Natural Products I Regret Buying!

1) Yes to Cucumber Facial Towelettes 30 pack    RRP  $7.99 AUD  

 These were so disappointing, I mean it's not like it's super cheap or anything, anyway these would make my skin burn. I do have very dry and very sensitive skin, but I have read reviews where other people were complaining of their skin burning too and they didn't have sensitive skin. The cloth itself is too thin and I don't think it holds enough of the product. Removing make-up with this was always way too time consuming, it would take way too long to get make-up off and it felt like it was never  ending, so I would removed my make-up with olive oil then to use the rest up I used these to remove the oil and as long as I used a cleanser to wipe of the product my face wouldn't burn too much. Plus it dried out my skin a lot!!

So if you're thinking of buying a more natural make-up removing towelette, don't buy this if anything try the yes to blueberries  towelettes I have not tried them myself but they would hopefully be better than these. Or I think Burt's bees have some, but again I have not tried those either I DO NOT recommend these!!

2) Merry Hempsters, Vegan Hemp Balm, Vanilla Lip Balm 4 g   $1.92 USD

 This smells disgusting, I cannot get passed the smell because I hate it that much!! You cannot smell any vanilla in it at all.  It's actual performance as a lip balm isn't good either; hydration is crap, it's below average, it's too thin for me and doesn't last long so this is a lip balm I would not recommend! If you are desperately looking for a vegan lip balm, personally I would suggest you keep looking, I suggest Crazy Rumors as it works wonderfully!

3) Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser 125mL    RRP $9.95  AUD

 This was bought by accident, it came in a 3 pack and I thought I was buying a moisturiser and I am not super impressed with the ingredient list in this product. After learning more and more about ingredients the more I realised Sukin isn't as good as I initially thought, some products do contain PEGS and Phenoxyethanol, along with a couple others that I just personally try to pick products without those ingredients.

Anyway that is why I regret buying it, ingredients and the fact that I didn't need it! Sukin isn't the worst brand or anything so if you are wanting to ease into more natural products it's probably the brand to start out with because it is more affordable but if you are more strict with your ingredients you might not like Sukin as much as other natural brands.

Plus although they say this is for all skin types, I don't think this cuts it for my dry skin. It didn't dry it out from memory but it didn't provide enough moisture for me either, so it wasn't moisture stripping but I didn't give my skin what it needs. 

4) Moogoo Fresh Deodorant Cream  RRP $8.50 AUD

I know so many people love this and to be honest I don't know if it's good or not because I started to use it and one day I saw there was little black dots on the deodorant (keep in mind it hadn't been opened very long) first I thought it was lint from clothing but it didn't look like it close up, so maybe it was mould? I have no idea and I couldn't return it because I had thrown out my receipt  so I have practically a full bottle of deodorant in my bathroom just sitting there and it wasn't cheap either, a waste  :(

5) Sukin Antioxidant Eye Serum 30mL     RRP $19.95 AUD

I brought this on a whim in a little 3 pack, and because it was named something different than what it was previously called (Sukin changed all their packaging a while ago and changed up some of the same of their products), so with the different packaging I assumed it was a different product from the Sukin eye serum I had previously bought (I can't remember the exact name of what they called it before the package change but I will find it and update this post). I checked the ingredients of both of them and they were exactly the same and I had no intention of repurchasing this eye serum again because I have found better products and again there are some ingredients in Sukin products that I don't like so now I'm stuck with it, waste of my money, I feel a little tricked.

6) Sukin Natural Deodorant 125mL     RRP $5.95 AUD

 Basically it doesn't work for me, it didn't stop any odour, within a couple hours I would smell, plus it contains Phenoxyethanol which is an ingredient I try to mostly avoid specifically in skincare/ deodorants. 

7) Sukin Rose Water Spray (Hydrating Mist Toner) 125 mL    RRP $9.95 AUD

 It contains Phenoxyethanol and I didn't realise when I first got it.  This could have been a coincidence but the first time I used it, I had an allergic reaction that day where my skin goes all bumpy, this could have been something else though that I used that day, but I haven't used it since so I don't know for sure. Anyway I have found a similar product without the Phenoxyethanol so I prefer that instead. 

