December Empties

Woohoo 2015 is nearly here, I'm so excited! I was very fortunate to receive some awesome christmas beauty goodies this year so I was pretty pleased to get through a good chunk of products this month, here are the items I used up!

1. Pure Goddess Shampoo and Conditioner: I took these samples away with me over Christmas and loved using them, they smell so amazing and leave my hair super soft.

2. Keratase Shampoo and Condtioner: Another sample duo I loved, I felt like a rich person using these haha they just smelt so good!

3. Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo: A staple dry shampoo that works fantastically, I have many back ups!

4. Schwarzkopf Nordic Blonde L101 Dye: I'm forever trying out new box dyes, decided on this one and loved it! Super light blonde and inexpensive, already repurchased.

5. Vagisil Wipes: You guys are sick of seeing these in my empties posts surely, but yep still using them to clean my makeup desk!

6. Lacura Clear Top Coat: Used 90% of this and then it turned gloopy, It did the job but I wouldn't repurchase.

7. Unbranded Lashes: Cheap from Ebay, look great and last multiple uses.

8. Hoity Toity Perfume Body Spray: I've literally had this since I was in high school 3 years ago, finally used it up!

9. Target Naturals Toner: Pretty average toner, used it up for the sake of using It up.

10. Nivea Thermo Cleanser: This cleanser has a cool concept of warming when It hits water claiming to open up your pores and remove impurities more effectively. Sadly It didn't do much for my skin.

11. Simple Cleansing Wipes: Great wipes, I already have repurchased.

12. Trilogy RoseHip Oil: A fantastic oil I use every night, makes my face as soft as a babies bottom. Have a backup that I plan to open after using up some other products.

Thats everything I got through this month. Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a fantastic and happy new year!

Monique xx

Christmas Beauty Haul

I had a great christmas this year spending some quality time with friends and family, and I was also very fortunate to receive some gorgeous gifts- the majority of those being beauty related! I did have my eye on a few products which you can view on my 2014 Christmas wish list, very lucky for me I received close to all of them! 

Scents I received were the Stella Honeyed milk candle which smells delicious, as well as the Bath and Body Works Bergamont Woods candle, which has more of a masculine scent - a nice change from every other candle I own lol. I also received the YSL Parisienne perfume which was high on my christmas wish list, it smells amazing and how beautiful is that packaging? Thanks Mum! 

For hands and nails I was ecstatic to receive the OPI Coca Cola 10 pack of style set, it includes 9 miniature bottles and a top coat, so adorable! I also got a I Love Strawberries and Milkshake Hand cream which smells so good you could eat it and a new manicure set which is always handy.

Yay lip products! An EOS lip balm has always been on my wish list and I was so excited to receive one from one of my besties. I also got the Body Shop Born Lippy in Strawberry, holy dooly it smells too good to use. The Bare Minerals Give It a Twirl lip gloss duo was an awesome surprise as I have always wanted to try out their products. I have already used both colours as they're just so pretty, and they have a great formula for a lip gloss! And lastly for lip products my sister got me the Limecrime Velvetine in the shade Utopia, I have been wanting to purchase this for my 21st and nearly did before my boyfriend stopped me and hinted that I may be receiving it for Christmas - not that I'd be complaining if I had two!

My boyfriend was such a sweetheart and got me not only the first Lorac Pro palette but the second one as well! I was in disbelief at first and as you can see I have already made good use of them both. Another thing he got me which I haven't been able to put down are the Nic's Picks Real Techniques brush set, such amazing quality and I will get plenty of use out of them along with the Lorac Palettes. And finally I was gifted the amazing Anastasia Brow Pomade in Taupe, I have wanted this for the longest time and it was definitely worth the wait, such a fantastic product that I'm sure will be seen in my posts a lot.

While I was editing my post I realised that I forgot to include another candle, lip balm and a Maybelline colour tattoo I was gifted! You can see the stunning orange colour tattoo in my previous post if you were interested. Well that's all the beauty related gifts I received from my loved ones this Christmas, I feel really privileged and spoilt to have some amazing friends and family in my life! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

Monique xx

FOTD: Sunset Eyes and Coral Lips

Its really beginning to feel like Christmas, It felt more real for me yesterday as I had an early christmas lunch with my partners family. Weirdly enough despite it being a family gathering I decided to try out some new colour combinations I wouldn't normally wear.

