Essence Extra Long Lasting Eyeliner Pen

Essence, you have disappointed me. I am always out there talking about how great your products are, being all affordable and everything, but your eyeliner pen (the supposedly extra long lasting one!) was an absolute disgrace. Sincerely, Candice.

Yep, this was one of those products that just blew my mind because it was so unbelievably horrendous. As I mentioned, I usually love Essence, I really do. They have awesome nail polishes, the best limited edition sets and my favourite gel eyeliner of all time (though of course it is discontinued) but this was just diabolical.

First up, don't let the packaging trick you into thinking that this will be a product that works really well. Its sleek black pen-like packaging with silver print and claims of 'Extra long lasting' are all just tricks to lure you in. I loved the idea of a felt tip pen for an eyeliner and when I saw the tip I was amazed at how beautifully precise it appeared to be. When swatching it I discovered that it was firm enough to draw precise lines but not too firm that it actually hurts to apply! So far it seemed perfect.



























But here is where it all starts to go wrong. First of all, it doesn't apply on top of eyeshadow well. Imagine it to be an actual texta where you try and draw through the dirt. The texta gets dirt all over the felt tip and suddenly you can't apply any colour...yep, this did exactly that. I could have accepted that little flaw but it really was no better on a naked eyelid. It requires you to go over the line three or four times to actually get some pigment, and even then it looks uneven and has horrid gaps everywhere. It also does not draw a precise line but is all wonky and jagged (and that is not just my application skills!). You cannot draw a wing because it goes everywhere and doesn't apply in a straight line, it's not at all pigmented...I honestly can't find a single thing that I like about the formula!

Then we have the lasting power. Extra long lasting? What a joke! I wore this when I was sitting at home studying and within three hours it had transferred to my brow bone and under my eye - and I know I hadn't rubbed my eyes or anything. I've tried it several times since and the same thing has happened. It honestly just wears off and at the end of the day it has literally disappeared. It would be quite magical if it wasn't bloody annoying!

Sadly I guess that sometimes price does reflect quality. I don't recall exactly how much I paid for this but I imagine it would have been somewhere around $4. It is extra disappointing though because there are so many Essence products that I do love and use all the time, however this is just not one of them!

Since this eyeliner turned out to be hopeless I am on the look out for an alternative eyeliner pen that is better. I would love any suggestions that you have!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Rosy Outlook

How has everyone been lately? Personally, life has been crazy for me and disappointingly this blog has been on the bottom of my list, hence why it's been so quiet around here. Sadly I don't think that is going to change until I graduate from school at the end of this year! Never mind, I'm here with a NOTD in a beautiful warm pink shade from Sally Hansen called Rosy Outlook. 

I was lucky to receive this in a giveaway prize and I have been using it quite frequently since because it is such a gorgeous pink that covers all the requirements:
- Bright and cheery
- Able to match a large variety of outfits
- Not too eye catching and attention stealing yet still pretty enough for people to admire

- Beautiful formula that is easy to apply

- Lasting power and chip resistance (this lasted four days without chipping)

I am really impressed with this polish and know that when summer comes around it will be on my nails a lot. I also love the shape and size of the bottle, there certainly is a heck of a lot of polish here! I've only ever tried two Sally Hansen polishes but both of them have impressed me immensely.  

Even though Sally Hansen polishes aren't the cheapest polishes on the market I am definitely going to add some more to my collection because they are fantastic. What do you guys think of Sally Hansen polishes?

The night time routine I wish I could follow...

I've been watching a lot of get ready with me and night routine videos on youtube and have been astonished to find that other people's lives appear to revolve around beauty and unrealistic glamorous routines. Honestly, these youtubers appear to spend hours on social media, making ten cups of tea and carrying out lush beauty treatments after they get home from work/school. I myself arrive home with exhausted eyes and change from my wrinkled school uniform into pyjamas and school socks, dump my ten kilo bag on the floor and collapse ungracefully onto my unmade bed in a bellyflop whereby I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I was thinking though, if I lived in a perfect world, had nothing to do but pamper myself all day everyday, I would have an elaborate night time routine whereby I undergo a ten stop process to moisturise, soothe and freshen from head to toe. This is what I would do...

