hungry mid-shift and snack on unhealthy food around midnight. This certainly didn't help when I transitioned to regular hours, as I was waking up in the middle of the night feeling hungry. I had to eventually train myself to eat earlier in the day, so as to not go to bed on a full stomach.

I also had to adjust my attitude towards bed time. I was so used to going to bed whenever I felt like it, and getting to sleep all day. Not only was I missing out on hours of much needed sleep, I was also setting myself up for failure later on by not setting a proper bed time. Now, I find it hard to sleep at a regular time and even harder to wake up in the mornings in time for work. Having a bedtime routine now helps me try to go to bed at a similar time each night, which regulates my body so it knows what to expect, and finds it easier to fall asleep.

Luckily I have made some adjustments and added some new products into my routine.

June Her Fashion Box

My June Her Fashion Box was a little delayed this month due to the courier not redelivering like promised. Frustrating! Aside from that, I was pretty excited to see what was included in this month's box, as I hadn't seen any spoilers yet.

This month's theme is Field of Dreams. Not sure what that could include but it sounds good. 

Faby Nails Vive la France Collection*

Vive La France! It's Bastille Day, a day that commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution. Two of my best friends are completely France-mad (they really like Les Miserables, okay?) so today's post is dedicated to them.

Gorgeous nail brand Faby Nails released a beautiful French-inspired collection to celebrate Bastille Day this year, and I was lucky enough to try out all of the shades.

I was so excited when I received these shades. It's winter here in Melbourne, and all shades are absolutely perfect for the colder months. I suspect some very beautiful manicures this season!  

June Empties

It's so hard to believe that we've already made it to July, it seems like just yesterday we were starting out the year. Last month I actually had no empties at all, and surprisingly I didn't have a whole lot this month either.

All the products I've used up this month.

Me, My Body & I Body Scrub in Watermelon

For those of you who have been following my blog from the beginning, you'll know that I'm a tad addicted to scrubs. Facial scrubs, body scrubs, foot scrubs... if it's a scrub, I'm going to want to try it out.

There have been a huge trend of beautiful body scrubs on Instagram lately, and when I was contacted by Me, My Body & I Body Scrubs to ask if I wanted to trial out one of their scrubs, I jumped at the chance. As a local Melbourne company, I was pretty excited.

I was lucky enough to receive their super popular Watermelon Body Scrub. I was pretty happy with this, as I love anything that smells of watermelon.

My scrub arrive extremely quickly (I suppose that was to be expected though, seeing as though they live in Melbourne) and safely. I could already smell the amazing watermelon scent from outside of the packaging. I love the design that the scrub comes in; this is a resealable plastic bag which means it's easy to travel with and keep in your shower. It also comes with a cute little wooden spoon so that you can scoop your scrub out easily.

Face of Australia Calypso Bay Nail Enamel Collection

I love a good limited edition collection - especially when it's a limited edition nail enamel collection from Face of Australia. A little while ago they released their newest collection, Calypso Bay, and I knew they had to be mine. The collection features eight beautiful mirror shades, each colour more stunning that the last. 

This collection came out just at the right time too. Winter blues were starting to sink in, so it was nice to escape away to a fantasy island paradise, even if it is just on my nails.

These shades were a tad difficult to photograph with my lighting, as they are metallic mirror finishes, so forgive me if I haven't shown you the true beauty of these babies.

Brite Organix One Day Colour for Dark Hair*

If you follow me on Instagram, then you'll know I'm sort of addicted to colouring my hair. I love to change colours all the time, the only downside is, my natural hair is fairly dark so it can be pretty tough constantly bleaching my hair to get my preferred shades.

I was recently sent out the Brite Organix One Day Colour packs to try out on my darker locks. Sadly for me, I forgot about them until after I'd already bleached my hair, so I decided to still give them a whirl and see how they went.

To be 100% honest, I didn't have high hopes. The box says this is specifically for darker hair, which already had me thinking that this was going to be a bust. The instructions tell you to apply to your hair, dry, and voila - beautifully coloured hair. I was skeptical.

I received two shades to try out, pastel pink and pastel purple.

Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly Starter

I've always had a fascination for Asian cosmetics, particularly those from Japan and Korea. They seem so different and out of this world, and somehow seem so much better than the cosmetics we have here in the Western world. 

When I first discovered Memebox, a different kind of subscription box, jam packed with beautiful Asian cosmetics and skincare, I was in heaven. I grabbed the Holika Holika box and received this Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly Starter. I literally had no idea what this was, and really needed to do some research.

Upon browsing the internet, I've discovered that the best way to describe the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly Starter is as a primer. The brand describes their product as a "water-based makeup base."

The primer came in this adorable little bottle which is beautifully unique. There seems to be a fair amount of product in the bottle too, which means this will more than likely last forever. 

Mary Kay Midnight Jewels Collection*

When I first saw the media release for the new Mary Kay Midnight Jewels collection, I fell in love. This winter I've been really digging purples and greens, and this collection is full of them. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few goodies from this range, so I wanted to share my first impressions.

Mary Kay Semi-Matte Lipsticks in Pink Moonstone and Ruby Night

These have a semi-matte finish, as the name suggests, and are super comfortable to wear on the lips. They have a very creamy application, which makes them easy to apply. I adore the shades they've released, both are perfect for winter.

Mary Kay Lip Shimmer in Pearl Rose

This is such a pretty lip gloss. I didn't find this one sticky or too wet, and it sat nicely on my lips. While the shade looks very pink in the tube, it's actually very transparent and just gives off a lovely light shimmer. Perfect to wear over Pink Moonstone!

Covergirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara

Covergirl has been one of my favourite brands since I started my love affair with makeup, and I've always had a soft spot for their mascaras. When I heard about the new Covergirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara, I was excited and just knew I had to give it a whirl.

I actually love mascaras that come with the brush outside of the tube to begin with. I feel like this gives it a fresher feel when you first use the mascara. It also lets you check the brush out and see if it's going to work for you.

Covergirl promises soft-to-the-touch lashes with this new mousse formula; as it contains natural beeswax to help keep your lashes from becoming stiff and brittle. This one is designed as an every day wear mascara, so I was expecting a natural looking lash.