Priceline Skincare bag!

Priceline has on offer another incredible goodie bag of items. So far this year I've picked up the beauty bag and haircare bag. Both were amazing value and I have loved using the many products that come inside. This new bag is a skincare bag and once again I am not disappointed with the amazing value! I absolutely love these special bags full of SO MANY great products that I know and trust and some that I have never used before! 

The trick with this bag is that you have to spend $50 on the brands that are included in the bag to be able to walk out the door with the good bag. What is also great is that Priceline has all of these brands at 15% off during the sale! So not only do I get a huge bag of free stuff valued at over $220, I also get everything discounted! 

So first I will show you what products I picked up to meet the $50 mark.

- Avene Cleanance Spot Treatment Pen
- Avene Cleanance K Skin Care Treatment
- Avene Cleanance Lotioin
- Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towellettes (I knew these would be in the goodie bag, but they were on sale and I needed more towellettes so I thought why not?!)

Here is what was included in the Skincare Bag:

- Aptiva Express Beauty Eye Mask With Grape

- U Little Beauty Hand Cream

- Avene Thermal Spring Water

- Biore Clean Things Up Gel Cleanser

- Dove Silky Nourishment Cream

- Innoxa SOS Skin Oil Aerosol

- Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Lotion 30+

- Nivea Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream

- OXY Zit Blitz Gel

- Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Fragrance Free Body Lotion

- Playboy - Play It Rock Body Spray

- Pure Therapy Intensive Moisture Repaire Gel

- Puretopia Glowingly Smooth Body Polish

- Skinvitals Hydraflex Flex-Cloth Face Mask

- Softlips Vanilla SPF 20 

- Sukin Facial Moisturiser

- Vaseline Aloe Fresh SPF15

- Witch Blemish Stick

- Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towellettes 

(It also included two discount vouchers from Avene and YESto) 

Hope you enjoyed having a look inside the skincare bag! Will you be rushing over to get your very own good bag?! Have you already got a skincare bag?! What did you spend your $50 on & were there any differences in the products your received?!

Thanks for reading & Please follow my blog!

XOXOX

Lust Have It! June 2012

I received my June Lust Have It! box and wanted to share it with all of you! I was pretty impressed again with the things that were inside this month's little purple bag. I love that they are including the bag as part of the service and still providing really great products inside! This month's Lust Have It! included skincare, haircare and some make-up & perfume!

For more info on Lust Have It!, check out my previous post here.

 Keep reading to see what was inside the June Lust Have It!

The pack included: 

LonVitalite 24K Active Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask 5 Pack RRP $59.00

LonVitalite 24K Active Gold Full Eye Mask 5 Pack RRP $45.00

Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo 150ml RRP $9.95

Bloom Glitter Eyeliner Full Size RRP $14.95

Marc Jacobs Lola Sample 50ml RRP $120.00

Roberto Cavalli Eau De Parfum Sample 30ml RRP $80.00

I was really happy with this month's pack! Did you get your Lust Have It! this month?! What did you get?!

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow my blog :)

XOXOX

Review: Adorebeauty.com.au's Super Serums Sampler Kit*

I was lucky enough to get to try out this amazing Super Serums sample kit from adorebeauty.com.au. I was so excited by so many of the brands and products included in this sampler pack. I wanted to quickly make a review and give you an opportunity to read my views before this product sells out. It is only on for a limited time and at an amazing $29(!), I really can't see this lasting long. 

Here is what Adorebeauty Says:

The latest and greatest sampler set has launched exclusively at Adore Beauty!Following hot on the heals of our mascara and fragrance samplers, our serum sampler contains six serums and treatments with products included from SK-II, Lancome, Trilogy, Ole Henriksen, Alpha-H and Subtle Energies. As a bonus, each sampler includes a special code for 10% off the price of any serum included in the set if you choose to purchase one. What a beauty! The Serum Sampler is strictly limited edition, and available only while stocks last for $29.

I absolutely love getting samples of luxury items to try out. Expensive skincare can be really overwhelming! It can be hard to buy an expensive product and just hope that it does what it is supposed to do and hope that you like the product. To fork out the money and then be disappointed can be a real let down! One of the reasons I LOVE getting my Lust Have It! pack is for this very reason; I get to try a product and see if it's something I would really like before having to spend all my money. 

