Monthly Favourites - November

It's December, which is ridiculous. I'm sure every man and his dog will express the speed with which this year has flown in their monthly favourites, so I'll spare you from hearing it again. November marked the last of my uni exams and the successful completion of my first year of university! To celebrate, this blog was resurrected from the dead and I'm slowly getting back into the swing of posting.

It was darn easy to pick monthly favourites for November because I haven't shared any favourites with you for months.

Eyes: Without a doubt, buying the Makeup Geek starter palate on a whim at 1am one night was easily one of my better decisions. It comes with 9 standard shades, almost all of which I feel are appropriate for a starter kit. I would have loved to see more browns instead of purples, however I have been getting use out of all of them. The pigmentation is amazing, palate set up (that allows you to remove the pans with ease) and the cost is pretty good. A clear winner.

Face: After all the raving about the Hourglass products, I really wasn't convinced. For a powder that cost so much and barely showed up, my student budget wasn't having it. Then Model's prefer came out with a dupe and I jumped on the bandwagon. I adore this powder, it is amazing and I have mine in the shade Photo Ready.

Lips: As I stated in my haul here, I didn't even know that this range of glosses existed until I purchased one. I cannot recommend the Rimmel Oh My Gloss range enough, despite only owning one shade (Glossaholic). It is perfect in every way.

Nails: I must admit, these polishes came as a little bit of a disappointment however I had to include them because they are the only polishes I've worn all month. It is the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish in Get it Bright and the corresponding gel topcoat. I expected super good wear out of this and I found it to be relatively similar to all my other polishes. I'm going to keep persisting but it hasn't won me over yet...

Other: I have never been a fake tan person but the Australis Tinted Let's Go Steady Gradual Tan Body Moisturiser (what a mouthful!) is incredible. Incredible! I lather this on daily for about three days in a row and I have a natural but clearly enhanced glow to my skin. It smells fine, is so freaking easy and looks bloody amazing. I love this product.

Book: I've added in a new category because books are such a big part of my life. This month I read one of my favourite books of the year - Blood and Guts by Richard Hollingham. It is a brief, albeit absolutely fascinating, history of surgery and developments through areas like heart surgery, transplants, plastic surgery and the brain. It is gory, gruesome and overall absolutely mind blowing. This book made me so, so appreciative of the current medical practises, and in awe of the brilliant minds who came before us, discovering new ways to improve surgical techniques and the comfort of their patients. An incredible book for a science-lover.

Monthly Favourites - March

Hello dear friends, it has been far too long. Yep, I disappeared for ages but I'm kind of back, at least I'm here right now with a post full of lovely things. It seems that since my last post I started a new job, found myself living the Uni life and also got myself a boyfriend. It's been absolutely wonderful but ridiculously busy at the same time. I've missed blogging but sadly it has to be the first thing that's put on hold. Nevertheless, I'm here with a bunch of new, really cool stuff.

Face: I don't know about you but I am a sucker for glowy face products, making highlighters and illuminators really difficult for me to resist. Face of Australia is probably my favourite 'drugstore' makeup brand so when they came out with some cream illuminators I knew I was going to grab one. The shade I snapped up is 'When in Rome,' a stunning champagne that is neither too brown nor too pink. It suits my skin tone magically and it just livens up my face. I love this stuff!

Eyes: I've never really been a primer girl but lately I've had no choice because my eyeshadow has been creasing like crazy. I don't even really recall how I acquired this product (it was one of those that seemed to just magically appear in my drawer one day) but gosh it's good. Even though it is a tiny little tube it is going to last me forever because you need only the smallest little bit of product. 

Lips: This was a real bargain lipstick because I grabbed it for $4 at Kmart (I think they are no longer stocking Face of Australia because the whole brand was reduced so much). Anyhow, this is the most perfect red in the world. Yes, I know I know, I'm changing my mind about the perfect red every week but this is a stunning cool toned red that I've been rocking non stop since I got it.

