In need of a blogging break

So the fact is, I am exhausted. Life has worn me out of late and though I desperately wanted to maintain my blogging streak throughout this busy year of year 12, it's just not happening. I've been really unwell and that's not going to change for a little while now and I can barely get the energy to roll out of bed let alone work on studying and blogging simultaneously.

Admittedly I'd not anticipated getting so very sick and having to take medication and the implications of all of that, so that is beyond my control, but it still saddens me that I've had to come to the decision to put this blog on hold for a while.

Don't get me wrong - I will definitely be back. I can also guarantee you that I shall continue reading your blogs. By the way - though I've not been commenting nearly as often as I did back in the day, I promise you I read them all!

I also have no idea when I will be back. Perhaps you'll get one post a week. Maybe I'll have a couple of months off of posting and then hit you with loads and loads. I really can't promise you when I'll be back and how it will work, but for now I'll be reading quietly in the background so that I can recharge to eventually resume regular posting (and actually posting good quality reviews for a change!).

Thanks for your support!

February Wantable Box - First impressions

I've always been super jealous of people who were subscribed to an assortment of beauty boxes. The excitement of receiving random beauty goodies in the mail each month just seems crazy to me, however being a poor high school student (who doesn't have a job) spending $30 or so on products I wasn't guaranteed to love just wasn't a viable option for me. I was so darn excited when I won Abigail's giveaway over at Shrinking Wallet whereby I'd receive the February Wantable Box! 

I loved the sign up process whereby you went through an extensive survey and were able to identify the kinds of beauty products you liked and disliked and the shades for each that you liked most. I'm not sure how much of this is actually taken into consideration, but it is nice to think that you will never receive something that you hate.

It took about two and a half weeks from when I first signed up to it actually arriving in Australia, which I think is pretty good considering it comes from America. I was so excited when it arrived because I'd read some other bloggers' reviews on the February box and liked some of the products that seemed to be included often.

 It comes in a compact little cardboard box with a list of all the products included. These are the products I received:

Face Stockholm Nail Polish in Want-a-blue
I've written a NOTD on this polish and despite it being quite an unusual polish shade for my personal taste, I actually really enjoyed the change. My only problem was that it chipped on the same day of application which I think is pretty poor.

Golden Rose Perfect Lashes Multivitamin Transparent Mascara
Of all the products I had seen in reviews, this was the one I was desperate to get and I was absolutely thrilled when it arrived! My lashes used to be ridiculously long, but since I've been wearing a lot more makeup (particularly that of the waterproof kind) I've noticed they are not nearly as healthy and lovely looking as they once were. I'm hoping this treatment will help them out a bit.

Mistura Retractable Beauty Brush
It's always nice to add another brush to the collection, particularly if it is of a good quality. This is so very lovely and soft! I've not used it all that much but I have a good feeling about it...

Michael Marcus Lipstick in Stephanie
I passed this on to my Mum immediately because it was a little too dark and plum toned for my taste, and I am sick to death of hearing her rave about how amazing it is! I feel like maybe I should steal it back, she just keeps telling me about how much she loves it!

Girlactik Beauty Face Glimmer in Pink Diamond
If I'm totally honest, this product kind of looks a little iffy. The packaging is not terribly appealing to me, however I have learnt not to judge a book by its cover too quickly. I have a feeling this will be too glittery and pink toned but we shall see.

I also received a small sample of an anti aging cream too which I've not bothered too much about.

Overall I am actually really thrilled with what I received, and it has been an exciting little giveaway prize! It is a pretty great opportunity to try out some brands I've not come across before. I will be reviewing some of these products once I've trialed them a little more, I have high hopes for them!

Let me know what you think of these if you also received them in your Wantable box!

Arbonne Lip Polish in Rasin

I recently received this Arbonne lip polish to review and I thought I'd share my views about it considering it was such a surprising product. 

I'm not going to lie, when this first arrived I was a bit unsure about it. The photos depict it to be a slightly different shade (on a side note, I had so much trouble photographing this!), but in fact it is quite a dark plummy kind of shade. It's very a much a jewel toned red with deep purple/maroon undertones, and whilst it is gorgeous it can be kind of scary too!

The packaging, as is always the case with Arbonne, is super classy and of an excellent quality. I love the clear tube with the silver print, black lid and embossed logo on the top. Most importantly, this comes with a doe foot applicator making it ridiculously easy to apply and unlikely to leak everywhere. 

The nature of this product is actually a little difficult to explain. It's kind of a lipstick/lipgloss hybrid however it also incorporates a stain too. Basically it is a magical mash up of all the good aspects of every type of lip product, and as such has been coined 'lip polish,' and appropriate name when you take into consideration the overall finish it gives to the lips.

