Obama & Congress Want To Regulate Beauty Marketing!

Obama & Congress Want To Regulate Beauty Marketing

Gotta say that I oh so support this! I am constantly wary when making purchases, like beauty creams for example. The product will make wildly confident statements about the results the product will have. I basically wait until I see/read reviews on a product to find out whether any of the statements the product claims to improve or change is true. How the industry constantly gets away with making said statements is beyond me and its interesting that something might actually be done about it!

Design Moments!

If you haven't previously heard in other posts I've made, I am Canadian but am living in Australia for a while. I am a teacher, and studied to become one here in Australia. That's when I met my very handsome boyfriend Daniel. He's Australian and we decided to stay together despite living in different countries. This has meant that over the past, almost, 3 years we've lived in Australia, Canada and taught in South Korea for a year too.

This year I am here in Australia and living with his wonderful Mother Di! She is a multi talented women who is completely selfless and constantly working, more then just 5 days a week, to care for her children and try and give them a comfortable and happy home. I would say she more then succeeds with this!

On top of all the wonderful things she does, she also has an eye for design. Some days I will walk by an area in the house and just think that the way she puts the house together should be in a magazine!

So this post is to give you a little peek into the house I am living in this year and hopefully give you some inspiration of how to make your own home beautiful!  

This is in the hall when you walk in the door.

This is beside the TV in the lounge room.

This is in the kitchen, in between two big leather couches. 

This is on the kitchen counter. 

I love Di's style! Let me know if you like it too!

Random Shopping Haul!

So this post is a random shopping haul of things that I have gotten over the last week. I got a lot of skin care and make up products and just a couple of clothing pieces to show you.

I should have had more clothes come from ASOS but I stupidly sent the order to the wrong country :S As you might know, I am Canadian, but living in Australia at the moment and when purchasing a few things on ASOS I forgot to click on my Australian address instead of the default and so am basically waiting to receive this package from Canada courtesy of my parents. I think the most frustrating part of this is one of the best parts of ASOS is the free shipping, gah! Silly LJ!!!

So let's start with a product I got from Priceline! I picked up this Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil. I had seen a few reviews online and really like the idea of using essential oils so I thought I'd give this one a go. It was $19.99 for a seemingly small bottle, but you literally use three drops a day. I can't see going through this little guy too quickly. This product is supposed to reduce the oil production on your face over time and evens skin tone, etc. I have liked the feel of the product so far, but can't really comment on its effectiveness as of yet as I have only had it for two days, will keep you updated on how it goes after I've used it for a while.

Next is on the same lines of trying to figure out a new skin regime. I just haven't been too happy with my skin for a while. I have been using a variety of Clinique products over the past few years (and I can't believe I've gone this long without really being happy with the results). I haven't been upset with what the products are doing to my face, but just feel like they aren't really doing anything at all. I went into David Jones today with the intention of finding something new that will hopefully give me some nice results. After pursuing the Kora by Miranda Kerr line (as I have heard good things about her organic skin care) and finding little information, no one to help me with them and pretty high prices, I asked for help and found myself at the Dermalogica counter.

Needless to say, I purchased a starter kit that I am pretty excited about. Not only did I spend a fraction of the cost of the Kora line, I get to try these products out without having to splurge and buy the full product without knowing how my skin is going to react. I have no idea really what the Kora products are like, and I am in no way looking down on them, but it was really nice to be able to talk to and get, what I think is, some pretty sound advice from the Demalogica Clerk. She sold me the Dermalogica Clean Start Kit. I think the name is fitting because this is just what I need, a clean start!

The kit includes smaller sizes of their  Wash Off Cleanser, All Over Clear Mist/Toner, Ready, Set, Scrub! Scrub/Mask, Bedtime for Breakouts P.M. Lotion and Welcome Matte SPF15 A.M. Lotion. It cost $60 for all of this, but these are pretty small bottles, so hopefully its worth the price and lasts a good amount of time.

I really look forward to using these little guys and hope that they work for me! It's been a long time coming since I have bought a new skincare regime and I have been really hoping to find something that works for me! Cross your fingers that this helps me :)

I am feeling lately that after shampooing, my hair still doesn't feel clean. After googling a bit and seeing a few reviews, it seems what I need is a clarifying shampoo. These are shampoos that give your hair a deep clean. You use them about once a fortnight and they get rid of some of the build-up of product that your regular shampoo doesn't get to. I got KMS California Hair Stay Clarify Shampoo. It cost $23, which is most then I usually spend on haircare products, but I won't use it that often, so I think its worth the price. I am really looking forward to giving this product a go and think its just what my hair needs at the moment!