• Mixture of CoverGirl Outlast foundation and Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation
• Mac Pro Long Wear Concealer
• Australis Fresh and Flawless powder
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer
• Mac Soft and Gentle Highlighter
• Hard Candy blush in Skinny Dipping
• BareMinerals Marvellous Moxie gloss

• Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Fierce and Tangy all over the lid
• Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette in crease, outer V and brow bone
• Revlon single eyeshadow in Sunlit Sparkle as inner corner highlight
• MUA Glamour Nights Palette red shadow in crease
• Rimmel Wonderful Mascara
• Unbranded individual Lashes
• Elf black liquid liner
• Mac Brow pencil in Lingering
• Lash Control clear lash and brow gel

I really loved the way it turned out and think I think I'll be rocking this look a lot in the hotter months! Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you're enjoying the festive season!

Monique xx

Top Tips For Becoming a Savvy Online Shopper

If you're a savvy online shopper like myself this post will be old news you to, but I know for some the world of online shopping can be a little intimidating. With Christmas fast approaching and the shops getting busier by the day, there isn't a better time to jump online and have your gifts ordered straight to the door - you'll probably save yourself a load of cash too!

1. Make a Paypal account

The first step to becoming a savvy online shopper is feeling at ease and knowing that your money is safe. Many online stores now accept and prefer Paypal as a method of payment, and it very quickly became my favourite method too (lets be honest it definitely beats typing your card details out every time you make a purchase). I have been a user of Paypal for a few years now and it takes away the worry of chasing back your money should your item be damaged or not even turn up. The process is fairy simple to create an account and theres no fees unless you plan on becoming a seller. You can shop online knowing you have a safety net should something go wrong, what have you got to lose!

2. Do Your Research

Dont settle on the first bargain you find online. In my opinion nothing is more annoying than purchasing an item and then seeing it cheaper somewhere else, It pays off to have a look around at different sites. Also if its your first time buying from an online site make sure you check out whether its reliable,  read some customer reviews and see if they provide an estimate delivery time- especially when ordering items in time for Christmas!

3. Ebay It

Yep, Ebay It! Being one of my favourite places to shop I just had to mention Ebay In my post. It may sound silly but when I'm out shopping I will Ebay the item I'm looking at in the shops to see if its cheaper online, and 9 out of 10 times It always Is. Now that you have a Paypal account theres no reason you can't shop confidentially on Ebay, sellers have feedback ratings which can straight away tell you if they are worth buying from or not. If an Ebay seller has 50% positive feedback give them a miss, 90% and above your good to go! Another must for me when using Ebay is selecting the 'worldwide' option on the left hand tab when browsing, often when you start a search for an Item Ebay has a default location setting which only shows the buyer certain products, when you select wordwide all the items then become viewable and in most cases cheaper!

4. Avoid Fakes

Following on from tips two and three, unfortunately replica Items like to float around the internet fooling consumers into thinking their getting the same authentic item at a fraction of the price. This can be especially frustrating for my fellow beauty lovers, although if you stick to some simple guidelines purchasing replica items can be avoided. Although I just preached about my love for Ebay, as a general rule I don't purchase high end beauty products from there as many sellers put replica items up for sale. It can be frustrating on Ebay trying to decide if the seller is putting authentic items up for sale as often the customers buying the products will think its authentic when its not, and therefore leave a positive feedback rating. New customers see the positive ratings and then purchase once again, giving the seller an even higher Ebay rating and the spiral just continues from there. When doing a web search for an expensive item be sure to use words such as 'authentic' and 'genuine' as you'll find it'll actually filter out a lot of the replica websites. Stick to reliable sources for buying expensive items, especially makeup, jewellery and handbags! Although if you don't mind the odd replica item, aliexpress.com is a cool bargain website, who doesn't want a 'naked palette' for $10!

