NOTD - Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in Fire

You can never have enough nail polishes in your favourite shade (in my case, red). For $3 and in a fast drying formula, who would walk past this little Revlon bargain?

I managed to purchase this from Target in one of their bargain bins. I'll never know how this little beauty ever made it there, because this polish is just awesome.

This is a beautiful fire engine red that is glossy and demands attention. I only need two coats for it to be completely opaque, and it honestly dries so quickly. This lasts four or so days until it started to wear slightly around the edges, and slight chipping occurred after that.

The formula is so lovely to work with, not at all streaky. The brush allows for ridiculously easy application.

Removal is nice and easy (there is nothing worse than having to spend hours taking off a polish!) but my only annoyance with this is that it does stain a little if you don't use a base coat.

This usually retails for around $15.95 (in my opinion any nail polish, no matter how good it is, should not cost that much). I am a huge fan.

Q&A - Blogging

Here is the next installment of questions and answers from when I had my giveaway and you lovely people submitted your questions for me!

1. Why did you start blogging?
I was going through a really tough time back when I started my blog and I needed a way to shut off from the world and just focus on something else. I had been reading blogs for ages and wanted to write book reviews but didn't feel confident that I could read enough books to justify having a blog in addition to actually writing reviews! The only other kind of blog I was aware of was beauty blogs, so I gave that a shot. Best decision ever!

2. Which camera do you use?
I actually have no fancy camera whatsoever, and I know nothing about photography. I don't even know what the name of my camera is...so I took a picture of it for you all. It's really nothing special, I promise, but I think it takes satisfactory photographs for my blog.

3. What do you do when you don't feel in the mood to write a review?
Excellent question! This has been happening to me sooo much lately...I've just been lacking in both inspiration and motivation. When I feel like this, I do my best to do something whether it be as simple as writing the title into one of my posts, taking a photo of something, uploading a photo into my post or finding out the RRP for a product I picked up on sale. Sometimes doing these tiny little steps prompts me to do a bit more and suddenly I find myself churning out an entire review. Other times that seems like so much effort that I can barely even do that...it is these times that I just forget about it and do something else because there is no point trying to write a post when your heart isn't in it - your readers can tell.

4. Do you get given a lot of samples?
Sometimes! When I started blogging I was so little and inexperienced that I didn't even know bloggers sometimes received samples to review! The first time I was approached I nearly had a heart attack and died. But honestly, I have been very blessed to try out some cool products...it comes in waves. Sometimes you get lots of PR requests and then you can go for months where it's all quiet on that front. That's not what blogging is about, it's about enjoying yourself and connecting with people. Samples are just an amazingly cool bonus that you may or may not get.

5. How do you find inspiration for writing on your blog?
Well my blog is mainly filled with reviews, so I don't really need to come up with creative posts. However, sometimes I think it gets a bit tiring just having one review after another so I do attempt to think of new and interesting post ideas. I get inspired by other blogs, youtube videos, things that happen around me. I kind of treat my blog like a friend that I want to tell stories to - which is what happened with my travel series. I wanted to share the amazing experience I had with my friends! I was inspired to make the Behind the Blog series after reading some cool facts about another blogger and realising that often you don't know much about the person whose blog you love!

6. Can you make a post about dupes/product comparisons?
I would love to...if I had dupes to talk about! Whilst my makeup collection is quite extensive, I don't feel as though it is at that stage where I have millions of repeats. If I come across some I will be sure to post about it!

7. Can you do a review on products for acne problems?
I am lucky not to have acne so I actually don't have a clue about skincare for acne prone skin. I can't help you out there, but I bet my house that there are some amazing reviews on other people's blogs that you could check out.

I love answering your questions...the next Q&A post will be those questions you asked that are about my life.

Garnier BB Cream for Oily Skin

In my opinion, BB creams filled a big hole in the makeup market where tinted moisturisers didn't have enough coverage and additional skin benefits, and foundations were too heavy and pore-blocking. From memory, Garnier was one of the first brands to provide a BB cream for sale in Australia, but these days almost every cosmetic brand has its own version of the magical BB cream.

I use my Garnier BB cream on a daily basis, and whilst it did the job I found that it was a little too greasy and oily for my skin. When I ran out and the oily skin version was on sale I snapped it up in the hopes that it might be a little more suitable for me.

First up is the change in packaging. The tube is much thinner and holds 10mL less than the original version but they each cost the same price. Obviously the value  for money isn't as good, but I think it is worth it. The nozzle is quite bizarre, long and thin unlike the squeezy opening in the original cream. I find that it leaks a bit more, so I make sure not to store the BB cream standing up or it wastes the product.

I found that the shades (which are a little pathetic, limited to: light, medium or dark) differed according to each version. The shade light in the oily skin version seemed to match my pale colouring a little better.