Nails: This is kind of a funny products to have in a favourites, but hear me out. I actually don't like this polish much at all. The formulation is crappy, it requires at least 5 coats to get even close to being opaque and it's expensive! But, the reason I included it is because I love the shade and I've been wearing it all month, despite its many flaws. Basically, don't buy this Essie polish because it is a waste of your money, but you can admire the pretty colour because it is lovely!

Other: I was super lucky to be sent a body scrub from aussie brand Sugar queen body scrubs. I'm in love! I got sent the flavour Lemon Cheesecake which is just incredible (and a bit dangerous really because I just want to eat it). They have a whole bunch of other wonderful scents like Warm Sugar Cookie and Pina Colada which I highly recommend you checking out because they are amazing. Also, look at the beautiful packaging! I just love love love it! Check out the website here.

So these have been the lovely things in my life lately. Sorry again for going AWOL, but sadly I think it might start happening more and more often. It's a real shame because I love blogging but unfortunately I just have so much else on. Let me know if you have any tips for balancing it all!

Monthly Favourites - January

2015 is in full swing and I am thrilled to say that it is already one thousand times better than 2014 was! January was a freaking huge month for me - at the end of December I got my Ps, I received my ATAR (98.5 out of 99.95), I got into my Speech Pathology course and I caught up with all the people I love over the month and for my 18th birthday party. All in all it was a pretty amazing month to kick off the year with!

But alas, now for the favourites!

Face: I don't know what it is (probably all the junk food I've been inhaling lately) but my skin is the worst it has ever been. Ever. I have been breaking out so much all over my whole face and even foundation hasn't helped much. Of course, my tendencies to pick spots until they become disgusting great scabs that can't even be covered by makeup doesn't help, but agh, it's so frustrating! Nevertheless, those spots that can be covered I've been using the Face of Australia stick concealer for because I think it does a magical job. Mine's a bit busted because of all the travelling it's been doing, but it does the job.

Nails: This was such an easy pick, and when I think about it if I had done a 2014 favourites post this polish would have won the title for the year: Essie's polish in Mamba. It is the most perfect nude pink that is so flattering and subtle yet classy. I love the formulation of this polish (it is the first and only one I've tried from Essie) and gosh, it is just wonderful!

Eyes: Like the nail polish, if I were to make a 2014 favourites the Max Factor Wild Mega Volume mascara would have taken the prize for my top mascara. I use this every.single.day. and it was no different in January. For someone who has never been interested in volumising mascara, this has made me change my mind...

Lips: When I realised that I'd not even mentioned this product on my blog I was astonished because this lipstick is perfection! I'm not even sure why I was compelled to pick up the Rimmel London Matte Finish Lipstick in 107 but it was the best decision ever. This is the most incredible dark wintery red/berry shade that I just adore - you can tell how much I love it because I have been wearing it all summer even though it matches none of my summery outfits! Don't quote me on this, but I think it might be Youtube star Zoella's trademark lippie and I can totally see why. Get it.

Other: For the other category I was going to choose a particular book but in the end I just decided to go with books in general. Since being on holidays I have rediscovered my passion for books. I honestly don't know how I survived 2014 not reading anything because books are what keep me alive and well. It has been such a luxury sitting outside in the hammock delving into good literature. 

I recently wrote a post on my most beautiful book covers if you are interested!

Well there they are, my favourites for January 2015. I hope the rest of the year continues to be as wonderful as this month has been!

Monthly Favourites - November

It's December, which means that it is the last month of 2014, which is actually beyond my comprehension. I honestly cannot believe that it has come to the end of this crazy year, but in all honestly I am actually relieved!

My November favourites are, in my opinion, a special bunch. I discovered some new makeup, continued to love old favourites and found an Op-shop gem that I've been loving.

Face
My face favourite is a bit of a funny one this month because I've still not formulated an opinion on the product despite it being basically the only face product I've used! In early November I purchased the Maybelline Better Skin Foundation in Priceline's 40% off sale, totally sucked in by all the hype I had seen on some of my favourite blogs. I've used it quite regularly since and somehow still not come to a conclusion whether I like it or not. I will do a review on it eventually but I feel like I need to come to some kind of decision about it first!