5. Coupons

Honestly, I buy nothing online before checking for a discount or coupon first. It may seem stingy but sometimes you can save 20% and upwards off your order, for example most online stores often send emails out with new discount codes, or in general you can just do a quick google search and you'll find different discount codes being promoted. Even better is using a coupon site that finds all the best deals and discount codes for you, keeping you up to date without the hassle - so much money can be saved with just the click of a button!

Now you've got a Paypal account, you've done your research, got your discount codes and your ready to shop till you drop. Hopefully you find this post somewhat useful, and if you have any online shopping tips yourself please do let me know in the comments!

Monique xx

First Impression: ELF Flawless Finish Foundation

If you love a good bargain like me then you have to try out the ELF Flawless Finish Foundation. I have been testing it out over the last week and I am seriously Impressed, especially when considering the price which is a whole $3!

The foundation came packaged in a plastic box and when I first opened I was super surprised at how great the packaging of the bottle was. The foundation comes housed in a sturdy glass bottle that definitely doesn't feel cheap, I was extra ecstatic to see that It had a pump! So far so good. I applied two pumps to my clean face using a stippling brush. I found it quite easy to blend, and there were no weird patches or streaks on my skin. ELF states that you 'apply on face area to even out skin tone for a beauty semi-matte finish that lasts all day' and I would have to agree with that, the liquid set nicely on my skin and it didn't slide around when I touched my face.

The foundation was a light to medium coverage on my skin and I definitely agree that it helped even out my skin tone and made my blemishes less noticeable. I was happy with the effect after one layer and knew that the real test would be how long the foundation held up on my combination/oily skin. I always use powder to set my makeup and I found that the foundation lasted through a normal day without breaking up or turning more oily than usual on my skin. Unfortunately the colour range is quite limited with to my knowledge there only being 6 shades. Usually I'm the lightest foundation shade in any range and the lightest shade available was 'Porcelain' which definitely isn't very light for us pale folk. Thankfully I have been using the Bondi Sands gradual tanner (review here) on and off, so 'Porcelain' turned out to be a pretty dead on match. If you can make a colour in the range work for you then this foundation is a definite steal!

Pros

• Inexpensive ($3 from Iherb.com)
• Has a pump
• Great formula
• SPF 15

Cons

• Limited Shade range
• Only 23g of product (compared to a standard 30g foundation)

Overall I am pretty impressed by the ELF Flawless Finish Foundation and I'm glad I decided to give it a go as I have really been enjoying using it for everyday. It's just so affordable so I know I'll definitely be repurchasing it when I run out! Elf continue to impresses me with their products so if you have any recommendations from the brand please let me know as I'd love to try it!

Monique xx

November Empties

Hooray November is nearly over! November has been a pretty tough month for me, but hey lets not get into that and instead jump right into my pile of rubbish!

1. Nak Nourishing Shampoo and Conitioner: I love Nak products and this Nourishing range is fantastic for my bleached hair, It makes my hair super soft and it smells amazing. I can't justify purchasing the full sized products as I have about a lifetime supply of shampoo and conditioner to use up.

2. Schwarzkopf Extra Care Toner: An excellent budget friendly toner that I have repurchased multiple times. It is effective at removing brassy tones in the hair although I decided to switch it up and have since purchased a different toner that I'm sure will be included in my next empties post.

3. Schwarzkopf Salon Permanent Extreme Lightener: For a blonde I'm pretty easy when It comes to colouring my hair, In fact I pretty much just buy whatever is on special. This was on sale for a ridiculous $4 so I picked it up and I really honestly wish I had grabbed another 10 packets. This lightened my hair really well and gave me that super light blonde look I'm after.

4. Vagisil and Eve Feminine Wipes: No I'm not having crazy vagina troubles, In my last empties post I mentioned how I don't think I would use these wipes up and Lily from Lily Not Louise mentioned that she uses them to wipe grime off tables- my makeup desk has never been so clean!

5. China Glaze Nail Polish Remover: This is the second bottle of this remover I have used up and I'm glad its finished, a pretty average remover and the green colour weirded me out.

6. Laura Nail Buffer: This buffer has been used for so long so I decided it was time to chuck it and break open a new one.