I also slipped into Diva (and forgot to add these purchases onto my haul video! oops!). This shop is an accessories shop and basically carries pretty cheap stuff, but sometimes all you are looking for are some costume jewellery, nothing too fancy, that really adds some pop to your outfit. I wanted some turquoise rings and didn't find any that I really wanted. But, of course, I did find some other things I liked. First was a pair of cute light gold cross earrings, I love these and think I'll get a lot of wear out of them.

Then I saw some clip-on earrings. My mom doesn't have her ears pierced and always has trouble finding new earrings that are clip-ons. So when I saw some I thought it would be nice to send her home a little gifty just cause I love her. Along with the two sets of clip-ons (one set of gold button earrings and one set of turquoise) I found clip-on converting clips. Basically you take a set of dangle earrings meant for pierced ears, take the earring off and attach it to these clips. I know she must have earrings at home that she can't wear so she can convert them now! My mom never buys anything for herself (the opposite of me, I get my shopping gene from my father!), so I really like to send her little gifts! All toll I spent $23 for the 4 things I got, I am not sure home much each was :)

Now on to some clothing! I didn't get much but first went into Sportsgirl and found a simple white tee.  I got a large size so that it hangs loose and long and although not exciting, I just love tops like this, they are so easy to wear and really comfortable! The shirt was $19.99 down from $29.99.

Then I went into Sussan to see if they still had this nice maxi skirt that I had my eye on the last time I was in the store. I didn't buy it the first time around as I thought the price was a bit steep at $79.99. But I have been thinking about it a lot and keep struggling to find things to wear to school. It is the nicest material (stretchy and flowy) and incredibly flattering on. I wanted this skirt because it is so perfect to wear when I am teaching but also is something I'd be happy to wear outside the classroom and I am always looking for pieces like that!

This week I received a package I had ordered on ASOS. I got four different products.

A Rimmel London VolumeFlash Scandal Eyes Mascara. It has a really big brush and adds lots of volume! It was $11.

 An Anatomicals Stop Cracking Up Lip Balm, it is very moisturising and has a sticky look to it like a gloss. The write up on ASOS said that it was Victoria Beckham"s favourite, so that really sold it for me!

A Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lips Coral in Gold Lipstick which cost $8. I love its very orange colour but it doesn't actually last that long on as it is not extremely pigmented. I still like this product because the colour is really pretty.

 Last was an Illamasqua Satin Primer that cost $32. I used this product a few days ago and really loved the effect it had. It made my foundation last a lot longer then it usually does and I was really happy with the results!

So that's the end of my haul for this week. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions at all or just feel like commenting :) Also I did a video on youtube to go along with this post. You can check it out in the link on the right side of this post!

xoxox

Priceline Beauty Bag!

Right now in Priceline there is a great deal on! (http://www.priceline.com.au/payless/free-beauty-bag)

The deal has you spend $60 on particular beauty products, and you receive a beauty bag filled with products with a value of over $220! I heard about his watching a fellow youtuber's video and went to Priceline and took advantage of the deal right away!

First I will share with you the products that I got! I spent $61.89, just enough to get me the beauty bag!

Ecotools Bronzer Brush

(http://shop.priceline.com.au/cosmetics-products/makeup-accessories/makeup-brushes-and-applicators-products/ecotools-bronzer-brush?p=42346)

I spent $15.99 on this brush, which I think is a great price! It was on sale, regular $18.99. It is really soft and a great size! Just what I needed. I also really like the idea of buy an eco-friendly product over another company! 

Two Revlon Colourburst Lipsticks

 065 Rosy Nude

 008 Candy Pink

This was a 2 for 1 deal with the regular price at $23.95, I was chuffed to get one free! I got 008 Candy Pink and 065 Rosy Nude. I love the packaging with its matte quilted look! Both are really nice colours that I am happy with. They don't pack that much colour when on, they are a more subtle option. I am not unhappy with this as when I teach, I have been staying away from wearing lipsticks. The colours I own are quite powerful and I save them for nights out or when I am on my own time. In the classroom, they just aren't appropriate! These Revlon Colourburst Lipsticks (contrary to what their name suggests) are a nice option that I can wear to work. The are also really creamy and hydrating. 