Eyes
It's really no surprise that the Naked palette is my favourite for this month - the moment I got it it was love at first sight. This palette is the most perfect combination of golds and browns, my two favourite eyeshadow shades. It does have a bit of fallout which is actually really quite frustrating (I never remember to do my eye makeup before my face makeup) but it's worth it because every shade is stunning!

Lips
I know, I know, I really am cheating here with another product from last month's favourites, but I'm simply telling the truth! I am completely obsessed with the Revlon Matte Balm Stain in Elusive, it is perfect! This is my go-to product when I'm feeling lazy or don't know what to wear. It is already faded and worn from being stashed in my handbag among all the other crap I carry around! If you are a fan of the original balms by Revlon or love a matte lip product, you absolutely have to try these out.

Nails
Pink and red shades are always my go-to nail polish colours but for some reason I just felt like going with a gold polish. One of my favourites is Revlon's polish in Creme Brulee (a poorly named but beautiful colour). It's a toned down gold shade that is subtle but still absolutely beautiful, quite a tasteful, classy shade.

Last but definitely not least is the other category. On one of my regular Op-shopping trips I spotted this sequinned clutch from Betts for only $4! It was such a bargain and I just adore it, having used it so many times! It's perfect for a night out with some gold jewellery and adds the perfect amount of glamour to anything!

November was certainly one of the most stressful months of this year with my final high school exams and the end of year celebrations but it was a good one and I am glad that December has arrived in preparation for what will hopefully be an amazing year in 2015!

Monthly Favourites - September

I haven't done a favourites post in such a long time so I really enjoyed looking back at the products I had on high rotation last month or two.

Without a doubt, my most used favourite of all was, of course, the Urban Decay Naked Palette I asked a friend to bring back for me from her holiday in America. Having wanted this for so freaking long, I have used it non stop since. I recently did a review on this including my favourite shades from the palette.

For my lips favourite, it was kind of unexpected. I owned 6 Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains  when the matte versions came out and for some strange reason I just didn't feel compelled to look at the matte ones (I know, what was wrong with me?!). I was at Chemist Warehouse when they were having one of their 50% off sales and saw that they had the balm stains down to less than $10 so I figured I would try one out. I picked up the shade Elusive, a beautiful everyday pink shade and I've not looked back - I love it! I'll be doing a review on it soon.

For the face category it was an easy choice, going with Arbonne's Got You Covered Mineral Powder Foundation. I layer this on top of Garnier's BB cream and the two paired together work magically. They give the perfect amount of coverage and the Arbonne powder ensures that they last all day. I love the smooth satin finish it gives to the skin without looking powedery or cakey.

For nails this was a little harder to choose but eventually in the end I had to go for Revlon's polish in Siren, a stunning bright orange that is so summery and happy! I wrote a NOTD post on it and so many people seemed to like it too!

Last but not least is my 'other' category, and for September it had to be a new addition to my hair care products, the Garnier Miracle Oil Brushing Express Heat protectant. I never use straighteners or curlers so I didn't use it for its heat protecting properties, rather found that it was a gorgeous lightweight oil that helped my the damaged ends of my long hair. It made my hair silky and smooth, smell great and easy to brush through. I think it is under $15 as well so it is really worth giving a try.

Well there are my favourites for September, a bunch of products I am so excited about continuing to use over the next couple of months. Most of them are brand new to my collection as well and some weren't products I had planned on purchasing.

Have you tried any of these products?

Monthly Favourites - June

I'm really late with this Monthly Favourites but I suppose it is better late than never!  I have quite a strange collection of favourites this month but hopefully you find them interesting.