Face
- Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser
- Arbonne RE Advanced Regenerating Toner
- B liv Shrink and tighten serum
- B liv Off With Those Heads serum
- Luminesce Night Cream
- Blistex Lip Conditioner

I'm already pretty good with my skincare and never go to bed wearing makeup however it usually stops at the simple steps of a quick cleanse followed with some moisturiser. Ideally I would chuck in a few other treatments too.

Body
- Luminesce Essential Body Renewal moisturiser
- My New Skin balm
- Bio Oil

In terms of beauty, my body is easily the most neglected area because I just forget! I have some great products listed above, I just need to use them more often and consistently!

Hair
- Vitamin E formula mascara
- Salon Confidential R:04 Repair Ends Mender

Last of course is hair, another area in which I am rather careless. My hair is in desperate need for moisture and focus on the split ends. I also won this lash treatment in a giveaway and feel that I should probably put it to good use because who wouldn't want better looking lashes?

But....I just can't see all of this happening! Life is too jam packed with a million other more important things to get done before completely crashing and I just don't think I could squeeze in this elaborate routine too.

For now I guess I'll be sticking to my dodgy ways...

Arbonne Got You Covered Mineral Powder Foundation - Ivory

Mineral foundations are as familiar to me as tightrope walking (ie. not familiar to me at all). When I think of powder foundations I have visions of powdery old ladies smelling of roses with wrinkles full of cakey foundation that smears on your gorgeous black dress as they come to give you a kiss. Of course, this is all based on my imagination for I have never actually tried a powder foundation in my life, but prior to receiving the Arbonne Got You Covered Mineral Powder Foundation I really didn't have high expectations.

As usual when it comes to things I have judged before trying, I was wrong, really wrong. This stuff is kind of great, though it did take a bit of experimentation for us to be friends.

When it first arrived I decided to slap it on as I would a normal foundation, though because it was a powder I simply assumed I would need to apply it excessively and with careless abandon...A word of advice - don't do that. As you might expect, it looked awful. My visions of wrinkly grandmas came true and my face was a fluttery mess of strangely coloured splotches where every time I moved my face powder would burst into the air like a mini explosion of skin coloured confetti. It was bad, my god it was bad.

Nevertheless I can be persistent and chose to be more sensible in my application the second time around. With care and a steady hand I was able to create a respectable base that I could walk out of the front door wearing. I found that there were a couple of issues though:
- It wasn't terribly pigmented. Now I'm not a huge fan of full coverage foundation (I only wear it for special events) however I like a little bit to cover my blemishes. This didn't really do the trick though and I ended up using so much more concealer than I normally would to compensate.
- It didn't last very long. After a couple of hours I felt like I didn't have anything on my skin at all which obviously isn't ideal in terms of practicality. I expect all powders are like this because they can't possibly have the staying power that liquid foundations do, but I was a little disappointed.

A little disappointed in the outcome I chose to give it one more crack and use it in conjunction with my favourite BB cream. It's perfect! I always struggled with oil control and coverage with my BB cream. It was a little too light when my skin was having a bad day and after a couple of hours my T-zone felt a little greasy but these products are a match made in heaven. The Arbonne powder adds a little more coverage that looks so natural but also keeps my face matte throughout the day. I also think when combined with the BB cream it lasts significantly longer, so the performance of both products are amplified when used together.

On another note, I just love the packaging of this product because as is the case with all Arbonne products, it's beautiful and classy, sleek and practical. There is a net that prevents too much powder coming out but isn't too controlling that it doesn't let anything through. The screw top lid and clear bottom looks attractive and is very practical.

I can tell that this is going to be a staple product for my everyday routine although I'm not sure that I will repurchase it, simply because I am a poor high school student with no money to pay $53 for a powder. Still, I really like this product and would repurchase it if I could!

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!

Collective Haul - Books, Boots and Beauty

I've not blogged for a while, and in that time I've managed to accumulate a couple of things here and there which I thought I'd share with you all.

Beginning with the beauty stuff, I was so lucky to win Angel's giveaway which was for the Clearasil Vitamins and Extracts Daily Wash. She was so generous to also include a Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips and the Maybelline Illegal Lengths mascara.