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in its deceiving packaging

Inside the deceiving packaging; the size of an average lip balm

Swatched on my extremely white skin

8) Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in "Pink Blossom"    RRP    $14.95

The reason why I regret buying this, is the colour. It has nothing to do with the product or the niceness of the colour in general, it's that it isn't too far off my own lip colour but only very bright and I really don't like bright colours on my lips. So it is a waste of money since these tinted lip balms are so overpriced it's ridiculous but that's the only reason. I would have preferred if I had bought 2 of the "Honeysuckle" colours rather than one and one.
I mean some people might love this colour, it is a nice colour, it's just not for me. It's a bright pink on me and I just can't pull of bright or dark lip colours. I think also because I am so pale that it looks so bright but if you have tanned skin or even just some colour to your skin it will probably  look really nice. I think they have changed the name of this one from looking at their website.



From the picture of this tinted balm on my skin it doesn't look too bad, I know the light is washing it out a tiny bit. I feel it just doesn't look good on my lips with my skin tone, personal preference. 






Note: I will be updating this post with the rest of the pictures soon, I just haven't found all of them yet (my room is a big mess at the moment). 

10 Make-Up Tips

Tip # 1

To make your lips look bigger and more "pouty" highlighting above your cupids bow can transform your lips into looking more fuller than what they actually are, either using a stark white colour or an off white colour then blending it so that it is subtle enough for it not to look like a patch of flour on your face but a soft light be shone on that area. Personally I prefer matte shades. After highlighting the cupid's bow, I then highlight underneath by bottom lip in the middle and blend that out, your lips will look the best. If you want to take it to another step after this you can put some shiny or slightly shimmery gloss in just the middle of your lips, it should look to crazy, subtle but a noticeable difference.

Tip # 2 

When you are wearing a darker lipstick, whether that is a red or berry or whatever else, the best option is to first use a lip liner to outline the shape of your lips to ensure a perfect and precise lip shape rather than a messy/ rough application and sometimes to make sure you lipstick lasts longer you can put the lip liner all over your lips. If you don't have a lip liner, no big deal. Get a precise brush, maybe an angled eyeliner brush or a small concealer brush with precise angles, dip it into your lipstick so you can line your lip shape then apply the rest of your lip colour with either the lipstick tube or that precise brush. After that get a tissue, blot the excess lipstick from lips onto the tissue and then apply the lipstick again and repeat the blotting step and then again. This wont look cakey because you are getting rid of the excess and using the lipstick almost as a stain underneath the last layer of lipstick, hopefully that makes sense. 

Tip # 3

Everybody's eye shape is different so when you are trying to recreate a look from youtube or a celebrity look you should use the look as a rough guideline rather than a stencil because sometimes the exact recreation of a make-up look on yourself will not look the same or even suit you, so whenever you are recreating a look or  are even just doing your make-up in general always keep checking how your make-up looks with your eyes open. 

Even before you properly start doing your make-up, softly do an outline of the shape you want your make-up to be in while your eyes are open so that you can follow that guideline, use like a pale colour that you can see or the colour you will be using. Knowing the shape that suits your eyes is different for everyone, because everyones eye shape is different so it does take some practice but that's ok, when you do that outline you will avoid getting carried away this is more a  beginners tip. It's for when you are getting use to your eye shape and what make-up styles and where you place you eyeshadow look good on you, to compliment your eye shape.

Tip #4

Lip liners are wonderful for making your lips appear bigger and fuller, you aren't using a lip liner right if you can actually see an obvious line around your lips and then a different lip colour shade, that's a BIG no, no. The lip liner should be the same colour as whatever you'll be wearing on your lips whether that is a lipstick, tinted lip balm or matching it to you natural lip colour if you just want to wear a lip balm. You either go on the lip liner or ever so slightly above the lip line and if there are any visible lines you BLEND it out, it should be natural looking and it will totally transform your lips. 