This is in no way sticky or uncomfortable to wear, which is incredibly important for me because excluding just a couple of products, lipglosses and I don't tend to get along. Sometimes glosses can leave big strings of product when you pull the applicator out, a clear indication that it will be horribly sticky, but this most certainly does not do that! It is so silky and smooth on the lips, in fact after about ten minutes I forgot I was even wearing it.

I found the scent to be a little strange, a kind of fruity pepermint. It's not my favourite scent ever but it's not terribly strong once on the lips. The pigmentation is just amazing, which unfortunately does mean you have to pay very careful attention during application because any colouring outside the lines is easily noticeable! I love the magical finish it gives whereby your lips actually look perfect, as though they belong to some kind of Disney princess. Do you know what I'm talking about? It most often happens with pigmented red lipsticks where you just look in the mirror and stare at how your lips have literally been transformed!

I love that the lip polish applies so evenly, giving a level coverage of the product all over the lips. Some products of a similar nature can be a little patchy but this applies perfectly. No flaky areas or fine lines are accentuated, and as time goes by and the product wears off, it wears evenly and leaves a lovely berry stain behind.

Though it gives a glossy finish, I wouldn't describe it as overtly glossy which I actually enjoy much more. I feel as though the glosses that just look like a thick layer of slime on your lips are less appealing and more, well, tacky. A slight but appropriate level of shine looks much classier and less Barbie doll like.

This is pretty long lasting in my opinion, wearing well for a couple of hours (although eating and drinking does decrease the wear time significantly). Glosses are notorious for slipping off within half an hour but this has stamina!

For $37, I'll admit that it's not exactly cheap, however neither are MAC lipglasses and I like the formulation of this product a million times better! I am so freaking impressed with this unsuspecting product and I comment Arbonne for creating a product I will be wearing regularly (despite that it's not really an everyday kind of shade)! I have no choice but to give this 9/10.

The Book Lovers Tag

Being an avid reader, I could not pass up the opportunity to ramble on about my greatest love when I spotted this tag on Michaela's blog Where is my mind?

The Questions

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
I personally do not remember when I first loved reading, but I've heard stories about how I would demand that Dad would write me sentences on a blackboard we had that I would read over and over, declaring that they were too easy and that I wanted harder words to read! I was reading at a really early age and instead of playing with dolls like other little girls, I always had my nose in a book.

2. Where do you usually read?
We have one of those lovely swinging chairs that is so comfortable to sit on. I love reading outside in the warmth under the shade of our nectarine tree, it's the greatest!

3. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
I much prefer reading one at a time as it allows me to really get into the story rather than mixing up all the characters and plots, however rarely does that happen because my book pile is just too big and all the books too tempting to leave unopened!

4. What is your favourite genre? 
Being a young adult myself, of course I don't mind a good YA book from time to time. I also love the classics like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, 1984 by George Orwell and Perfume by Patrick Suskind. It's not really a genre but I find myself reading and enjoyed sad books!

5. Is there a genre you will not read?
Horror, fantasy and science fiction do not interest me in the slightest.

6. Do you have a favourite book?
Yes, but the problem is it is more like a favourite ten books! To Kill a Mockingbird is probably my longest standing favourite novel.

7.  What is your least favourite book?
Typically I am one of those people who feel compelled to complete a book even if they hate it, however books that I hate don't really stick in my mind - I've got too many amazing books filling up my brain space!

8. What is the longest book you have ever read?
Probably Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which according to Wikipedia has 870 pages!

9. What is the last book that you bought?
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov which I am studying for an English assignment. I've not read it yet but I think it will be a little confronting as the whole idea of it is quite full on!

10. Do you prefer reading library books or buying books?
I love owning my favourite books because then I can underline things in them and put little notes in them, however I always borrow a book from the library first before I invest in it, just in case I don't like it.

11. What are you currently reading?
Underdogs by Markus Zusak (so far it is not nearly as good as The Book Thief).

12. What is currently on your 'To Read' list?
I totally made this question and added it to the tag myself, but I think it is important. Believe it or not I have over 80 books on my list (what can I say, I have a lifetime to get through it!) but one title that I constantly hear about is 'Eleanor and Park' by Rainbow Rowell so I am dying to get my hands on that!

Hopefully you enjoyed my natterings about my favourite books. If you also love to read I would love to see your responses to this tag (and hopefully pick up a new couple of books to add to my 'To Read' list.)

NOTD - Face Stockholm nail polish in Want-a-blue

Recently I was really lucky to win the February Wantable box from Shrinking Wallet's Giveaway, and within that was this Face Stockholm polish in the shade Want-a-blue.

Being a blue/grey/lilac kind of shade, it is a very uncharacteristic shade for me to wear however surprisingly I actually really enjoyed the change and am really glad that I received it as part of the prize.