I have been pleasantly surprised by this purchase - I love the Oily Skin version so much more than the original. The finish is not what I would describe as completely matte but more of a satin feel. I still use a powder to ensure that it lasts the day, and I feel as though it keeps the oil away a little longer than it would without a powder. It doesn't cling to dry patches although any slight flakes are exaggerated and made more noticeable by the BB cream.

This evens out any redness on the face and dulls hyperpigmentation from past blemishes. Obviously the coverage isn't as heavy as a foundation, but I am highly impressed with the degree of coverage it does give.

According to the box, it "reduces pores and imperfections, evens tone and boosts a healthy glow and hydrates," statements I completely agree with.

I am also really pleased that this has an SPF of 15 - sun protection in makeup is always a plus for me.

Basically, I am highly impressed with this. I use it religiously every day and I find that though it has worn off a little by the end of it, it is an all round good product that ticks all the boxes.

If you have oily skin or simply didn't love the original version, don't rule this out just yet because it is quite different to its older sibling and may be just what you are looking for.

I give this 9/10.

Revlon Lip Butter in Brown Sugar

Revlon Lip Butters are absolute staples in so many makeup collections. The only problem? They're not cheap. Sure, you can buy them for a dismal price in comparison to YSL lipsticks, but $21.95 isn't exactly affordable...especially when you want one of every colour in the range.

Imagine how excited I was when I was on holidays, stumbled into Target and saw this little beauty marked down to only $4 (along with its sibling in Gumdrop)! Although the shade Brown Sugar wouldn't be my first preference in the Lip Butter range, I thought a sheer brown couldn't be all that bad. Perhaps it could be the loveliest nude.

Well, much like Gumdrop, this wasn't exactly like I was expecting. For a start, Brown Sugar was pigmented. In fact, it was probably the most pigmented all of the ones I owned. It was also quite a dark brown...think melted chocolate. Hmmm…

I have quite pigmented red toned lips naturally, so the combination of red and dark brown, is, uh, interesting. Don't get me wrong, it's not ghastly in the same fashion that I found Gumdrop to be, and it's certainly not completely unwearable, it just feels a little old fashioned. I feel like I've aged about 50 years when I wear this (which is something I really don't love!). I think it also doesn't really help that I have super pale skin - I'm literally as white as a ghost - and therefore it is just so dark. I expect on darker skin this could be quite a lovely 'my lips but better' kind of colour.

As is the case with all lip butters, this is lovely and moisturising. It has a very slight shimmer to it which does show up on the lips. It lasts an acceptable amount of time but does fade when eating and drinking. Sadly it has no scent (none of the lip butters do, but how amazing would it be if they did?!) but at least it doesn't smell bad.

All in all, this is actually a really lovely lip product if I had the skin tone and the lips to match it! If you've got darker skin and more brown toned lips then I really think this could be a wonderful product.

I give this 6/10.

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?

Q&A - Beauty

When I had my latest giveaway, one of the options to earn additional entries was to submit a question that I would answer as part of a Q&A post. I had so many more questions than I was expecting so I think I will do a couple of different posts! The first is questions post addresses some of those questions related to beauty.

1. What is your holy grail beauty product?
Excellent (but ridiculously tricky) question. I can't name a specific product (there is so much I've not yet discovered!) but lip balms in general are my absolute saviours!

2. What are your thoughts on high end makeup?
Being a 16 year old kid, sadly my budget does not accommodate for high end makeup of any kind. I own one or two 'high end' products from being blessed to win them in giveaways but I have never purchased any myself. For those who can afford it, I say go for it, but for me 'drugstore' makeup is perfectly fine...in fact I think some of the cheaper brands have amazing products that would probably rival high end products anyway! If I was to buy something right now, it would be a lipstick or eyeshadow from MAC, a blush from NARS, Chanel Foundation, YSL lipstick or Hoola Bronzer from Benefit! Wow, there is so much that I would love to own one day!

3. Do you ever feel like you have to gain a sense of self control after starting a blog since there's always so much temptation?
I'm guessing you mean self control in regards to spending money on makeup! Absolutely, since starting this blog my desire to buy more, more, more has skyrocketed as I am constantly aware of what's newly released and popular among other bloggers. Luckily, as I mentioned, being a student I don't have the opportunity to go crazy, but I've certainly had to think about my purchases a lot more!

4. What is your current "Slap on face and run out the door" look?
I have been doing a heck of a lot of this lately!
1. Garnier BB cream for oily skin
2. Face of Australia stick concealer
3. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder
4. Covergirl Lashblast length waterproof mascara
5. Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Balm in Guava

5. What is your favourite makeup brand?
This just about killed me this question! I love Essence because it has a small number of incredible (and cheap) golden products! Maybelline is good for eye products, Revlon wins in the lip department...Face of Australia is just all round amazing...Okay so that's four!