Just make sure when you line your lips use soft small strokes rather than just tracing around your lip line in one stroke. 

Tip #5

When you are doing a make-up look, you should always apply the colours softly and make sure you blend as you go, for 2 reasons 1; it's easier to add more colour later rather than take off colour which can wreck the make-up you have already applied and 2; blending as you go is so important, you don't leave it to the end because it will be harder to get a nice seamless look. 

It will take more time and effort if you leave blending until the end of the look. Remember the difference between professional looking make-up and amateur looking make-up is the blending, if you are blending everything out nicely and have a nice gradient effect you will have a professional look, if your make-up is basically just placing eyeshadow on the lid and not blending or minimal blending,  honestly it's going to look silly. 

Tip # 6

Light colours bring features OUT and dark colours bring features IN!!

 This is one of the most important tips to remember when you are doing make-up, whole face make-up not just eyes or face. 

An example; someone who has very close set eyes has to make sure not to bring dark colours in too much because this will further bring the eyes in even closer, instead you make sure to put lighter colours in the corner of the eyes to create  the  illusion of separation. 

Another example; if you have deep set eyes (like myself) you have to be very careful with dark colours on your lid, so if I was doing a really dark smokey eye on myself and decided "you know what I just want a one colour smokey eye" if I were to place just a dark colour on my eye lid and blend it a little I would look beyond ridiculous, I would have to make sure I bring the colour up above the eyelid to that meaty part of your eye (above the socket line would be an easier way to describe it lol) to even out the look, anyway the rule with deep set eyes is to keep lighter colours on the lid to bring them out.

Another example; the reason why we highlight the top of our cheek bones is to create the effect that you have these stunning cheek bones that are protruding out.

Tip #7

If you have very small eyes, this tip is connected to tip #6, you should avoid putting dark colours on your waterline, instead either whites, off whites and creamy flesh toned colours will open up the eyes and give the illusion of bigger eyes. To take it to the next level either getting a medium brown, dark brown or even black eyeshadow or eyeliner and blending it on your lower lash line will help make your eyes look even bigger, either going 3/4 of the way or the whole way depending on how that looks with your eye shape and blending it to look more natural. If you are very pale and are going for a natural look you are best to start out with a medium brown eyeshdaow/pencil because the look can be a bit much. And after this curl your lashes and put on mascara.

NOTE: Flesh coloured pencil on the water line looks much more subtle and natural than a stark white.

Tip # 8

Droopy eyes or "sad eyes" are when your eye shape is pointing/ going downwards (like my sister), and when I do my sisters make-up it's really important that I don't put eyeshadow or eye liner or the lower lash line, or if I do I just put a little on the outer edge and make sure that I do it on an angle so that it's bringing the eye up. It makes such a difference, once I experimented putting eyeshadow across the whole length of her lash line and it just bought her eyes down, when I left it alone and just put mascara her eyes looked much better! I also made sure that the colour I put on that outer edge was subtle too. 

Tip # 9

CURL YOUR LASHES!!!!! This is a pretty standard tip but not everyone does it but it is so, so, so important for all eye shapes (especially small eyes) and anyone who wears mascara. Curling your lashes just opens up your eyes instantly like nothing else. If you don't curl your lashes before mascara it can in my opinion really let down a look, if your lashes are droopy then it brings down your eyes. Curling your lashes even makes more matures eyes look younger because it's like an instant painless (as long as you are curling your eyelashes right) eye lift. I love curling my eyelashes so much I even do it when I'm not wearing make-up because I look more awake more fresh, just better!! 

It's hard at the start, I mean when I first started curling my lashes I SUCKED at it but I practised so much that I got much better at it and I rock at it now as long as I have a mirror lol. 

Tip # 10

If your neck is lighter than your foundation on your face please, please bring it onto the neck. It is a horrible look when there is a visible foundation line across the jaw, even if you are lucky enough to be all one colour  which is more rare since it's harder for the sun to hit under your chin, still blend the foundation OVER the jaw line. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this, and it doesn't look good. Of course it's hard to get it to look perfect but blending it down the neck will just help the difference look subtle rather than very obvious when you can see a visible line, it looks very fake and I hate to say it but cake facey.