I think I'll begin with the face product, a new collection to my skincare stash. I never ever thought that I would run out of moisturiser because being a beauty blogger it seemed to be coming out of my ears, but lo and behold, it happened. I had no idea what I wanted to try so I ended up going with what was on special, which happened to be Garnier's Moisture Match Illuminating light lotion. I quite liked the sound of a moisturiser that would make me look more awake however I was a little worried it would be packed with shimmer. Fortunately that is not the case and this has easily been my face favourite for the month of June.

Next is lips, another basic product. I have had so much trouble with dry lips of late and the only thing that has been helping is my Blistex lip conditioner. I've spoken a little bit about my strange relationship with this product before, but basically it is very much a love-hate kind of thing!

Then we have the eye category and this was so easy to choose! After having read so much about the Maybelline Colour Tattoos, I really wanted to try them out but was too stingy to pay full price. When Chemist Warehouse had a half price sale I grabbed two shades and Barely Branded has taken over as my favourite eye product for the month. It is a beautiful shimmery champagne shade and works perfectly as a bright base. I love it and will be doing a review soon!

Then comes the nail favourite which has undoubtedly been my first Essie polish in the shade Mamba. It's just a gorgeous flattering nude shade that I haven't stopped wearing since I bought it!

Last but definitely not least is the other category which might seem to be a little strange this month. For as long as I can remember I have hated poetry with a passion and then something really strange happened this year. Some of you may not know that I struggle with depression, and it's been really, really awful this year. Anyhow, I have found literature to be the most therapeutic thing to help, in particular poetry. It's so ironic that I have gone from hating it to loving it, but I guess that just shows how people change! My favourite poet of late has been Seamus Heaney, a poet we've been studying at school who I think is just wonderful!

Well, there are my favourites for June! It feels so good to be back blogging again after a long break. Thanks for sticking around!

Monthly Favourites - April

April is over and this year is totally flying by! I hope you all had a lovely Easter, I myself enjoyed simply lazing about reading and writing and lying in the sun! Almost all of my favourites for this month are new additions to my collection and I am so thrilled that I have some new things to play with! If there isn't a review on my blog already there will definitely be one coming up soon!

Lips: This was the most unexpected favourite of all, simply because I didn't even know these existed until I was in Priceline and saw the Covergirl Smoochies Lip Balm in the shade 'Luv u' for only $3. I had no idea what colour to pick up so I went for a nice Berry looking shade and I have worn it every single day since purchasing it because it is just so natural and flattering. I am a huge fan!

Face: I rediscovered an old favourite of mine, the Maybelline Superstay foundation. Somehow I have gained a little bit of a tan so it matches my skin almost perfectly, and as a result I've been using this more often. It is a medium to full coverage foundation so I don't wear it everyday, but I just love the gorgeous finish it gives.

Eyes: Without a doubt the eye product I have been reaching for most this month is the Loreal Colour Infalliable Shadow in Tender Caramel. I managed to grab this little bargain for $2.10 at Target and it was the best buy because it is such a beautiful brown shade. I cannot recommend this enough!

Nails: I have two nail favourites this month, the first being an Essie mini polish in Meet me at sunset. I have adored this bright orange shade and I am so lucky to have won it in Erin's giveaway! The other polish I have enjoyed wearing is the Essence topper in Black Dress and White tie. I don't always give into special effect polishes but this was irresistible (and for obvious reason too!).

Other: Lastly is the other category, and this month I have decided to include not a product but a hobby I have really enjoyed. I've been struggling a bit lately and have found writing (whether it be poetry, blog posts or journalling) to be so very helpful and enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone because it really helps sort your thoughts out!


I hope you've all had a lovely April!

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!

Monthly Favourites - January

January is over and we are well on our way into 2014 (aka the year of all things scary!). This month was really just about getting back to basics in terms of makeup because it is the middle of summer and here in Adelaide we have had many days over 40 degrees! I've been spending a large portion of my days in the sun hence why it's not really been a time for elaborate eyeshadow looks and heavy foundation, but rather the absolute minimum where possible.