A while ago when Chemist Warehouse had 50% off cosmetics I snapped up two Maybelline colour tattoos as I was dying to try them out after seeing all the hype. I really wanted the Bronze shade but they had run out so I ended up purchasing Barely Branded and Bold Gold, both of which I have enjoyed using.

I was also at Target and saw that they were selling the Party Girlz (ugh that brand name makes me so uncomfortable!) dry conditioners for $1 and dry shampoo for $2 and I simply couldn't resist!

For fashion I made three purchases in Target because they were having a 50% off sale. I really needed some Winter shoes and fell in love with two pairs of boots. The black boots were only $20, down from $40 and the tan coloured boots were $24 down from $50.

I also bought a summery T-shirt (even though it's going to be months and months before I can wear it) for $12. The photo isn't terribly good and does not do it justice but it is a flattering sheer floral collared shirt.

And then comes the books...my goodness have I gone crazy with books lately. I will say though, I only purchased one from a bookstore full priced and the rest were from second hand shops or libraries getting rid of old stock.

The second hand books
- The Piper's son by Melina Marchetta          Free
- The Kite runner by Khaled Hosseini           $3
- My sister's keeper by Jodi Picoult              $3
- Ursula by Eileen Naseby                           $3
- One foot wrong by Sofie Laguna                 $1
- Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut            $2
- The Princess Bride by William Goldman      $2
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen            $2
- Geisha by Liza Dalby                                 $2

The old library books
- A stolen life by Jaycee Dugard                                         $1
- What the birds see by Sonya Hartnett                              $1
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy                                     $0.50
- Room Temperature by Cath Kenneally                            $1
- Ursula Under by Ingrid Hill                                              $0.50

The bookstore book
- Running with scissors by Augusten Burroughs    $20

I think it is pretty obvious that I am such a book worm and am obsessed with collecting books. I am so thrilled that I am able to get some amazing books for such affordable prices. Often I struggle to find decent books in second hand stores but lately I have hit the jackpot.

I feel obliged to give a little warning to some of my readers - I have read some of the books (not all) and many of them aren't appropriate for younger readers. Running with scissors, One foot wrong and A stolen life are ones that I have read which are pretty full on and have disturbing elements within them that would impact any kind of reader, especially younger ones.

Well, that's my haul and I am so excited to play around with all my new things. If you have read any of these books I would love to hear your thoughts because there is nothing more exciting that chatting about books with other people!

Covergirl Lip Smoochies in #luv u

Being a bit of a beauty fiend, very rarely do I come across a product in Priceline that I've not seen or read about before. When I saw the completely foreign 'Covergirl Smoochies' on sale for $3 I knew I couldn't go past it. I have a love for lip balms, particularly those that are tinted and more like a lip butter. This appealed to me on many levels and for such a bargain I had to try it out.

I can see why this initially slipped my attention. It really isn't packaged in a way that I find appealing, and by looking at this I would assume that it is targeted towards younger girls. Now having tried this product I think this may be true because it is a tinted balm that isn't too pigmented, however I would recommend it to adults too because it's just perfect!

I personally don't like the green and pink colours together and certainly dislike the name 'Smoochies' with the 'oxxo' and the horrendous shade name '#luv u." Perhaps I'm just being picky but I think it's just painfully childish. Another thing I can't stand is when a lip product extends beyond the tube so every time you pull the cap off you are at risk of taking a whole chunk out of your lipstick...of course this lip tint is like that!

When it comes to the product itself, however, I simply cannot complain. This is a gorgeous rosy berry shade that suits my lips perfectly. It is most definitely a shade that is wearable for every day but just adds that extra touch to make your makeup look complete. I like that it is not too pigmented but also contains a noticeable amount of colour.

It has a slightly fruity fragrance however there is that underlying traditional lipstick, waxy type scent. I don't notice the fragrance at all when it is on my lips.

Because this is more of a balm than a lipstick, the lasting power isn't amazing however I think it is perfectly reasonable. Due to the fact that this product can be applied without a mirror, it really doesn't cause any kind of inconvenience. I find it to be relatively moisturising and it feels lovely on the lips because it glides on and feels almost silky to wear.