If anyone would be interested I might add some pictures to some of these tips to show everyone what I mean to get a better understanding of the tips I have outlined.

Anyway let me know if you like these tips and if you haven't already, give 'em a go :)

10 Beauty Skin Tips

1) After plucky your eyebrows, go over the brow area (where you plucked)  with toner, WHY? to close the pores because after plunking the hair out, the pore is open and dirt and bacteria will get into that pore more easily.

2) Exfoliating; so, so, so important! With me my skin is very dry and needs a lot of exfoliation, personally I find a lot of exfoliating scrubs either don't do enough for me or they are too harsh, another alternative to buying those scrubs is using a face washer/ small towel. Wet the towel, get rid of the excess water and gently scrub your face in circular motions, you can do this lightly daily or every few days. So no need to buy a scrub, of course if the dead skin cells are still not all coming off (like with my skin) then other methods should be used too but for most skin types this will be enough. Of course make sure to moisturise after!!

3) Natural oils, I have so many I've lost count they are amazing for your skin, an easy way to use them is putting a few drops in your moisturiser everyday, 2-4 drops is more than enough in your moisturiser depending on your skin type. Another great use for oils is to use around your nails to soften the skin (helps avoid painful peeled skin pieces around the nail) and help soften the cuticles and keep the nail area to be more healthy. 

4)  Put lip balm on always before bed, your lips will be so smooth in the morning, really lather it on.  Tip: to help repair your lips from any bad condition, mix 1 NATURAL vitamin e capsule with some unrefined coconut oil and apply it every night and then apply a natural lip balm during the day.

5) Use a shower cap to let hair conditioner soak into the hair more and do a better job at softening the hair. The heat will help to soften and more deeply conditioner the hair.

6) Use coconut oil and shea butter for smoother underarms. Especially if you are a frequent shaver, it really damages the underarms and coconut oil offers so many benefits for the skin, one being it will help the skin heal from shaving, two it is antibacterial plus a lot more benefits and shea butter will help keep the moisture and soften the razor bumps as well as other benefits too. 

7) Yellowing nails? Rub a little bit of lemon on your nails, or even soaking them in some lemon juice, if that's too strong dilute it with some water and continue to use it until you see results.  WARNING: If you have split skin or cuts around your nails don't use the lemon until cuts are healed otherwise it will burn!!!!!

8) Use natural oils for moisturising around the eye area instead of thick creams. Using a little bit of oil such as jojoba, coconut, almond or rosehip oil  for example is a great way to moisturise the whole area around the eye without the heaviness an eye cream gives. Heavy eye creams can cause milia and white heads, so to give your skin a break at night time instead of using the same eye cream you use during the day, use a little bit of oil. Of course you can use it during the day as long as you aren't wearing make-up.

9) Use shea butter as a moisture sealer, for example after applying some jojoba oil around the eye area, to make sure that moisture is sealed apply a very small dab of shea butter over the area.

10) When you are cleansing you should always let the cleanser sit on the skin for a while to let all the ingredients soak in and do their job, whether it's to hydrate the skin or help clear acne whatever the cleansers purpose is, it needs more time than a minute on the skin. You should always make sure to really massage the cleanser into the skin, really work the cleanser into the skin then let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Cleansers staying on the face for 1-2 minutes will not be giving the skin the full benefits. Even if you leave it for 5 minutes in the morning and go for the 10 minute mark at nigh time and then massaging it for a few minutes which stimulates blood flow which is also good for the skin too. 

This is a pretty standard tip in my opinion but I know a lot of people don't think about cleansing like this or they just don't do it this way, but you really should give it a go.

Please comment if you try any of these tips and tell me if they have helped in any way :)

iherb haul #3

I did another order because there were a few thing I really wanted to try but with the Australian dollar being not as good as it usually is I thought just in case I would put another order in.