Face: An absolute life saver for me this month has been my Savvy by DB loose translucent powder. I find loose powders to be so darn fiddly and annoying to use but I've been willing to forgive that aspect of it because it's like magic dust that stops your face from getting oily, even on the hottest of the hottest days. Naturally it is discontinued (all the best products are) but I have so much left I can tell it won't be running out soon.

Lips: I love my lip products and I was absolutely thrilled to get the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in the shade Rendezvous as part of an amazing pack of 5 that I picked up for $20. I've wanted the stunning tangerine shade for so long and it just fits the summery vibe perfectly, I've been wearing it every day.

Eyes: For eyes I've worn very little shadow, instead opting for plain old mascara. I've been really enjoying the Maybelline One by One mascara because I find it to be defining and lengthening, my two favourite things, and hasn't smudged or flaked in the heat. My only complaint is that I have it in brown/black so it's not as dark as I would normally like it.

Nails: The Maybelline Colour Show Sequins polish in Rose Bling was such an impulse buy, but it really paid off because I wore it a heck of a lot in January. It's just a pretty rosy pink glitter.

Other: I had no choice but to include my Lana Del Ray CD in Born to Die that I received for Christmas. I know there are many people out there who were just not impressed with it at all, but I've literally listened to it hundreds of times since having found it wrapped up under the Christmas tree.

I have decided that within all my monthly posts I'd make a quick note about how I was going with my New Years resolutions in the hope that it will help keep me on track, so here we go...

Resolution review

My first resolution was to read more books, and because I've been on holidays it has been so easy to achieve that! I've read so many and it's been lovely to see my sky high pile of 'to read' books starting to get a little smaller.

My second resolution was to drink more water which I am also pleased to say I have been fulfilling too. It may have something to do with the fact that it has been so hot, but I've been really conscious of it and trying so hard to increase my intake. For those of you also trying to drink more water, I've written a post about the ways I manage to do it if you are interested.

Another resolution was to continue blogging, which in my opinion has been successful. I love the holidays because I get so much time to be creative with my posts, take good photographs and spend time writing them. The real challenge will be when I go back to school.

Lastly was to be content with less than perfection, and to be honest I've not yet had a good opportunity to put this into place. However, I am already getting scared and stressed about the year to come so I know this will be the hardest resolution to keep up with!

So there's January in a nutshell! January is always one of my favourite months and this year has been no different!

Monthly Favourites - December

Apologies for getting my favourites for this month up so late - I blame it on my lack of organisation when planning for my 10 or so days without internet. Oh well, better late than never.

December is usually a month of fun makeup because I'm on holidays and therefore able to go crazy with whatever I wish to wear (free of school based restrictions), I purchase more makeup in sales or receive it as gifts and December also calls for quite festive looks (think red lips and gold shadow). This December has been no different and I have enjoyed having the time in the mornings to actually apply my makeup with care as opposed to slapping it on in a rush to get to the bus stop in time!

First up for lips, it's a no brainer that a bright red has been my go-to. Though I have a reasonable collection of reds to choose from, I gravitated towards Revlon's Colourstay Ultimate Suede lipstick in Finale most often. A beautiful tomato red shade that is so comfortable to wear, I think I wore this about fifteen times in December. My only issue with it is that it wears off a little strangely, but nothing that can't be fixed with a quick reapplication.

For eyes it was a little more challenging to pick a favourite, primarily because I've just been using a huge variety of products, but in the end I decided on the Australis paparazzi perfect palette in Snap Attack as it just contains such a lovely combination of wearable shadows.

Next is my favourite face product, which was without a doubt the NYX Cream Blush in Natural. Despite having purchased this a while ago, I am yet to complete a review on it, but let me tell you, it is incredibly beautiful and is like magic on the skin. I can see that this will be a favourite of mine for a very long time.

In the nails department can be found the Sally Hansen Xtreme wear polish in White on. I never would have thought that a plain white polish could capture my heart quite like this one has, but I wore this for the vast majority of December.