I'd never heard of the brand before so it was lovely to have a new brand to try out. I quite like the plain square shaped bottle which is really simple but effective. The only annoyance I had was that the shade name is not written anywhere on the polish which I find a little strange.

The formulation of this polish is brilliant, a lovely consistency that is completely opaque after two coats. So far so good, but here is where there is a real problem...it chipped on several fingers the same day that I applied it.

Now I understand that polishes have to endure quite a bit of wear and tear, but I don't think I have ever had a polish that has chipped on the same day I applied it! For me, that is pretty poor wear time and I wouldn't bother ever buying a polish that did that as there are so many amazing quality, affordable options out these days.

Nevertheless, it is a pretty polish and I enjoyed the change as I usually stick to pinks, oranges and reds. I also decided to come up with a bit of nail art which I've included at the end of this post! (They are a little bit dodgy but I've never been good at nail art...at least I tried!)

Have you tried any polishes from this brand and did they chip straight away for you?

Model Co Glow Baby Glow Bronzer

Say hello to the most enormous bronzer you will ever encounter. This is seriously almost as big as my head, and I love it!

I was lucky to receive this when I won Amy's Giveaway from over at Bottled beauty. I was really excited about having another bronzer because that is an area in my collection where (believe it or not) I don't actually have that many. What I wasn't anticipating was the unbelievably enormous size of it! It's half the size of my head!

Packaged in a bronze case with metallic gold writing, it certainly gives off the glowing goddess beachy vibe. It's really simple and contains no real detail or decoration which I think works perfectly and makes it really effective. It has one of those wonderful latches that you simple press and it opens, making it easy to open when you are in a hurry or your nail polish is wet.

Imprinted in the powder is a simple pattern of lines extending outwards in a circular motion. This pattern disappears within 5 or so uses. The bronzer is a lovely light brown shade that isn't too orange. I think there is nothing worse than an orange toned bronzer, but I really had no trouble with this bronzer. It contains some very fine golden shimmer all throughout that does catch the light when you are in direct sun. Ideally for me, the bronzer would be matte however it doesn't make it unusable and certainly still looks gorgeous on the skin, it just needs to be used more as a way of warming up the face than actually creating contours.

It is quite pigmented and does need to be used carefully with a light hand, though it's pretty easy to work with if you know what you are doing. It is reasonably long lasting and will stay the duration of the day although I apply it quite lightly in the beginning and therefore it can be quite hard to spot by the end!

Unfortunately the pan that would normally be glued to the rest of the packaging has fallen out and it often makes the lid jam when I am trying to close it. I don't think it's that the packaging is poor or faulty in any way, in fact I expect that happened when it was bouncing around in the back of a postage van!

I really love this bronzer and have been getting so much use out of it. I can't see myself ever finishing it because it is just so hilariously huge, but it's a lovely shade that works really well with my pale skin.

L-R: Model Co Bronzer, Savvy by DB Jumbo Bronzer,
Maybelline Bronzer, Revlon Bronzer

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume Mascara in Black

One of the (many) great things about being lucky to win a giveaway is that you get the chance to try products that you ordinarily wouldn't pick up. In this case, I won the Max Factor Wild Mega Volume mascara and I am so glad I did because it has taken over as my favourite mascara and I've worn it every single day without fail for a solid month now. 

The reason I ordinarily wouldn't give this product the time of day is because it is marketed as a volumising mascara, a feature that simply doesn't appeal to me. I like length and definition and typically view volume as an opportunity to create obese caterpillars sticking out of my eyes, a sight I see regularly at school. You can imagine then, why I avoid volumising mascaras like the plague, however this has completely changed my mind because I just love it. 

First up is the bright green and black tube. I find that the 'drugstore' brands present their mascaras in shocking colours which are undoubtedly eye catching but make it so easy to differentiate the high end ones from the cheaper ones as the gaudy colours contrast easily with the white, black, silver and gold shades more expensive brands use. I don't really mind because it's the formula I'm worried about, but I wonder if a classier design would be just as appealing to their consumers...

The brush is monstrous, the only real flaw in this mascara. It is seriously huge which means that I get the mascara all over my eyelids during application no matter how hard I try to apply it carefully. Though this is such a big issue for me, I am willing to overlook it because the formula is just awesome. I will be sure to use a different one when I've created an elaborate eyeshadow design because I can't bear the thought of mascara dotted throughout my complicated eyeshadow! The hourglass shape of the brush makes no difference to me - I don't feel that it helps apply the product more easily, nor do I think it makes it more difficult.

The formula is just perfect. It creates significantly longer lashes without resulting in any clumping. I also think it is volumising, though not to any crazy extent. This is just an all round great mascara that targets every possible thing you could want. This doesn't flake or smudge in any way and easily lasts a day of wear. The only times I had problems were on those days over 40 when due to a bit of sweat I found that it dotted on my eyelid a little at the end of the day. It is a really dark black which I appreciate because there is nothing worse than a browny black that doesn't stand out.

