Olay Regenerist Face Brush Review

This blog post has taken a long time to come to life. That is because it is about skincare and I wanted to give it a good go before I decided what I though about it. If you've ever heard of the clarisonic, then you'll know what I'm talking about when I talk about facial cleansing brushes. This one is practically a dupe for the clarisonic, although it doesn't work quite the same. The facial brush I am reviewing today is the Olay Regenerist Face Brush. It is also called the Olay ProX Brush I think.

This is what it looks like:

I'm also going to chuck in a before and after. These photos are about 6 months apart, maybe a bit longer.

This is my before. I had quite bad acne and heaps of scarring. My cheeks were also quite red because of this.

Here is my after. My acne has improved dramatically, and my scarring has shrunken. My skin isn't really red anymore either. I hardly get and proper pimples anymore, except when its that time of the month.

This brush has two speed settings, and an on/off button. It's super simple to use. It also says it's water resistant only, but mine lives in the shower and is still fine. Although in saying that, I don't keep it submerged in water. I have dropped it in the shower before and the battery compartment came flying out and I thought I'd ruined the batteries, but all as well.

In the box, you get the actual hand held device, one brush head and a sample of an Olay face wash from the same range. I didn't use the sample given, but that's mainly due to the fact I already have like 100 face washes on the go. The brush head should be changed out every 3 months. They are sold separately in two packs.

This entire system only cost like $35, I think. In my opinion this is  a much nicer price to pay than the $200+ that the clarisonic is. I do still want to buy the clarisonic, but this is definitely a much more affordable stepping stone for me.

I have found this brush to be a godsend. My skin has never been so clean and clear before, and I do largely amount it to this. I recommend you go grab one of these cleansing brushes, whether it's this one or any other brand.

You can buy these from Farmers and the Warehouse.

I hope this was helpful, and if you've used anything similar I'd love to hear your experiences!

Shannen xx

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XoBeauty Brushes Review

For my birthday this year, I received a set of XOBeauty brushes. YAY. I had a couple of experiences with these brushes before owning my own set. Not only was I excited to own something created by one of my youtube idols, but I knew that they were awesome brushes.

I got the 12 piece brush set which contains a powder brush, blush brush, bronzer brush, foundation brush, concealer brush, eyeshadow brush, angled eyeshadow brush, lip brush, small blender brush, large blender brush, eyebrow brush and a eyeliner brush.

First of all, I'm going to talk about the shipping. In New Zealand, XOBeauty have a flat rate of $5, so yay for cheap shipping. Secondly, I received my brushes less than 2 days after ordering. I ordered them on a Wednesday night, and by lunch time on Friday they were in my hot little hands. This is was incredible. 5 stars from me on this front.

Now onto the brushes. These are the best brushes I have used. I haven't tried many brushes, but the ones I have tried, although good, do not match up with my XOBeauty brushes. These are so soft and pick up the perfect amount of product. There is only one brush that I don't really use, which is the foundation/concealer duo brush. This is only because I prefer applying my foundation with a beauty blender or my flat top brush from Jessup. 

With these brushes, my makeup applies so much nicer. The powder brush sets my foundation with less product than my kabuki brush, as well as being so much softer and gentler on my face. A lot of these brushes are pretty equal with my Jessup brushes in what they do and how they apply. 

My favourite brushes from this set is the small blending brush and the powder brush. 

If you want to know how I clean them, I have a post and a couple of videos up on youtube that tell you how I do it. I've also found a new way to do it, and all that involves is micellar water, a cup and a towel.

Overall, I recommend this brushes to any one who asks. They are incredible. Super soft, super easy to use, blend well, and pick up the perfect amount of product. 

Thanks for readying guys! Any suggestions for future posts, just hit me up.

Shannen xx

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Estee Lauder DoubleWear First Impression

I can't remember if this is my first first impression or not. But I really like these, and I'm not yet ready for the commitment it takes to film a first impression, so I thought I'd blog about it instead. It's a bit simpler, considering I'm at school all day, so I can just take a selfie instead of filming every few hours.

Any ways, enough of a blurb. I got a free sample of Estee Lauder's DoubleWear liquid foundation. I was colour matched to Ecru. Now as I believe from what the lady told me, Ecru is a neutral shade meaning it isn't too warm or too cool. I am a NW15 at MAC if this helps anyone. I basically have to buy the lightest shade in foundation I can find in the winter time and not many brands carry such light shades. Thankfully DW does.

I'm going to insert photos from throughout the day right now, and then give my impression on this foundation.