This is a small haul because I have left out all the food products I bought cause I wasn't sure if that was interesting to anyone, plus they were mainly all gluten free. So instead I am just including the non-food products :)

I do realise I have been doing a LOT of hauls (remember my username is shopaholic555 for a reason lol) but after this one there is only a vitacost order coming soon that I will be doing a haul with and then I will take a break from them (hauls) because I am sure that they might be a bit boring for you all. Anyway on with the haul :)

1)  Keeki Pure & Simple Nail Polish, Top Coat

In my recent iherb order I bought a mineral fusion top coat, I have used it and wowzers it has a strong, strong smell I got this one hoping that it will have a lighter smell because this one is water-based.

2) Badger Company, Sore Muscle Rub, Extra Strength

 For my mum I got this, she always has aches and pains so I thought I would get her this, hopefully it helps.

3) Acure Organics, Sensitive Facial Cleanser, Argan Oil & Probiotic, Unscented 118mL

I've been using my Moogoo milk wash (I think that's what it's called) to cleanse my face with my clarisonic, so far I think something is missing, my skin isn't as soft as I was hoping it would be and I am thinking a cream cleanser is a better option for me, even though the moogoo is gentle and kind to the skin, I feel my skin needs more moisture from a cleanser which is why cream cleansers are my favourite and I've heard good things about Acure Organics so I am hoping this will help improve my skin.

  

 4) Acure Organics, Sensitive Facial Cream, Argan Oil & Probiotic, Unscented  50mL

I thought I would give this a go since I am using the matching cleanser, plus I like how this for night and day plus my skin is so sensitive and I just prefer my moisturisers to be unscented since I get headaches so easily when I don't like a smell. It's very small but I am hoping it will have great results!! and hopefully I wont have to use too much product.

  

5) Acure Organics, Eye Cream, Chlorella & Edelweiss Stem Cell  30mL

This is for me and my mum to share, I have these lines underneath my eyes, they're not super bad or anything but I would like to decrease them a bit and reduce the likelihood of them worsening. I am a big believer in moisturising around the eye area at any age (I'm 20) whether it's with a moisturiser, gel or an oil I think it's a necessity that is overlooked. 

6) Nature's Way, Activated Charcoal 100 capsules

So, so, so excited to use this!! This is one of the products I was referring to in my latest post, I am going to experiment with this to whiten my teeth as I have done some research and found out that some people use it to whiten their teeth and get results right away! I really, really, really hope this works!! I will make sure to do a blog post on this!

7) EcoTools, Naturally Beautiful Lash System "Soft & Dramatic"

I actually think these are nicer than the pair I bought in my iherb order before this. They look really beautiful, I like that they're dramatic and a little wispy so I got these for a wedding I am going to later on this year.

8) EcoTools, EcoPouf Bath Sponge

My favourite bath sponge/ loofah, so cheap! Only thing is I think they have changed what the holder string thing is made of which sucks because one of mine broke so I can't hang it in my shower any more :( I hadn't even had it for long.

9) Swisspers Organic Essentials, Triple Size Cotton Balls, 80

I am running very low on these so I bought another packet since I probably wont buy form iherb for a little while. These are my favourite cotton balls.

10) Earth Therapeutics, Exfoliating Hydro Gloves

I use to have a pair of these exfoliating gloves but they were pretty cheap (in quality) plus they ripped a little and were too harsh, I think I had gotten them from Kmart, anyway I had to throw them out and because of my skin being so flakey I thought I would see if this brand is any better. 

For anyone's first purchase at www.iherb.com you can use my referral code QUM327 to receive $5 off  an order under $40 and $10 off an order over $40.

If you use my code I do receive a small commission percentage of your orders placed.

Tips for Oily/ Acne Skin

Tip #1

Make sure to regularly change your pillow case, this goes for everyone obviously but even more so for anyone who has issues with pimples/acne and oily skin, the bacteria will just be accumulating on your pillow and will be back on your skin every night, GROSS!

Tip #2

Don't touch your face!! I do this myself sometimes but touching your pimples and your face a lot spreads the pimple bacteria and also spreads the germs from your hands to your face YUCK!!