Another plus of sample kits is trying products/brands you might not have heard of. Two of the brands in this pack I hadn't discovered before and it was so exciting researching and finding out information on these amazing brands. The kit is called "Super Serum" for a reason. I am not sure of the actual value you get, but it far surpasses $29! 

As all Adorebeauty packages do, it arrives very professionally packaged and includes two samples and a chocolate treat! It is so nice to get these little extras and really makes you want to continue shopping on this website. I know it sounds silly, but I love getting extras! Maybe part of my time spent in South Korea (the mecca of free samples), made me feel like I am getting ripped off if I don't get a little something more. 

The sampler pack includes:

- 6 luxury sample size serums 

- Detailed information on each item

- A 10% code if you choose to purchase a bottle of your favourite serum from the pack (and trust me it won't be if you want to order one, it will be which one!) 

Here is the information they provided. Most samples had directions for use, although I did have to spend some time on the website looking at some of the products that didn't tell me how to use the product. 

So here is a bit of information on my own thoughts on each product: 

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

This serum is thick like a syrup & it's bright orange colour really reminds you that you are applying vitamin C on to your skin. It has a lovely floral citrusy smell. It absorbs very quickly sinking in completely even before you've finished applying it to your whole face. It does leave the skin feeling a wee bit sticky after application so I would apply after toning but definitely before moisturising with a lotion or cream. It might be something you'd rather use in the evenings. I used this product on my chin as throughout the day I was finding some dry spots I had were starting to get uncomfortable. This serum really did what it said by helping to quickly hydrate my irritated skin. This sample is 7ml and with the 30ml bottle costing $99.00, I think its super value. After one application I could hardly see a difference in the amount of product in the bottle, a little goes a long way! 

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Prep and Prime

This might be the sample I was most looking forward to! I am still blown away at how effective Alpha-H's Liquid Gold is. This Prep and Prime product is to be used in the mornings as the last step in your skincare routine before you apply your foundation. It is said to refine pores and dissolve cell build up on the surface level of your skin. This product also has Glycolic acid in it, the same active ingredient in the Liquid Gold. It is used like a primer (hence the name) but I still use a makeup primer afterwards. I consider this like a primer for your skin, while my makeup primer helps with my makeup's longevity. I like to give it a while before applying anything else to my face, letting it set and wanting it to have a chance to do all the fabulous things its meant to (after I cleanse and tone in the morning, I'll apply this and get my coffee ready, have some breaky and then apply my moisturiser!) It is a water type clear liquid that goes on easily and dries quickly. This sample bottle is 10ml with the full size costing $42.46 for 30ml.

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

This very popular Japanese Skincare line is known for its discovery and use of the natural, nutrient-rich liquid which they call Pitera. The Facial Treatment Essence contains 90% Pitera which is said to refine, restore and balance your skin. This product goes on like a water, and doesn't have a scent that I could smell at least. It feels like your face is wet at first (like you've just splashed water on your face and you want to pat it dry), but that feeling goes away quickly as it dries. I put just 4 drops into the palm of my hand and was able to pat this serum on to my whole face easily, I think this sample will go a long way :) I know the results of using this product come over time, but feel like I have already seen results! I do not suffer from any major pigmentation or discolouration, but when I have blemishes, I find that often they will leave a mark weeks after the blemish is gone. My skin looked visibly clearer and brighter the next day after applying this at night. I like to use this after cleansing and toning, I apply this and wait 15-30 minutes before applying my moisturiser, to make sure the active ingredients are given some time to do their magic before diluting them. This is by far the largest sample in the kit at 30ml and with the 75ml bottle costing $100.00 this is incredible value.