I am so impressed with this mascara and so pleased that I won it or I never would have discovered it! I give it 9/10.

Model Co Ultra Shine lip glosses in Strip Tease and Sugar Plum

I was really lucky to win a giveaway from Amy over at Bottled Beauty back in January and these Model Co lipglosses were part of the prize. I'm really not a lipgloss person so it came as a real surprise when I found that I actually quite liked them!

Model Co is not a brand I've had much luck with in the past, but I'm really impressed with these glosses. At first glance they're nothing too special - packaged in a simple clear tube with a black lid and small mirror on the side. They're certainly not unappealing but they're not exactly the epitome of class either.

I love that they come with a doe foot applicator - I've completely give up on slanted tube or brushes as they just do not work for me. The applicator wand makes it really simple and easy to apply the gloss.

I do find the formula to be a little sticky. When you first pull the applicator out of the tube there is a string of gloss that extends between them, a pretty clear sign that it's a sticky gloss! Nevertheless, surprisingly it is quite lovely to wear and never sticks my lips together the way some glosses seem to do.

They both have quite a strong fake lolly kind of smell which doesn't bother me too much because I like my products to have a scent, but if you are sensitive to chemical smelling flavours then you won't like it at all. Though they appear to be significantly different shades in the tubes, they are actually not terribly pigmented and look only slightly different to one another when worn. Both glosses contain slight shimmer that I don't feel shows up on the lips, especially if the gloss is worn over a lipstick.

These, as is to be expected, really do leave a strong glossy finish that catches the light and makes your lips appear fuller and more plump. As is the case with every gloss, there is no point trying to eat or drink with these on because it wears off and makes a mess. When you're not eating or drinking, it lasts about an hour before you feel the need to reapply, although isn't nearly as intense as when first applied.

For someone who really doesn't get along with glosses in general, I found these to be tolerable which actually translates into quite high praise! I've been wearing Sugar Plum (the darker shade) over MAC's Creme Cup to warm it up a little and I think they are a lovely match.

They do retail for $18 which I'm not sure I would pay for personally because I feel that there are many cheaper options that are just as good.

I give these 7 out of 10.

Monthly Favourites - February

 February is done and dusted! This month has been all about getting back into school (and remembering how exhausting it can be!) as well as my birthday month! This never happens but I actually feel as though this month has really dragged on, and I think that is because it's been hard to transition from the two month holiday block into year 12.

Lips: When I sat down to think about my favourite lip product for the month it was such a no-brainer. I've actually gone with a lip pairing which is my MAC lipstick in Creme Cup (a birthday present) and a Model Co lipstick in Strip Tease which I won in a giveaway and will be reviewing very soon. Creme cup is just heaven on Earth and topped with a gloss I just can't get enough of it.

Eyes: This was another completely obvious choice, and that is the Max Factor Mascara I also won in a giveaway. I've worn this every day for over a month now because I love the gorgeous length and volume it gives to my lashes. This is another product I will be reviewing soon because I just love it!

Face: I have had the most awful skin ever which I think is down to a huge stress and anxiety overload. Nevertheless, I've managed it pretty well with my trusty old Face of Australia stick concealer. It really is down to the smallest nub after about a year of use but it is just so easy and quick to slap on before school.

Nails: I honestly could not choose a nail product this month as they have been in shocking condition, peeling and splitting like nobody's business. I've kept them completely polish free and have been crossing my fingers that they will get better soon!

Other: To make up for my nails category I have included two random favourites, my first being the Our Eutopia Candle in Strawberry Champagne. This literally smells like a blend of strawberry and lemonade, the most amazing sparkly scent that fills my entire room even when the candle isn't burning. I am going to be searching high and low at Target to find another one of these!

My other random favourite is a Minkpink dress I grabbed at the Op-Shop for only $9. It is a little more expensive than what I normally would pay at the Op-shop however it is a good brand and fits magically, I think it is so flattering.

Resolution Review

It was a bit nerve wracking to look back on my resolutions this month as I was pretty sure I had wandered off the track a little bit!

I set a resolution to read more books this year, and although I've not read many books of my choosing, I've certainly read a look of textbooks and English texts. I think I am going to give myself a little bit of credit this time, because although it was compulsory to read 1984 by George Orwell and Perfume by Patrick Suskind for English, I absolutely loved them both!

Next resolution was to drink more water, and I was doing well for the first half of the month but then totally and utterly messed it up! It is really hard to drink lots of water at school because I just cannot handle the idea of missing class to go to the toilet! I need to get better at this resolution!

Next was to continue blogging and here I am, typing away at this post! Success!

So there are my February favourites, quite a nice little collection of things if I do say so myself! I would love to know your topic product for the month just passed!