7. Kmart Makeup Remover Pads: You guys must be sick of seeing these, they make a frequent appearance in my empties posts as they are just so affordable at $2 for a pack off 200 and I use them for so many different things - removing nail polish and makeup, putting on toner etc etc.

Thats everything I got through this month, I'm so excited for December to begin and I'm even more excited for Christmas! Although I know I need to get through some more products before Christmas and my birthday In early January. Are you trying to get through any products before the festive season begins? Thanks so much for stopping by,

Monique xx

FOTD: Cocktail Party Makeup

It was my partners 21st birthday party over the weekend and the theme was cocktail, so I decided on some glamourous makeup with a hint of glitter, heres the products I used!

I'm pretty safe and boring when it comes to my face products, often using the same things. Although some newbies I have been loving recently is the Stila All Over Shimmer Duo in Kitten, a stunning highlighter that contains a lighter shimmery shade as well as a bronze shade. I love using the lighter shade for a subtle glow on the top of my cheeks and cupids bow. I have also been testing out the Mac Prep and Prime Skin Refined Zone after reading some great reviews on it for oily skin. I have noticed my nose hasn't been going as shiny as quickly although I feel I haven't tested it out enough to give a full opinion on it.

Having oily skin I knew that I needed an excellent base if I wanted to apply glitter onto my eyes and not have it all over my face half way through the night. So what better base could I use other than eyelash glue itself! I did risk losing a few eyelashes although the glitter stuck on fantastically as you can imagine and I found it quite easy. I used the Eyelure eyelash glue and If you have ever used this brand of eyelash glue before you will know that it smells terrible when you first apply it, although I find it to be one of the best eyelash glues on the market so I find the smell is worth bearing through.

The silver glitter I used was only $2 or $3 from the brand L.A Girl available on CherryCulture.com. It has a great dispenser hole that allows you to dip your brush inside, preventing glitter from going absolutely everywhere. I think it's fantastic for the price and I plan on picking up many more colours! Another new product I have been using is the Lash Control Clear Mascara for setting my brows. Apparently its the only mascara on the market that enables you to control the amount of product you use by squeezing the clear tube. I honestly think its a bit gimmicky although it does set my brows nicely. 

I loved incorporating some glitter into the look and thought the cocktail theme was the perfect opportunity to wear it. Let me know if you like to add anything a little extra to your look for those special occasions. Thanks so much for reading!

Monique xx 

My Christmas Wish List

Can you believe it's THAT time of the year again!? I absolutely love Christmas time so I decided to do a little post harmlessly sharing what I would love to find under the Christmas tree this year. Who knows you might even find some great gift ideas for friends or family (or yourself hehe). So in no particular order here is my christmas wish list for 2014!

1. YSL Parisienne Eau De Parfum: I'm am a complete and total sucker for gorgeous packaging, so when I first laid my eyes on this perfume bottle I didn't even need to smell it before wanting it in my life. Thankfully It smells just as beautiful as it looks, floral and sophisticated. I would love to add this baby to my current scents although I just can't justify buying it myself when I have sooooo many perfumes already (hint hint santa). It's also hugely discounted at Chemist Warehouse at the moment with the 50ml bottle only being $49.99!

2. Anatasia Beverley Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Taupe: An absolute raved about product that I'm also dying to get my hands on. I wont stop trying out new brow products until I find my absolute holy grail, and I think that this product is definitely a contender! I think the shade 'Taupe' would be a perfect match for my blonde hair. Unfortunately its currently out of stock which is such a shame as the brow pomade's are less than $30 shipped to Australia from Net-A-Porter.com. 

3. Lorac Mega Pro Palette: I'll try not to get too excited over this palette BECAUSE IT'S FRICKEN SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE. Why Lorac why, I have been checking amazon like a crazy person but nope I don't think its coming back. I have seen the palette floating around on Ebay although I wouldn't be surprised if fake replicas have been made already. Such a stunning palette that I'll just have to admire through the internet, although I would be extremely happy if santa happened to place the original Lorac Pro Palette under my Christmas tree.