Lancôme Génifique Youth Activator

A milky thin liquid that is said to rejuvinate skin in 1 week with full results after 8, this serum sinks in instantly leaving the skin with a very soft and plump feeling. This product is targeted to a skin type that is more mature, dry and with my skin being a 25 year old combination oily type, I thought it best to get an opinion from someone who could really benefit from this product. My boyfriend's mother was happy to give this product a go and let me know how it felt and worked for her! She loves how luxurious this product feels. She mentioned what a treat it was to use and was quickly falling in love with this silky hydrator. When I checked this product just on my hand I found that it has a really nice consistency, because it is thin, it is very comfortable to put on, not leaving your skin tacky like other serums tend to. The 30ml bottle will cost you $115 and this sample is 7ml, again, this kit delivers amazing value for money. 

Subtle Energies Facial Blend

Never having heard of the Subtle Energies brand, I found heaps of information via the adorebeauty Beauty IQ section of the website, a beauty/skincare lover's dream! This section gave me huge amount of information on the brand, that I could feel confident was well researched and likely right from the source. This company's founder uses Indian sciences as the basis for the skincare line and after reading briefly into the background I could tell that choosing what products are best for you would be a fun and interesting process. You can feel safe in knowing the products you're getting will be great for your skin type! 

This product has a very fragrant smell! It smells very floral and a lot like a mixture of essential oils, I really like the smell but could see it being overwhelming for some. It can be a little confronting for some people to put an oil on your face, I have used oils on my face before and often use products like Bio-Oil and Rose Hip Oil as treatments. I find that when applying an oil to the face, it is nice to gently pat your face with a bit of water first, it will help the oil to absorb into the skin faster. I like to smooth this oil over my face and wait for it to sink in. I love the feel of my skin after using this product and think its perfect to use after getting out of a hot bath or shower during these cold winter months, beautiful product! 

(I wasn't able to find this product specifically on the Adorebeauty.com.au website, but linked the page to all the Subtle Energies products)

Trilogy Rose Hip Oil Antioxidant+

The newest product in the Trilogy skincare line, this product includes Trilogy's famous 100% organic Rose Hip Oil with the addition of red berry super antioxidants. Also an oil, this product can be strange for someone who is not used to applying oils to their face. I love using Rose Hip Oil to help with the production of oil on my face and leave my skin feeling super soft. This product is like a supercharged Rose Hip Oil! The inclusion of other powerful antioxidants means even more benefits for your skin, without having to use any more products. This is the most affordable full size product with the 30ml bottle costing $29.95. It is available at drugstores as well, so it is also the most accessible product, but with adorebeauty.com.au's free samples with every order and amazing customer service, I don't know why you'd buy anywhere else (plus I am a sucker for receiving packages in the mail! It is just so exciting! Is anyone else that way?)! With the price so close to that of other Rose Hip Oils on the market, and the inclusion of other great ingredients, I would definitely suggest this for those out there already using Rose Hip Oil or if you're interested in trying it. 

***

 I really really enjoyed trying out these awesome products. I was definitely more impressed with some of the products then others but not disappointed with anything. I think after continued use many of these products would be much better. A lot of the prices reflect how amazing these products are. I know that as I get older it is important for me to start including more preventative treatments. Cleansing, Toning and Moisturising is just not good enough and I know that if I want to have beautiful skin as I get older, the easiest way will be to start now. Gradually including treatments like serums into my skincare routine is an important step I don't want to skip as my skin matures. That being said, many of these products can really start to rejuvenate your skin if you are older and your skin needs a real pick-me-up!

My favourite products in this pack have to be the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence & Alpha-H Prep & Prime, as they would be the products I would be most likely to use my 10% discount voucher on. It is difficult to even pick two as I could say so many good things about the other products. I think this is such a fun kit to try yourself, or give as a gift! It is affordable and also a way of introducing a fellow beauty lover to a new website they might not now about and be able to try a bunch of great products. It is a great way to kick start using serums in your skincare routine, while caring for your skin!

Have you tried any of these amazing products? Which product looks most appealing to you? 

Thanks for reading & please follow my blog for lots more reviews! 

XOXOX

Priceline Mini Haul :)

I went to Priceline to pick some things up for my boyfriend! He plays a fairly high level of soccer and therefore trains twice a week and plays every Saturday. That also means that he suffers from some injures sometimes and I went to look for a few things to ease his pain. I got a few things for him BUT this trip meant that I walked out with more things I wanted :) I have been eyeing a few things and thought I'd have a look in the makeup section!