Tip #3

Start using a natural toner either specifically for oily skin or a better toner is a home made apple cider vinegar toner, diluting it with water for more sensitive skin (there are dilution ratios that you follow for different skin types I will try to find that website), but apple cider vinegar has a lot of benefits such as helping pimples, helping the pH levels of the skin etc. Apple cider vinegar does a lot of good for the skin so if you are suffering from pimples/acne and oily skin I would strongly suggest trying this as one of the first things you do.

Tip #4

For oily and more so acne skin, find cleansers or face cleansing bar soaps that contain tea tree and other naturally antibacterial ingredients. An example is Nubian Heritage, Lemongrass & Tea Tree Soap, With Orange Peel as it contains tea tree, lemon grass, orange oil and coconut oil which are all naturally contain antibacterial properties.

Tip #5

Using a cotton pad and then squeezing some lemon juice onto it and rubbing all over your face will help the pimples and oiliness because of it being antibacterial and is a natural astringent (closes pores). First test this on a small part of your skin too make sure it isn't too harsh (because lemon is very, very harsh) or dilute it with water if it is. You can let it sit on the skin for a few minutes as long as it isn't hurting then wash it off. If you have open pimples I would stick to honey on those until then heal a little otherwise it will sting like hell.  Even using this as a natural toner to close your pores and help with oiliness and pimples is good too, then just splash some cold water on your face. Use this maybe 1-2 a week as a treatment. If you use it as a toner, don't use too much lemon and make sure to dilute it with water, as using lemon everyday may be too harsh so diluting with water is a MUST!!!

Tip #6

Stick to more powder based make-up as liquid make-up is 1) more likely to clog pores and cause pimples or even worsen them 2) powder will help with "soaking" up some of the oils being produced 3) less make-up is better so instead of liquid foundation then setting it with powder which is heavy for the skin using just powder is being nicer to your skin and of course you should try to keep it mostly to natural ingredient make-up.

Tip #7

HONEY!!! Using honey as either a mask or a "spot treatment" or even as a cleanser, why? as most people would know honey is antibacterial and I have noticed it would help heal my  pimples quicker. Some people use it as a cleanser, so you would just rub it all over you face let it sit for maybe 5 minutes (there are different ways you can do this) then wash it off with warm water. A mask you simply put it all over your face or even just your problem areas and let it sit for as long as you want, in my opinion the longer the better same as when you would use it as a spot treatment, the longer the better and it works great if you continue to use it, don't just do it once.

Tip #8

Don't do your whole skincare ritual right before bed, this is for everyone the reasons 1) you skincare products will not have settled into the skin yet and will still be on the surface so a lot of that will then go onto your pillow which your skin is then missing out on the full benefits of the products and it's a waste because of product too 2) skincare products will be collecting in your pillow case more so which will then have more bacteria, yuck! So try doing it a few hours before bed.

Tip #9

Diet, what you put into your body is more than likely going to reflect to your outside so trying eating cleaner (more vegetables and fruit), drink more water, try green juices, cut down on dairy and very importantly cut down on greasy fried food even cut that out all together.

Tip #10

Personally I do not have oily skin but even if you do, I don't think you should cut out moisturising, I think either go for a natural oil-free moisturiser aimed at oily skin for during the day especially if you wear make-up and at night put a LITTLE bit of jojoba oil on the skin, I know oils are a scary thing  if you have oily skin but not only is jojoba oil great for your skin in general but it is an oil which is closest to the oil our skin naturally produces, which is sebum, so it should not cause any breakouts. I've also read that because of jojoba oil being so similar to sebum it tricks the skin into not producing any more oil, I am not sure if this is true but I did read it so I think it's worth giving it a go.

Tip #11

Beware of your hair products, especially if you aren't using natural products they could be contributing to pimples how? whether they are covering you pillow and then sinking into your skin as you sleep at night or it might be you hair touching your face, maybe you have bangs and realise you are having a lot of skin issues on your forehead, it's definitely something to be aware of and look more into it.