Overall, this is a lovely product however I think it would have been better received in the beauty world had the packaging and overall 'feel' of the product not been so...immature. There really is no point targeting makeup and beauty products to children of 10 years old so I think brands should stick to the classy packaging like Revlon does because it appeals to a larger group of people.

What do you think, am I just being picky?

Essie Nail Polish in Mamba

This blog has risen from the dead and I am back once again after about two months off! It feels a little strange to be honest, and although this probably doesn't make much sense, I'm actually a little nervous! I don't think I'll be posting terribly often because year 12 is taking over my life, but I hope I can post more often than once every two months!

Anyhow, the interesting stuff - Essie's nail polish in Mamba.

This is the first Essie nail polish I ever got my hands on after having spent years drooling at everyone else's Essie blog posts. I knew I needed to try the highly acclaimed brand out, I just couldn't really justify spending twenty dollars on a single nail polish when I had perfectly good brands I could get for less than five. Nevertheless, when they arrived at Priceline for $18 and I had a $5 voucher I snapped it up for $13 and crossed my fingers that it would be a worthwhile purchase. I will add that I was a little skeptical that they were legitimate Essie polishes after Target's MAC debacle but what can you do...

Well, this was very much a worthwhile purchase! This polish is just gorgeous! It is nude perfection in a polish! I usually have a lot of difficulties trying to find a nude polish that is flattering and doesn't wash everything out and this does the perfect job. It also touch dries at the speed of light which is something very important to me because I am so very impatient and also matches almost every outfit.

My only issue is that it chipped after three days even when I was wearing a top coat. Admittedly my nails aren't in perfect condition so that might have something to do with it, but I was a little disappointed especially because they are one of the more expensive polish brands on the market.

Still, I love this polish a heck of a lot and would recommend anyone like me who was a little hesitant to just take the plunge.

Bio Oil and dreaded stretch marks!

Sometimes beauty isn't all that glamorous. Pimples, ingrown hairs, sweat and the topic of this post...stretch marks. Yep, though I'd rather pretend they don't exist the truth is they are pretty much inevitable at some point in your life. Often stretch marks occur when there are great changes in weight thus resulting in the skin being stretched a little further than its natural elasticity allows for. Erin from over at The Beauty Box recently wrote a really great post in more depth about stretch marks, so if you are interested check it out here.

For me, the beginning of my stretch marks occurred during my early teenage years simply as a result of growing up and changing shape as every girl does. Though I'm quite lucky in the sense that I don't actually have that many and they aren't terribly deep, the issue I do have is that at the moment they are dark red in colour. They will fade over time however I'd heard so many good things about Bio Oil and decided to give it a try to see whether or not they would be effective.

I have only been using this for about a month now (and the minimum time they recommend you use it is 3 months) so I don't feel that I can comment on the results just yet but so far I'm really enjoying it. I use it in conjunction with a vitamin E cream, applying this oil at night because it is a little thicker and I don't want it to get all over my clothes, and the vitamin E cream in the morning.

As I mentioned, due to the fact that this is an oil it does leave a slight residue and take a while to soak in. Having said that, I'm really impressed with the way in which it can be massaged into the skin leaving it supple and moisturised without excess residue or oiliness.

This product comes in an easy to use little bottle with a screw top lid. Surprising I don't find that it's all slippery and greasy from the oil, in fact the packaging means that it's clean and simple to use. I'm really glad that the bottle is transparent because you can see how much of the product you have left. I like the simple print and the clear logo on the front of the bottle, with simple instructions for use on the back.

I was surprised to realise that this isn't just for stretch marks, but also aids with scars, uneven skin tone, ageing skin and dehydrated skin. I personally wouldn't use this on my face as I feel it is a little too heavy for that, but it's perfect for use on the body. This is also safe for use during pregnancy.

I find the scent to be quite mild. It reminds me a little bit of the smell of babies but I'm not sure why! Often I find that oils have quite a strong and unappealing scent so I was really pleased with this one.

In terms of the price, if I remember correctly this cost around fifteen dollars for 60mL. I'm not entirely sure how this compares to other oils on the market but I think it is quite a reasonable price considering this will last me for months!

So far I'm quite impressed with this product although I'm yet to see drastic results. I would love to hear your thoughts about this product if you've used it before.

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!