Here's a look at some of the products I picked up for me!

Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz

I've seen this around for a while now and have heard good things. I have never used a setting spray but have taken to applying a powder after putting on my foundation or BB cream. I like to press the powder in to make sure I don't disturb the product I already have on & this is working well for me as I have pretty oily skin. I didn't do this one day and even on the way to school I could feel my makeup wasn't going to last long. The issue is, I don't really like the powdery look. This setting spray really takes away that powdery look and also helps to keep my makeup in place!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

I read about this on the lovely ladies at Pixiwoo's website. I am sure you have heard about them if you are someone who loves beauty blogs. They are uber youtubers and uber bloggers and I LOVE their advice. When they said that this foundation was a great dupe for Chanel's Pro Lumiere I was excited by the prospect of this very affordable product that is super easy to find in Australia! I absolutely love the smell of this product! It has a really nice consistency, I've never used a gel formula before and I like it! The only downside (as with many drugstore/high street products) is that the colour selection is very limited. I picked up "Vanilla" but come the summer time this shade will be far to light for me.

Bourjois 2 step Volumizer Mascara 

This was also something I had been eyeing after seeing it on another amazing youtubers Pixi2woo! She loves this mascara, uses it all the time and I love seeing the results it gives. I like the two steps, step one separates and lengthens while step two really gives nice volume! I think I'll like this product a lot!

Soap 2 Go Hand Sanitizer 

I have made a mental note a few times now to pick this up next time I see it, so I am glad I finally remembered! Winter time, especially for a teacher, makes me so paranoid about germs! I am also really trying to clear up my skin and want to be super careful about keeping my hands clean. I am using this constantly to make sure i keep my hands clean while applying my makeup so I keep this on my counter to remind me to always use this. I really think its helping!

What products have you been eyeing lately?!

Thanks for reading & please follow my blog!

XOXOX

This just in Priceline has a new Goodie Bag offer! This time it is a skincare bag! It will be available from June 21 through July 2!

My ASOS.com Fashion Wishlist!

As promised in my last wishlist post, here is my ASOS.com Fashion Wishlist! I talk at length about the website in my previous post, so if you are interested in reading my thoughts, I won't bore you again and just have a look at what I said before. I could add MANY more items to this list, but will stick with a readable amount. 

Hope you enjoy seeing some of the items I'm lusting over from ASOS here: 

ASOS Bright Boyfriend Space Dye Cardigan $59.52

I love this comfy cardigan and its super bright colours! Teals and purples are up there as my favourite colours and I really like the combo that this sweater offers. Its nice and over-sized and long in the sleeves, perfect for this cold Australian winter to keep me warm while adding some needed pep with its bright colour!

Johnstons Cashmere Long Gloves $ 47.61

I have a cropped sleeve jacket that I love wearing, but it doesn't help keep me warm, completely defeating the purpose of wearing a jacket, apart from how awesome it is (the lengths one goes for fashion)! I have been searching the stores here in Australia for a long glove that will allow me to wear my beautious jacket & stay warm! Even though its cold enough to wear gloves, the stores just don't have the selection I'm used to in Canada (wonder why that is :p). I can only imagine how soft and lovely these cashmere gloves are. 

ASOS Eye Ring $13.60

I am loving the new trend of layering lots of rings on many fingers. This eye ring has an Egyptian "all seeing eye" thing going on and I think its pretty cool! I'd like to add it to my collection :)

Pieces Naomi Set Of Four Bangles $8.50

I also really love layering many bracelets and I think this set of four cloth bangles is a steal. I actually prefer the coral coloured set as I'm totally convinced that coral is the new pink ;)

ASOS Long Line Blazer With Double Lapel $127.54

As a teacher, I'm always on the lookout for fashionable work appropriate clothing. I hate buying pieces that I can't wear to work or pieces that I can't wear out, although I have some of both! This blazer is easy to wear to work, especially when I can't think of anything to wear, I could just chuck this on with a nice pair of jeans and be out the door. I could also easily wear this out as its long enough to wear with a tight pant like my leather leggings!