4. Deep Thought Heels in Black: My 21st is coming up in early January and my twin sister and I decided on a Masquerade party. I have already purchased my gown and these heels would be perfect to wear with it. These heels along with many other stunning designs are currently only $30 with free express shipping from Popcherry.com. 

5. Real Techniques 'Nic's Pics' Brush Set: I am a huge fan of real techniques brushes so as soon as I saw this set I knew I had to have it. You can never have enough makeup brushes right! The whole set is around $30 from Iherb.com which I think is an absolute bargain for 5 high quality brushes.

Andddd I'll just add the whole entire Mac store onto this list. That's the items I've had my eye on this year that I would feel very fortunate should santa put one under my tree. Let me know if you have anything on your christmas wish list! 

Monique xx

October Empties

I can't believe October is officially over and we're already in November! Already my weekends are becoming full of birthdays and pre- christmas activities. October felt like it went forever for me, I managed to get through a good chunk of products too!

1. Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Mask: This was my first time using a sheet mask and I really liked it! I looked ridiculous with it on but my skin was super hydrated afterwards so It was worth it.

2. Neotrogena Hyrdo Boost: This is the second sample of this moisturiser I have used up and I don't really have anything bad to say about it. I really like the cooling sensation it gives when you first apply it. I wouldn't repurchase just yet as I have so many moisturisers to use up.

3. Hydro Silk Razor: Definitely my favourite razor, I have already opened up a new one and I still have two more backups stored away (oops!).

4. Vagisil Wipe: Kinda just used this for the sake of using it, I was a bit on the fence about using this anywhere near sensitive areas. I wouldn't use these for anything other than that fun time of the month.

5. Nuxe Oil: Gosh this oil smelt amazing, I need a full bottle in my life asap!

6. Sex In The City Body Lotion: An ordinary body lotion that I received in a perfume set ages ago, I'm glad to finally use this one up and chuck it in the bin.

7. Maybelline Clear Lash Mascara: I have been using this clear gel to set my brows for quite some time. I finished about 90% of it up and decided it was time to open a new product, It just looks gross now and every time I use it the germ-a-fobe in me thinks about the bacteria that must be in it.

8. Schwarzkopf Ultime BB Cream: This is the first time I have tried out a hair BB cream and honestly it was just like an average leave in hair treatment. Didn't notice any difference to my hair but I quite liked the smell of it.

9. Colgate Optic White Toothpaste: I enjoyed using this toothpaste, not necessarily for the whitening qualities but I felt it gave my teeth a really good clean.

10. Benefit They're Real Mascara: A cult favourite mascara, I love using it on my top lashes but for some weird reason If I wear this on my bottom lashes it smudges everywhere. 

11. L.A Girl Pearl Eyeliner: I was seriously impressed with this liquid liner considering it cost me $2 or so from CherryCulture, It didn't smudge or flake off throughout the day and has the best tip for winged liner. The pearlescent finish was nice for day to day use as it wasn't as harsh as a straight up black. It lasted me forever so I would happily repurchase!

Thats everything I got through this month, let me know if you have tried any of these products and what you think!

Monique xx

EOTD: Dramatic Teal Smokey Eye

Back in July I posted a simple teal smokey eye look using the same gorgeous 'Aquarius' shadow in the Urban Decay Feminine palette, but last night I decided to try out a more dramatic look for a 21st party. As I knew we were eating there I avoided dark lips and opted for a nude, so I couldn't think of a better opportunity to play with some colour on the eyes.

I purchased the Urban Decay Feminine palette from Allcosmeticswholesale.com and I'm so glad I did, the bright purple and teal shade make the palette worthwhile alone. The Sleek 'oh so special' palette has been another constant reach for me lately, for this look I used the matte warm taupe and black shadows. I patted the matte black from the Sleek palette on the outer corner and with whatever excess was on my brush I would put lightly in the inner corner, leaving a small blank space in the middle of my lid for the gorgeous teal shade.