Revlon Colourstay Eyebrow Liner

I was a little nervous when the clerk in Priceline showed me this eyebrow pencil liner, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how natural it looks. It cost $21.95 and usually drawing on eyebrows with a pencil looks bad, but this product contains wax, so it sticks nicely to your hair and makes the price make a bit more sense. It has bristles on the bottom end to brush your brow after application, leaving it look blended and nice!

So those were the items I got which came to a grand total of $61.89! 

Now on to what was in the Beauty Bag:

(The actual bag - pictured above - is by Modelsprefer)

• An Ecotools Loofa
• Priceline brand calming wipes
• Rimmel London Lasting Finish Nail Polish in 025 Strawberry Fizz
• Multi-Purpose Sponge by ModelSprefer
• Matte Black Kohl Eyeliner Pencil By ModelSprefer 
• Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in 006 Pink Sugar
• Nude By Nature Soft Focus Iuminator Liquid Mineral Illuminator 50ml
• 100 Hours Nail Foils 16pc #210 Pink Swirl
• MaXfactor Xperience Volumising Mascara in Black
• Manicare Soft Touch Tweezers 
• Press & Go 24pc Nail Kit
• Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush in Poser
• Mineral Pressed Powder by Natio in Soft Tan
• Savvy By DB Luxury Eyeiner in Illuminating Indigo 
• Innoxa Lovely Lips Lipstick in Passionflower
• Vocher for $10 off any Covergirl product at Priceline

I am really happy with the products I've tried out so far from this bag. The standout favourite at the moment is the Innoxa Lipstick, its colour is so vibrant and lasting. I had never heard of this brand and will for sure check out what else this company has to offer! I also love the Press & Go nails! I have used them before and I will use them again! The package isn't pictured because I got too excited and used them before I took the pictures of everything! I did however take a picture with them on and would really suggest giving these babies a go!

Innoxa PassionFlower Lovely Lips Lipstick

Press & Go Nails

Don't forget to follow my Blog, follow me on twitter @LJ1224 

Thanks for reading and please leave comments if you have any questions, etc! 

xoxox

Make-Up Products Review

I have a real mish mash of make-up lately. I am not very picky about brands and am happy to try new products out all the time. So while looking into my bowl (currently using a bowl, it looks prettier on my dresser than a bag) of make up, I found a couple items that I thought would be helpful to review!

Smashbox High Definition Foundation: (RRP $38.00 USD/30 ml)

(With a quick search I found this website for Australia that you can buy their products from http://au.strawberrynet.com/makeup/smashbox/ I have never used the site, so I can't suggest it from experience!) (The offical site is http://www.smashbox.com/ they don't ship outside the States but have a lot more information then other sites)

So from the look of the picture you can see that I like this stuff! It has I would say, medium coverage. I love a foundation with an SPF and this has SPF 15. It is also oil free, perfect for my skin. It is light to put on and nice and creamy. I use a foundation brush and find this product easy to blend and a little goes a long way. When buying the item I went right to the cosmetics lady in Shoppers Drugmart. If you live in Ontario, I highly suggest using these experts for help! I always ask them a litany of questions (I wonder if they hate me?!) and they are mostly very knowledgeable, helpful and nice! This time was no exception and I found this product easily!

The clerk boasted that this product reflected (not sure if that's right) light, perfect for wearing when you are getting your picture taken. I have found her to be correct! When I am wearing this foundation during a night when I know there will be pictures taken, I find that I have a really nice complexion. Sometimes when I have my picture taken with a bright flash in a dark place, I worry about having a shiny face in the picture, not with this stuff!

So in summary, I think its a great product, would get it again if it were easy to find in Australia! North Americans should enjoy it!

SheerCover Duo Concealer: ($29.99 AUD/0.10 oz)

(http://www.sheercover.com.au/default.aspx)

As you can see, I got this product awhile ago and while I had the colour that suited me (the half that is gone), I really liked it. I do feel I have more negative things to say about this concealer, and about SheerCover, but I will start with the positives.

This concealer has great coverage, which is why I wanted it in the first place. It is a mineral make-up so it didn't make me break out when using it. It works really nicely with the mineral powder (that it comes with in the pack). It is creamy and quite thick, but not clumpy or sticky. Half of the product was a great colour for me and I used it a lot!