6. What is your favourite skincare product?
A quality moisturiser is the most important thing I can have!

7. What inspired you to become a beauty blogger?
I initially wanted to have a blog full of book reviews but I wasn't confident that I was capable of writing a quality review on a book, and that I would be able to read and review enough to post regularly. I found that it was easier to talk about beauty products so I decided to give that a shot and here I am now!

8. Would you rather wear the same lipstick or eyeshadow for the rest of your life?
Definitely the same eyeshadow (a golden champagne colour that blends into the lid but is still noticeable enough to look pretty!)

So there are 8 questions to get these Q&A posts started...thanks for your questions!

I love...Mango and Papaya Body Butter

Long term readers of this blog would know that I love scented products. It's pathetic - anything that promises to smell nice can suck me in like nobody's business.

When I returned from Cambodia I found this on my desk - a present from Mum! It turned out to be extra special because the scent reminds me exactly of all the incredible fruit drinks and beautiful smells I remember from Cambodia.

Anyway, back to the body butter. When I use a body butter I want something that is quite thick and heavy duty but doesn't leave too much residue on the skin. I dislike products that don't sink in as I find it rubbing off on my clothes and failing to moisturise my skin effectively.

Sadly, this isn't a great love of mine. I find that the texture is quite nice, easy to apply, however it leaves a film on the skin. If I apply this before bed, when I wake up in the morning and shower it comes off all slippery as it has remained on the surface of my skin all night and not soaked in one bit.

I don't need to use all that much product to rub it evenly over my skin, but as I mentioned it is a bit of a waste of time because it simply sits there, doing nothing much at all.

Perhaps I am being a little too harsh after having used Body Butters from The Body Shop, but this is just plain useless in comparison.

Ignoring the product itself, I will say that the packaging is quite lovely. It comes in a little pot covered in love hearts and orange colours to accompany the mango and papaya aspects of the product. I like the approach the brand 'I love....' takes with all their products, although their brand name is such a pain!

Basically, all this is good for is the beautiful fragrance that reminds me so much of Cambodia - the sole reason that I continue to use this product. As for its moisturising properties, it is pretty useless and it also sits on top of the skin and doesn't sink in. I couldn't find how much this costs, but from memory their products aren't super cheap.

I wish I could give this a better score, but for now it gets 3/10.

How to gain followers on your blog

I was recently sent a lovely email from Sophie over at Sophie Isabella asking me for some tips on increasing the success of your blog and gaining followers.

I've been blogging for over 3 years now and I remember when I first started and it seemed impossible that anyone could have over 100 followers! I had absolutely no idea what made a successful blog and how to go about things, so I could really identify with Sophie's email. Here are some things I have learnt as a blogger about gaining followers and maintaining a quality blog.

Be Passionate
I can't stress this enough - being passionate (or moderately interested) in what you write about is the most important thing for a blog. It will be blatantly obvious if you simply don't care about what you write in your posts and will turn people off from your blog in an instant. Additionally, if you have an interest in your blog's content you are more likely to come up with entertaining, creative posts that will keep people hooked.

A picture tells 1000 words
Yes, I know...that is probably the most cliche line ever but it is so true. Accompanying your text with amazing photographs (taken by you, not taken from the internet!) will make the world of difference. Trust me, I experienced this myself when I went from no photos, to terrible photos, to okay photos, to good ones. I am constantly looking to improve!

Find your 'style'
This is a really tricky one, because for some people it can honestly take years. It's really important to have something that people know you by, recognise you for and love about your blog. It could be a particular way of 'signing off' from your posts, a blogging series or style of photos. I still don't think that I'm there completely, but I do have my trademark 'phrases' and way of going about things. I have some quite humorous posts on here at times, but for me, photographing my pictures outdoors is my 'thing.'

Be part of the community
There is nothing cooler than having people comment on your posts and take part in discussions. If you are a new blogger this is the most important thing you could possibly do because it gets your name (and blog) out there and you establish blogger 'friends' who remain loyal to you and spread the word about your blog! Not to mention it is also good fun being a part of the blogging community.

Giveaways
This is by no means compulsory, but taking part in giveaways and holding your own is a great way to increase traffic to your blog (and possibly win some cool things too!). Even though it can be a little pricey, holding a giveaway is an awesome way to gain new followers and find new blogs to follow.

Tag, you're it!
You may have seen blogger tags or 'blog hops' going around. Tags are fun to write, mean that you have another post to upload and spread the word about other bloggers. Get tagging!