I love how the teal looked against the black and think this look would be so amazing on brown eyes. Sadly not even the amazing Nars eyeshadow primer was able to stand the warmer weather and my shadow creased after a couple of hours, damn you oily skin. Anyway thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Monique xx

Mo's Lowdown: Bondi Sands Gradual Tan Range

With the hotter weather approaching tanning seems to be all the talk at the moment, being quite fair myself I have naturally avoided fake tanning as it always seems to be too much of a hassle. I have recently decided to break out of my comfort zone and try some gradual tan, I figured if I wanted to ease slowly into tanning this would be the way to do it. I read some great reviews on the Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Milk range and decided it would be worth a shot in hope of achieving some bronzed skin.

I started applying the Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Body Moisturiser to my skin after showering at night, as well as applying the Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Face Milk to avoid a noticeable difference in my skin colour when not wearing foundation. I found both products super easy to use and just applied them like I would a normal moisturiser, they absorb quickly so I didn't find myself waiting around to get dressed which was great. I love the cocoa butter scent of the body moisturiser and the large pump makes it super easy to dispense, the face tanner seems to have no fragrance and the squeeze tube is great for applying small amounts to the face. They both receive 10 stars for packaging and not having an unpleasant tan smell, but now onto the actual results!

L-R: No Tan, One Application, Three Applications

I'm so glad that I haven't turned into an oompa loompa from using these products. The great thing is about the gradual tan is I'm able to pick a desired result. After three applications I was quite happy with the colour turnout and stopped applying the moisturiser daily and instead I will apply every second or third day to top up the colour. The only mistake I have made using this product is once I forgot to wash my hands after applying and woke up with some orange streaks in-between my fingers, whoops! Overall I found the colour is very natural which is great for someone as naturally pale as myself, I haven't had anyone tell me I look orange which is my biggest fear with tanning! If you want to try fake tanning but are a bit on the fence about it I definitely recommend these products, they're inexpensive and are fool proof (coming from tan newbie myself!).

Let me know your thoughts on fake tanning or if you have any product recommendations!

Monique xx

FOTD: Spring Clubbing Look

I posted my go - to clubbing look back in July, which is dark and vampy. And now I'm sharing what I would consider a spring edition. Heres the makeup mess!

Of course I forgot to photograph one of the new products I'm testing out- the Mac Prep and Prime Skin Refined zone, a raved about primer for oily skin. I've only used it twice so far and I'm not sure what to think of it just yet but I'm sure I'll do a review on it eventually! I have been lusting after the new Velourlips matte lip creme range ever since they announced the new colours (actually I've been desperate to buy the original colours too but I must not give in to my lip product addiction). As I didn't have any colour like it I picked up the shade 'Lun- Dun' which is a vibrant pinky purple, I absolutely love it! Anddd besides that I'm still sticking too my favourite products for clubbing, including Benefits 'Hoola' bronzer, Mac Studio Fix foundation and Nars 'Orgasm' blush. I think its time to try out some new products!

I think the look is suitable for spring and the smokey warmed toned eye makes it a little more dramatic for hitting the town. Let me know if you change your makeup up to suit the weather or if you just like the same look all year round (you'll still see me rocking a vampy lip in summer of course). Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Monique xx

Come Play With Me: Futuristic love

I have recently been loving joining in on the Come Play With Me Series, so when the gorgeous Gemma from Lady Sapphire Blog chose the theme 'Futuristic Love' I was super excited! Especially after seeing Gemma's and Indie's amazing looks. I had some fun trying out some colours and jewels, something I image will be rocked a lot in the future!

I tried a sort of opposite/cut crease liner by first winging out some orange shadow mixed with Mac Fix Plus from the Australis Neautrals and Neons palette (thanks Kats!) and then tracing above it carefully with my Maybelline Master Precise Liner. The star of the look is definitely the jewels, I used some Urban Decay orange toned jewels in the corners of my eyes and some false lashes that also have jewels embedded into the lash line. I finally got to use some of the blues from my custom Stila palette and now I want to wear blue eyeshadow for the rest of my life (oh gawd). 

I really like the mix of orange and blue tones and although I wouldn't be brave enough to wear this out currently, hopefully its in trend in the future because I absolutely love it! Thanks for checking out my blog and make sure you check out the other girls looks, as they're absolutely amazing! 