Which items do you think I should go ahead and add to basket?! Are there any pieces you've been eyeing on ASOS?!

Thank you for reading & Please follow my Blog :D

XOXOX

My ASOS.com Beauty Wishlist!

I really enjoyed writing my adorebeauty.com.au wishlist and hearing about what items you have been lusting over! I thought it would be fun to share with you some more wishlist items I have on the go at asos.com.

If you haven't heard of asos.com I am truly sorry to your bank account for letting you know about this incredible website. Based in England, ASOS carries hundreds of fashion and beauty brands including their own line. Some great qualities of this website are its free shipping (on any $ amount & to anywhere in the world!), its incredible range of brands to choose from and, how well they picture the items (with video of fashion items that really helps you to see an item and how it moves - sometimes I see a picture, think it doesn't look so good but then I watch the video and change my mind, and visa versa unfortunately!).

ASOS.com allows me to access brands that aren't available in Australia and even sometimes get products that are available here but at cheaper prices (this usually happens with the beauty products, while sometimes Australian brands, like Minkpink for example, cost more on asos.com).

I will mention that it's not all good. I recently purchased two little rings with letters on them (my initials). I thought they looked alright on the website, but when they arrived, one was already broken! It was pretty cheap quality and was for sure not worth the money I spent on them. The positive of this is that asos.com has an amazing returns policy and if you are unhappy you just have to send the item back with the included postage paid label and you'll be re-embursed! 

I spend hours on the sight just browsing the many many beautiful things they have from cheap and cheerful ASOS brand clothing all the way up to designer duds like Sass & Bide and Rag & Bone. Whenever I see something I really like I will save it to a wishlist and mull it over for a while until I decide whether I really want it or not. Because I have a huge list of things I want, I thought I'd split this post into two and just show the beauty products this time and later I'll post my fashion picks!

So here you have my ASOS.com Beauty Wishlist:

(All prices in AUD)

Stila In The Light Eye Shadow Palette $42.51

Stila is a great brand and only sold in Australia online. The online prices are higher then the asos prices and they usually don't offer free shipping. So even though you are getting the item from much closer then the UK, you are going to spend more! I love this palette for its brightening colours and that it includes "Kitten", arguably Stila's most famous eye shadow colour. 

Xen-Tan Premium Sunless Tan Dark Lotion Absolute LUXE $68.02

I regrettably admit to going to tanning-beds in the past, but can honestly say that I will never again go near one. I was young and uninformed about the dangers involved in exposing my skin to the harmful rays of un-natural and natural tanning. With what I know today, I couldn't possibly do any kind of tanning other then the fake lotion/spray/mousse etc. kind! I have heard about the amazing results of Xen-Tan and would love to have this lotion to make my pale winter skin look lively again!

Bourjois Bronzing Powder $11.89Bourjois is a French cosmetics line that is sold in drugstores like Priceline in Aus, but this particular product isn't available and the products that are available are around $3-5 more here. This bronzer has been given great reviews everywhere and apparently smells like chocolate, bonus! 

JK Jemma Kidd Mannequin Skin Perfector Kit $21.26

I hadn't heard about Jemma Kidd before my obsession with all things beauty related started about 6 months ago. Now I can't stop hearing about the many great products made by this brand. This corrector kit looks really good and at the price, seems like great value. 

Katy Perry For Eylure Double Lash 'Oh My' $11.90

I was so excited to hear that Katy Perry started a lashes line and thought that it really suited her. She always seems to have lashes on so in turn must know what she likes. I don't like when celebrities bring out lines of products they probably know nothing about. How amazing are these super dramatic fluffy double lashes?! These are really affordable and not easy to find in Australia. 

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer $8.50

I absolutely love Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation and as you can read in my post here. So when I saw this concealer on the website I knew it would easily make it on to my wishlist. I haven't yet seen this product in stores, but can imagine its on its way with the foundation popping up EVERYWHERE. The foundation is about $4 less on ASOS then in your local Target, KMart or Priceline, so I can bet the concealer will be cheaper too!