Last but not least is the 'other' category in which I cheated a little this month and included two things. The first is a candle (I've been burning candles - safely, don't worry! - non stop despite that it is summer) and my bedroom smells of Pumpkin Latte, a candle from the Kringle Candle Company. I'm not going to lie, I actually don't love this scent, much preferring lighter, more fresh and citrus based scents, but a candle is a candle and I love the atmosphere they bring.

My other random favourite is a giant mug. Yep, who knew you could purchase coffee mugs literally the size of your head from plain old Officeworks for $4! I did try to drink Hot Chocolate out of it, but it holds litres of the stuff and in terms of practicality, really wasn't a great idea, so I cleaned it out and now store lip products in it. For such a strange purchase I've really enjoyed it!

And now here we are in 2014, December has flown by and I'm planning my big year in my final year of school! As always, I am in denial regarding how quickly time flies!

Monthly Favourites - November

I know that basically everyone has said this, but seriously...it's December! What the heck? Amongst all the stress of end of year exams and never ending assignments I simply lost track of time and now I'm faced with December and I'm not ready for the end of the year!

Nevertheless, there is nothing I can do about it now except look back on my favourites for November! Now, I'm kind of cheating considering that two of these products were also my favourites for last month, but I guess that just shows how much I really love them!

Eyes: This month I definitely rediscovered an old favourite that was lurking in the back of my collection, the Face of Australia liquid liner in black. This is just so darn easy to use, is pigmented and lasts all day, it has no faults!


Lips: I was so very excited when I heard the news that NYX had landed on Australian shores, and I definitely haven't been disappointed! I purchased a soft matte lip cream in Istanbul and it is the most perfect, wearable pink shade ever. My only problem is that it is quite drying (which of course is a given when it comes to matte lip products) so I sadly haven't been able to wear it everyday, but I've given it a damn good shot!

Nails: No surprises here...yep, another red. I can't help myself. Red polish is my 'thing.' This time it's Revlon's top speed polish in Fire. Quick drying, excellent formula, beautiful shade, what more could you want?

Face: The Garnier BB cream has been my absolute saviour this month. I've been so exhausted, therefore sleeping in which results in basically no time to get ready for school. I can slap this on with such ease and it takes no time at all and makes the biggest difference to the appearance of my skin. I am so in love with the version for oily skin, I wear it every day.

Other: Lastly is a pair of shoes that I purchased this month, a beautiful white pair that I got from Target. I think they were about $15 and I just love them! Admittedly they're not the most comfortable but I only wear them when I'm hanging out and about, so I don't need to do much walking in them.

Well, they're my November favourites (which really are so much like my October ones!) and I feel that at this rate, before you know it my December ones will be out too! My goodness!

Monthly Favourites - October

Can you believe that it is the end of October, which means that it is now November, which means that it is nearly the end of the year. How did that happen?

This month I've tried out a couple of new products which has been exciting!

Face: We shall begin with a face product, which has without a doubt been the Garnier BB cream for oily skin. I've been a loyal user of the originall BB cream by Garnier however I was never 100% thrilled with it, finding that it left my skin feeling a little greasy. The oily skin version, however, is awesome.

Eyes: For eyes I have a product that I picked up for $6 when it was on sale, and it is the Max Factor Wild Shadow Pencil in Caramel Rage. I think this is the first Max Factor product I have ever tried, and my goodness I just love it! I love my lip crayons and now I've come to the conclusion that eye crayons are the best too! A review on this should be coming up soon.

Nails: I adore my red polishes, so for October I've used the Revlon Top speed polish in Fire over and over and over.

Lips: I've been having so much trouble with chapped lips lately, and the only product that has been able to fix it is the Blistex lip conditioner. I hate how this feels on my lips, I hate the smell, I hate the fact that it is in a pot, however this is like magic and solves every chapped lip problem I have ever had.

Other: Last but not least is my Real Techniques Stippling Brush. Since purchasing this I've used only cream blushes because this honestly makes everything look incredible. Could not recommend this enough!

So, there are my October favourites. I have been a little quiet on the blogging front and if I'm honest with you, it will probably remain like that for the whole of November too until I've finished my exams. What have you been using lately?