Monique xx

September Empties

It's that time of the month where I collect up all my beauty rubbish and talk about what I was able to use up! Funnily enough I'm finding myself using the things I need (deodorant, hair dye etc) and not enough of the products that have multiple backups (body/face lotions, conditioner and perfumes). Oh well, at least I'm getting through of some of them!

1. Nivea Stress Protect Deodorant: I used up two of these samples (yes I smell okay) and I found that they just weren't strong enough for me. I found myself having to reapply after a few hours and thats just not ideal for everyday.

2. Kmart Makeup Remover Pads: Love these pads, they're $2 for a pack of 200, they remove makeup and nail polish well without falling apart as soon as they come into contact with liquids.

3. Ardell Lahes: I forget which style these lashes were in but I really loved them, they were super easy to apply and gave me the volume I desire. Sadly they have been used one too many times and its time to hit the bin.

4. Catalinageo Mascara: This is the second time I have finished up this mascara (I received the original plus a refill from a subscription box) and to be honest I'm not going to miss it now its gone. An alright mascara for everyday, it just didn't give me the volume that I like my lashes to have.

5. Goldwell Rich Repair Shampoo and Conditioner: I would repurchase this shampoo and conditioner purely on the gorgeous scent alone. I didn't notice much difference in the damage of my hair but that being said I did only use a small sample. 

6. Loreal Paris Preference P01 Metallic Silver Blonde: I used the exact same hair dye back in June and I wasn't a fan of it at all. While it developed it turned my hair a slight greyish colour, which freaked me out so I washed it out earlier than the recommend dye time. This resulted in my roots not being lifted at all. This time I persisted and kept the dye on despite turning grey and thankfully it turned out better, my root colour was lifted so I'm a happy chappy.

7. Neotrogena Hydro Boost: I liked testing out this product, it didn't make me break out and has a slight cooling sensation when you first apply it. I wouldn't repurchase it though as I just have so many face creams to use up.

8. Seacret Products: I had a bit of a pamper session at a lovely ladies house named Karren a few weeks ago trying out some Seacret products. She gave me some samples to take home and I finished up the Salt and Oil Scrub as well as the Ocean Mist body butter. Funnily enough while I was walking through the shops one day I was handed a sample of the Seacret hand cream which I finished up too. They were all really lovely products that contain amazing ingredients from the dead sea. If you have wanted to try the Seacret brand but without the high price tag make sure you check out Karren's Facebook page, there is some awesome before and after shots on there!

Well thats everything I managed to get through in September, I'm really excited for October to begin! Let me know if you were able to get through some of your beauty stash this month.

Monique xx

FOTD: Breakfast Date

Let's just all stare at this eggs benedict for a minute and drool shall we? This morning my partner was kind enough to take me out to breakfast and I thought hey might as well do a blog post on my makeup while I'm at it. So if you want to see the makeup I used to create the following look, please keep reading!

I wanted to wear a dark smokey eye with matching lips but I had to restrain myself as after all I was just going out for breakfast, and with the lovely weather it's time to start embracing some lighter and brighter colours. I received a sample of the Bare minerals 'Bare Skin' foundation yesterday so I thought I would try it out. Its formula is essentially a liquid, although the coverage is lovely and it doesn't feel like you have a thing on your skin, so far so good! Of course I'm the lightest shade in the range, no surprise there...

I also used my Mac See Thru lip colour in the shade 'Secret Crush' for the first time, it's a sheer lip colour that gives off the nicest berry flush to the lips. I wore this as I was eating and didn't want to worry about fixing my lipstick, reviews I read on the product stated it stains the lips, and I wouldn't say it stains but It does wear off nicely. The eyeshadow palette I used is the Sleek 'Oh So Special' palette, I have been absolutely loving the purple tones in this and that's what I used on my eyes today. The only thing that annoys me about the sleek palette is that it is so hard to open! In fact when I had acrylic nails on I didn't even try to open it, they're lucky the shadows are worth the hassle!

Quite a simple look that I enjoyed wearing out, I am now currently nestling my food baby and trying not to think about the calories I just consumed. Let me know if you have any exciting weekend plans, and thanks so much for reading!

Monique xx