I wish I could scoop all this up and be anxiously awaiting another asos.com package with a weeks time! Alas, I'll have to keep my purse-strings tied as this haul would set me back a fair amount! 

What have you been looking at on asos.com?! Have you ever used the site & if so, what are your favourite things to buy?!

Thanks for Reading & don't forget to follow my blog for another ASOS fashion wishlist coming soon!

XOXOX

Design Moments 2.0!

My last Design Moments Post was really fun to create & take pictures of and honestly inspired me to try and make my spaces more beautiful! I'll mention again that I live with my boyfriend's beautiful family while here in Australia. His amazing mother cares so much for her children and also somehow finds time to create beautiful spaces around the house that are always changing. I love waking up to see different arrangements so beautifully put together. 

I feel so inspired looking at these spaces, hopefully you will too! Enjoy!

What makes you feel inspired in your home? 

Thanks for Reading & Please follow my blog & Make my day :D

XOXOX

Sentimental Jewellery

I am a sucker for Jewellery and love buying costume pieces that are fun and really add something to my outfit. At the same time, I own a few special pieces that I would be devastated to lose. When I wear these special pieces, I really stop and think about what they mean to me. I don't wear these often and thinking about them reminded me that I should enjoy them and try and wear them more often!

For today's post, I wanted to share the few sentimental jewellery pieces that I have and hopefully it will inspire you to find those special pieces of jewellery that you own, bring them out and enjoy them too!

 I was given these two necklaces by my sisters at their weddings. They were the bridesmaid favours and instantly bring me right back to their special days. I will always cherish these. 

 This Bell necklace was a gift from my parents when I graduated from my teaching degree. My mother is my inspiration as she is also a high school teacher and constantly shows me what I aspire to become one day. She is widely respected and deserves every praise she gets. When she graduated from University, she was also given a school bell & she wanted me to have the same. This necklace is so delicate and actually makes a sweet little sound when I wear it. 

 Quite a few years ago now I remember telling my eldest sister Jill that I wanted my then boyfriend to give me some jewellery for my birthday/christmas (the downside of a Christmas Eve birthday). She told him about it, and I think gathered that I wouldn't be getting anything like that from him (hense, "then" boyfriend jk). In turn, she bought me this beautiful Swarovski necklace and said "You might not get any boyfriend jewellery, but you now have sister jewellery". I love this necklace and its so special to me!

 My most recent sentimental jewellery I got from my sister Katie and her Husband Ben for Christmas 2011. They are living in jollie ol' London England at the moment and with me living in Australia, the time difference makes it so darn difficult to Skype! My family picks names for gift giving at Christmas (with 8 people in my family plus significant others, it would be crazy not to!), but Kate and Ben were so sweet to bring all of us a little British treat! Myself and two of my other sisters (I know its confusing, I have a lot of sisters!!) got these beautiful Diana/Kate look-a-like rings! I have always lusted over this ring & want to have sapphires on my engagement ring one day! I love wearing this and getting lots of comments from people throughout the day (depending on the age of the mentioner its either Diana's or Kate's ring! ha). When I look down it also reminds me of my beautiful sister over in England whom I miss dearly and wish I could talk to more often!

 My mother doesn't have pierced ears! She was given this gorgeous pair of culture pearls from a dear friend of hers who told her "Every women must have a pair of real pearls". My mother graciously accepted and felt it unnecessary to mention that she couldn't wear them. I always loved these delicate earrings and had wore them a few times before being given them. When my grandfather passed away in 2007, my mother came into my room one night, not many days after his funeral, and thanked me for being a strong support for her. She gave me these earrings as a thank you and even writing this I still get emotional and always remember what a special moment that was. 

Lastly, my name necklace! My amazing (now hehe) boyfriend gave me this beautiful piece for my birthday while we were living in South Korea. So you can deduct, if you didn't already know, that this is my name in Korean writing or Hangul. I had always wanted a name necklace and this one is so much more special then I ever imagined. A memory of my time spent in the beautiful county as well as a very thoughtful gift from my boyfriend, this necklace is so important to me :)

Do you wear your sentimental jewellery often? What pieces do you have that are special to you?!

Thank you so much for reading & Please follow my blog :D

XOXOX