Tip #12 

Please use natural skincare products, ingredients in "normal" cleanser not only aren't good but they might be contributing to your oily/acne skin, while you're thinking it's helping, just keep that in mind.


Remember anything that is natural is more likely to take longer to work so you should really persevere with it for a while to give it a chance to work :)

If anyone decides to give any of these natural tips a go, please let me know your results :D

iherb May 2013 haul #2

My iherb order came today, just a few bits and pieces, products get more exciting as you get further through the post :)

My iherb.com package before I unpacked it

1) Deep Steep, Foaming Hand Wash, Refill "Tangerine-Melon" 474ml
It was such a good price and I needed to buy some hand soap, using "normal" soap lately has really damaged my sensitive hands even more :(

2) Clean Well, All-Natural Antibacterial Foaming Handsoap "Orange-Vanilla" 280ml
Don't know about the scent I chose, but I was happy to find a naturally antibacterial soap, as they are harder to come by.

3) Better Life, Dish It Out, Natural Dish Soap "Clary Sage & Citrus" 651ml
I have the unscented version and it's pretty good, but doesn't always get rid of stronger food odours so I thought I would give this one a go.

4) Honeybee gardens Nail Polish Remover 120ml
So, I obviously got the remover for the nail polish that I bought. I didn't expect the ingredients to be perfect just something better, I wish they left out the "fragrance" ingredient, it doesn't say whether it's natural or not so I am hoping it is.

5) Honeybee Gardens, WaterColors, Water-based Nail Enamel in "Abyss"  14ml
I wanted to try a natural nail polish as I do love nail polish but don't wear it often because of my concern of the chemicals in it. Anyway I am really glad they can ship it to Australia, to be honest I thought it wouldn't be allowed, super happy it is. SUPER happy it has no odour and is water based  I got a black colour because it is my favourite nail polish colour, goes with everything and  basically I think it completes a look, so fingers crossed that it was a good buy :)

6) Mineral Fusion, Top Coat  10ml 
I wasn't going to buy a nail polish without buying a top coat, as I want the nail polish to last more than  a day or two, I got this because it was 20% off and the other two nail polish top coats that I preferred were out of stock so I thought I would give it a go.

7)EcoTools, Shower Cap & Storage Case
I actually love shower caps because 1) when my hair has conditioner in it keeps it from water washing it out by accident, especially because my hair so long  2) it helps keep the heat in, therefore conditioner is working it way more into the hair for softer hair. I keep buying these shower caps from Chemist warehouse and they are so crap, the elastic keeps getting stretched so much so that it becomes unusable, hoping this will be better.

8)One With Nature, Vanilla Oatmeal Soap Bar 200g
I always like trying new soaps, and I know oatmeal is very hydrating so it's great for dry skin plus winter is coming up and it's already freezing where I live.  It's very big which I like, so hopefully it will last a while.

9)Nubian Heritage, Lemon Grass and Tea Tree Soap with Orange Lemon Peel 141g 
I have almost finished the bar I have already of this, I don't use it for my skin because it would be too drying for me, I'm pretty sure this is for oily- breakout prone skin though but as I said I couldn't use it for my face so I use it for my hands because of the antibacterial ingredients.


10) Earth Therapeutics, No Mess Nail Clipper (with easy slide clipping catcher)
I have a manicare nail clipper which is great but I need another one replace my priceline clippers which aren't very good.


11) Toothsoap, Natural & Organic Tooth Cleanser in "Pepper Whip"
Favourite toothpaste, love it . . . . . that's it :)

12) EcoTools, Naturally Beautiful Lash System, "Naturally Lush 1260" (1 Pair of Lashes)
I was so excited to see this, I love that the glue is formaldehyde free, it comes with a cute mascara looking wand to blend the your real and fake lashes together I assume, they're adorable lashes, can't wait to try....too cute!!! They have a few other designs I guess, I wasn't sure which ones to get so I got these and I might cut them in half because I love half lashes :)

13) Mineral Fusion, Concealer Duo in"Cool" 
It's one of the best concealers I have ever used, the colour matches me exactly and it was 20% off, it felt like a good decision to buy a back-up.