Social Media
I can't say much about this one because I don't actually do it myself, but as far as I am aware, having social media (like twitter, youtube and facebook) for your blog increases traffic like nobody's business. It gives you a multitude of platforms to promote your blog and interact with other bloggers and your readers.

Lookin' good
I won't even give a blog a chance if the text is hard to read, the colours unappealing and the layout too cluttered. It doesn't take much to have a simple and appealing blog and it honestly makes all the difference when it comes to keeping people on your page. Make it easy to read and nice to look at!

Followers galore
Ensure that when people have reached your blog and decided to follow you, that it is quick and easy. Have 'buttons' for GFC and Bloglovin' (and other similar platform) so that it is literally as easy as the click of a button.

So there are my top tips for a flourishing blog! If you have any others be sure to comment and let me know. Happy blogging!

Revlon Lip Butter in Gumdrop

It's pretty difficult to escape the hype that breaks out in the beauty world when a new product comes onto the scene. The Revlon Lip Butters caught my attention as soon as they came out, but their arrival in Australia proved a disappointment when 22 dollar price tags were slapped across their pretty quilted packaging. I vowed to pick at least one up, after all I wasn't going to be the only one who didn't have one. Sweet Tart on sale for $15, then Berry Smoothie for $10 seemed like good deals at the time but it got even better when I spotted Gumdrop and Brown Sugar for a measly $4 at Target. Yes please!

Despite that the shade Gumdrop had never caught my attention previously, for $4 I figured I couldn't really go wrong. I've since changed my mind.

If I'm really honest, it's not a horrendous shade. It's not like it's bright blue or tennis ball yellow, but purple lipsticks never have been and probably never will be my favourite, even if they are super sheer.

Gumdrop really is a light lilac shad, glossy and rather sheer but noticeable all the same. It has some tiny, tiny shimmer but it's considerably more noticeable in the bullet than on the lips.

When I apply it on my pigmented lips, it just looks plain ridiculous. It appears as though there is a white/purple cast over my pink lips and it's a little ghostly.  Though I appreciate that the purple aspect of this lip butter is just my personal taste, I don't think anyone finds a corpse lip pretty. It's not an extreme look, in fact, those who are more daring than me in this department would probably scoff at my hesitance with this lip butter because in reality, it's a lot more subtle than it is bold. Still, I know I am not the only one out there who doesn't like to venture into purple lip territory.

Moving on past the shade to the formulation...as is with the case with all their lip butters, they are smooth, creamy and darn easy to work with. They can be applied quickly with no fuss and last a couple of hours (without eating and drinking).

Gumdrop is not nearly as pigmented as Berry Smoothie and Sweet Tart, due to the nature of the colour of course.

The quilted packaging has proven to be a hit with many. I personally don't love it but it's by no means awful either. I love that the colour of the tube changes in accordance with the lip butter shade because it means it is easily identifiable when you are sifting through your lipsticks for the shade you want. The silver tube and black base is classy and stable.

I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with Gumdrop. It's unlikely that I will warm to it and it certainly won't be one of my most used shades, but I feel a bit bad having it sit there completely ignored in my collection. Perhaps I can combine it with another shade that doesn't work either...who knows, but this was a bit of a silly purchase.

Well, for only $4 it's no great loss but I wouldn't bother with Gumdrop if I saw it again. I would love to hear your thoughts about this if you have tried it because I think many ladies out there might get on well with it, but for me it just didn't work.

Sadly I can only give this 6 out of 10.

Travel Times 9

Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain

I'm back! I've returned home after two weeks in Tasmania with the family, followed by a week in Melbourne on school camp. Sadly I didn't take a single photo on camp but I did take some in Tasmania so I'll make a post about that!

In our two weeks there we literally explored the entire island. We started in Launceston and then travelled down the East coast, to Port Arthur, along the south coast to Hobart and then back up to Launceston. 

These photos are from some of my favourite places.

The photo to the left is at Cradle Mountain by the Dove Lake. We spent about an hour and a half walking around this picturesque lake and it was really lovely. 

Below is a photo from Wineglass bay, my favourite place in Tasmania. It was a killer hike down to the bay but it was so worth it! We saw some starfish in the rock pools and a little wallaby came up to eat lunch with us!

Wineglass Bay

The two photos above are sights we saw while driving around the coast. We were lucky to have amazing weather, but there is absolutely no way I would ever contemplate going swimming! Seems such a shame to have such beautiful coastline when you can't use it!

The next two photos above are at the top of Mount Wellington. This trip up the mountain was such an impulse idea but it turned out to be absolutely awesome. I hate the cold and absolutely despise snow, so I really didn't enjoy that expect of it, however the view was just incredible.

While we were in Tasmania we went on SO many walks in the rainforest and along the coast. Russel Falls was one of my favourite inland spots.

Have you ever been to Tasmania? What were your favourite spots?