Monthly Favourites - September

 It's the end of September! Hallelujah, one step closer to Summer!

At this point in time I will be in Tasmania on a family holiday for a couple of weeks!  Don't worry, posts are scheduled!

This month I realised that I've been using very bright products, fitting for Spring!

Face: The Arbonne toner has been my lifesaver this month with my skin going crazy. This is just amazing, I am so lucky to have been sent it. I use it religiously every night and it feels amazing, and it is so luxurious!

Eyes: This month's winner is easily Maybelline's One by One mascara. This does exactly as it promises, defining every lash and creating no clumps. This is so easy to work with and leaves my lashes long and defined, I have no complaints.

Lips: I think this is the third time I've featured this as one of my favourites, but I just turn back to Face of Australia's lip crayon in Cupcake every day. First of all it is in the form of a crayon and I have been loving lip crayons. Secondly, it is the loveliest wearable pink shade that you can put on confident that it will look good. It's not too pigmented, not too sheer. My goodness this is great!

Nails: The only polishes I wear these days are Face of Australia ones. It's not intentional, it just happens. This month was a Glitterati polish called Looking for some hot stuff. Check it out if you are a glitter fan, because it is gorgeous.

Some fruity scents helping me get through maths test revision!

Other: My concentration has been somewhat lacking of late - in fact I am currently writing this post as a way of procrastinating - so I developed a strategy that has been SO helpful. Since discovering that I LOVE candles (especially scented ones) I have established a habit whereby when I sit down to to a long period of study, I light a candle. Once the candle is lit I am forbidden to do anything but study. I am not allowed to leave my desk (both for safety reasons as simply being part of the rules) and so I am forced to sit there and revise or if I don't do that, simply sit there and be bored. When the candle is blown out, it marks the end of study time and I can do whatever I want. I have found this to be such a helpful way of getting things done, and my room always smells so lovely! My absolute favourites are ones I picked up for $3 each at the reject shop - a Skittles candle in Melon Berry (which smells identical to green skittles) and an M&M candle in Crisp Vanilla. Best purchases I have made in a long time!

Do you like any of these products? Do you have any study tricks I need to know about as it begins to get into Exam season?

Monthly Favourites - August

I have kind of been on an unofficial spending ban this month following my trip to Cambodia where it really hit home how excessive my makeup collection had become. Sticking to the products I owned and ignoring the ones that I wanted to buy, I really came to appreciate my collection a little more and get some really good use out of the products I have. Here are my favourites for this month...

Face: Let's start with the face product, my ultimate favourite for this month. When I purchased the Rimmel Wake me up Foundation I had no idea that it would become such a staple for me! I don't wear this everyday because my skin hasn't been too bad at the moment and a BB cream has been sufficient, but this is my go-to product on the weekends and any special occasions. I am sure you have heard other bloggers and youtubers rave...they have good reason to!

Lips: For lips this is most definitely an everyday kind of product - my Maybelline Baby lips in Pink Lolita. When I first purchased this I didn't use it nearly as much as my non tinted Baby lips, but the tables have turned and now I much prefer a bit of colour. It's not too overpowering and looks quite natural, but it still adds a lot to an overall look in one quick and easy swipe of colour.

Eyes: I've been stuck in a rut with my eyeshadow this month, and I love it! I have found an overall look that really works and I just go back to that when in doubt! I will have a post about it, but the main shadows I use are from the Maybelline quad in Autumn Spirit.

Nails: My nails favourite is easily the Essence Colour and Go Polish in English Rose. A beautiful, neutral rosy shade perfect for all occasions. Enough said.

Other: Last but definitely not least is my Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cool and Crisp Fresh. I love dry shampoo, which is terrible because it makes me so lazy. I use this all the time and I won't be stopping any time soon.

It's so strange to think that we are at the end of August! I remember being back in January and thinking that this year couldn't go quick enough and here we are now! Anyhow, that's my August favourites!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway here.