That being said, and I will try not to rant, the second half of this product was way too dark for a concealer, for my skin tone even when I am tanned. So it is weird I think that half of their duo should be a great colour for me and the other, way too dark. So I've come to the conclusion that this is because their colour range is too small, so the second colour in the duo is too far different from the first.

This brings me to my next issue with this product. Usually when buying a foundation or concealer, etc. online, I go to the shop where its sold and check out how the colour matches me before buying. I like to buy online because I usually can get a deal, otherwise I'll just get it in store. SheerCover is an online product only. It is part of the Guthy Renker line of products. You will have heard of this company if you know Proavtiv, their most popular item.  My qualm with this company is that you have to do everything online, are asked to sign up and receive the product every 3 months and although they give you a ton of options to return for free , if you are anything like me, you don't return the item if you aren't pleased.

All said and done, I wish that this product was just sold normally in stores. I think they would do a lot better if they increased their range of colours and if you were able to try out their colour range easily in person. I also hate being pressured to buy again when maybe I am not done what I have yet!? For all these reasons, I won't be buying for SheerCover again, as much as I liked HALF of their product! (maybe I just had a bit of a rant there, sorray!)

Maybelline New York Master Precise Liquid Liner: (RRP $10.95 AUD)

(http://maybelline-eyeprecise.com/index.php?n=4&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=+maybelline%20+master%20+precise&utm_campaign=Brand%20-%20Eyes&gclid=CMiEyoGhwq8CFcgopAodihdBYg)

I had made a mental note that I wanted to pick up a liquid liner and so when I saw this in Woolworths I thought that for the price, it was worth giving it a try.

I have not been disappointed with this product. It is really easy to glide on. It gives a nice precise (pun intended) line and really, with liquid liner, that is whole point!

I am not always sold on Maybelline products as they are pretty low end and a lot of the time its worth it to just buy something higher end and put your money toward something that works. This liquid liner, in my opinion, works just as well as some of the high end products. It is also really easy to use. It's pen design makes it easy to dram on verses other liners that your have to use a wand. I'd pick this up if you are in the market for a liner!

Maybelline New York Dream Matte Mousse: (RRP $ 21.95/18g)

(http://shop.priceline.com.au/cosmetics-products/face/foundation-products/maybelline-dream-matte-mousse-foundation?p=35779)

After having some great results with my liquid liner, while walking by the Maybelline section in Priceline, I thought I'd take a second look. I saw this product and thought that it would be nice a a lighter option for days when my skin isn't so bad and I don't feel like slopping on the foundation.

I go back and forth on this product. I put it on again today to try and give it another try and see what I think.

It is for sure a lighter option, with only a light coverage I'd say. It's texture can be described as weird! It's not like anything else I've used. It is kind of fluffy, and velvety to put on but looks more like a powder once it is on. My issue with it is that it moves in to the tiny little crevices on your skin and almost makes them more visible? It does feel nice to use, but I am just not happy with the coverage or effect that it gives. Lastly, I think the price is too high for a low end make-up line and honestly would have rather put my 21.95 to a product twice the price and better!

Lacura Beauty Powder Blush: (RRP $5.99/ 4.5g)

(http://www.aldi.us/us/html/product_range/2744_8642_ENU_HTML.htm) * Also this site says its $.99! That's crazy, I spent more!

So after some searching on the internet I found that this product line is sold exclusively in Australia at Aldi stores. I saw the sample of this while walking through Aldi and really liked its coral colour, I wanted a new blush and thought why not just give it a go?  I really like it! It has lasting colour, a slight shimmer, and has a beautifully soft velvety finish. They come in a variety of colours and I am happy I just went for it and bought this stuff.  I also was really happy with the look of this product, the packaging is really nice. I will for sure be checking out their other products next time I'm in Aldi as so far I have been happy with both of the items I picked up!

If you are in Aldi and see Lacura Blush, give it a try! It is cheap, and in my experience is great quality!

Here is my make-up from today:

(You can't see the blush very well in this, but it certainly looks bolder in real life!)

The products from the post that I used were:

-Maybelline New York Dream Matte Mousse in Nude

- Lacura Blush in Sunset

- Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eye Liner in Black

Hope these reviews were helpful! Please comment if you have tried these and let me know what you thought or if you are going to try them, let me know how they work for you! :)