14) Physician's Formula, Organic Wear Mascara, Black Organics
I was trying to buy this online during priceline's 40% off special but the website wouldn't work all day until a bit before 12am, then as I am checking out the special  ends and the discount is no longer applied to the products I was trying to checkout with, after getting a response from my complaint email surprise, surprise it contained nothing useful or helpful BUT I am now happy that Priceline had given bad service because I found it cheaper on iherb.com, SO psyched :)


15) Physician's Formula, Organic Wear, Lash Boosting Mascara, Black Organics
I really was excited to see this, I couldn't find too many reviews on this but a few pictures which looked great and I am excited to try this and really happy at the price since Australian prices are so ridiculous and we don't even have this available to purchase in Australian stores. Yay! Winning! LOL

16,17,18,19,20) Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman, Your Eyes Enhanced Starter Set, (includes 5 brushes and a case)
Of course I had to get this, being not so blown away by my Sigma eye brushes I decided to give these ago  since everyone raves about them, although I do love my ecotools eye brushes I think these are quite different from them so I can't wait to start using them. I think I'm gonna love the deluxe crease brush the most :)
I would say I am set for brushes now and really shouldn't buy anymore! Happy to eventually do a review if anyone wants to see one :)


21) EcoTools, Airbrush Concealer brush
A bit of an impulse purchase I just really wanted to try this, I didn't NEED it, I was just curious. I think this will be a nice eyeshadow blending brush too as well as for blending concealer!


22) Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman, Lash & Brow Groomer
I wanted to get it before but didn't so I thought I would just buy it cause I'm really trying to work on my eyebrows. I like that the lash comb is metal rather than plastic and has a cover, unfortunately it has a very small crack in the cover so hopefully it doesn't get worse.

For anyone's first purchase at www.iherb.com you can use my referral code QUM327 to receive $5 off   an order under $40 and $10 off an order over $40.

If you use my code I do receive a small commission percentage of your orders placed.

Please comment on any specific products you would like me to do a review for in the  future :)

A Very Small Haul

I placed a very small order with floraorganica.com.au early last week then received it late last week, I am very happy I found this we this website (thanks to a post on beautyheaven's forum page). There a some quite pricey natural items on the website but I stayed in a reasonable price range and only got 3 items.

not.a.sponge volcanic power puff: face $11 AUD
I had never heard of this brand, but I decided to check out every brand on their website I saw this and was quite intrigued. I actually wanted to buy the black one also, which said it was for blackheads and whiteheads (which I have) but they were out of stock. Anyway I thought this I thought maybe it would be great to use after the clarisonic as a skin polisher.

not.a.sponge volcanic power puff: body  $15.50 AUD
I get very dry skin and I am hoping this to help "liven" up my skin, hopefully just improve it and I thought I might as well give it a go. I haven't used it yet but I am hoping for the best :)

Soapwalla Natural Cream Deodorant $16 AUD
I have read wonderful things about this and I am just hoping it works, it's probably going to be my last natural deodorant purchase for a while because I feel a little defeated. I am just really hoping it works as the ingredients are great, yes it's pricey BUT if it works I'll get over it, not to mention all the money spent on other deodorants which don't work. I will make sure to do a review when I have used it thoroughly.

Lastly I finally bought.....

Clarisonic Mia in Lavender  from www.ry.com.au during the click frenzy sale for $107.90 AUD then I did pay for the insured postage which was an extra $3.95. I was hoping for a better saving but at least it's something. It is now back to it's original price of $139 AUD. I have very big expectation of this product since it's so expensive and is essentially a brush that moves. I have a lot of skin issues and I am hoping this is the answer, I would be happy to do a photo/ in depth review about it.













For anyone interested in buying from www.ry.com.au here is my personal link http://shopa.com/r/1mlv     I do get a reward if anyone does use link, all customers get a personal link after purchasing from the website.

   If anyone has any questions  please comment below :)