Straight after applying it was amazing. It's a full coverage foundation, and it definitely was. Aside from the bumps on my skin, it covered the redness and any flat blemishes I had. It's also the best I've seen my under eye circles, even though I did still wear concealer. It was a very matte foundation, so I added highlighter.

Approximately 5 hours later, the foundation had barely moved. I had some disappear on my nose but thats normal for me coz I touch it a lot. I also got no smudging under my eyes from my mascara or eyeliner either which is a big plus in my book. The only thing I noticed was that my highlighter wasn't as highlightery anymore.

By the end of the day before I took my makeup off, the foundation was still pretty good and I could probably have gone for a few more hours without needing to touch up at all. The only places where it had worn off was my nose and lips, but thats because I removed my lipstick, and again rub my nose a lot.

I'm definitely in love with this foundation. The only issue I have is that Estee Lauder is a brand that still tests on animals, so I am going to have to look for a dupe. If you have any suggestions let me know, I would be keen to try!

Also, if you like first impressions or anything similar, let me know and I'll keep them up!

Shannen xx

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ModelCo Lipstick Swatches and Review

Not too long ago I got gifted three ModelCo lipsticks. They are the Party Proof Matte Lipsticks. I have got three colours. Disco Fever, Peony and Red Velvet.
Disco Fever is an orange, but quite muted. It also leans a bit more peach than actual true orange.
Peony is a red, but again quite muted. It is also not a true red, being more pink based.
Lastly, we have Red Velvet. This colour is a true red, although a bit darker than most. It's hanging in between neutral red and blue based red.

All of these colours are beautiful and last really well on the lips. The only thing I have to say about them is that they're not matte like stated. Instead I would call them more of a satin finish, maybe even a demi-matte. They still have a bit of shine to them, like you will see in the pictures below. The packaging is well done too. It's nice and simple, with the name of the product on the front. The font is also in the colour of the lipstick, so you don't even have to open the tube to know what colour it is. Another great thing about the packaging is that no matter what way you store it, you're going to know what colour it is because there is a label on the bottom, but the top is see through as well. It's really great. Even though they're not actually matte, they're awesome and they smell great.

 Shannen xx

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AContour Kit: Swatches and Review

I'm sure you have all heard of the Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kits. They're all the rage at the moment, either powder or cream. So today I am bringing to you a cheaper alternative. ABH Contour Kit runs at $40US, this is roughly $50NZ. Since not everyone has a spare $50 lying around, if you can get your hands on it, pick up the Australis AContour Kit. This can be purchased from Farmers for $21.50. That's less than half of what the ABH Kit is worth! I have tried both the ABH kit and obviously the Australis one. I prefer the Australis one. Not only is it so much more cheaper, but I also found it to be a whole lot more pigmented. Both brands don't test on animals either, which is a massive plus in my book!

The only downside about the Australis contour kit is that it only comes in the one "shade". I'm super pale, (MAC NW15) and it still suits me fine. I'm not sure how it would work if you have darker skin.

Heres the ABH Contour Kit versus the Australis AContour Kit:

ABH Contour Kit

Australis AContour Kit

As you can see, they are pretty much the same. The quality is basically the same too, so it just depends on whether you want to spend $50 or $20. You really can't go wrong with either. 

I'll leave some swatches of the Australis kit below so you can see a real life swatch of the colours. 

Swatches of the highlight shades

Swatches of the contour shades

I hope this helps you out, and that the swatches help. I really love the Australis Contour Kit, and if you've tried it, let me know how you got on with it!

Shannen xx

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W7 In The Buff Pallette Swatches

I bought this palette in a makeup sale a little while ago, I have a video with the haul that these are mentioned it which I'll link below, at $15. A nice cheap palette from a brand I have heard good things about. The first thing that attracted me to this palette was it's likeness for Urban Decay's Naked palettes. This one in particular is a dupe for Naked 2. The colour are pretty much identical. I plan on purchasing the other 2 palletes in this range which are In The Nude and In The Buff: Lightly Toasted. Especially considering how cheap they are and the quality that they are as well. Another awesome thing about w7 is that they don't test on animals! That's a huge deal for me as I'm trying really hard to purchase cruelty free brands.

So as I said, I paid $15 for this palette. I could've got 2 for $25, which I now wish I did. But as I hadn't tried this brand before, I didn't want to spend heaps only to not like it. You get 12 shadows in this palette that range in shades as well as finishes. There are some mattes, some shimmers, and some metallics. It's a nice range to choose from when doing my makeup. As you can tell in the swatches, the quality is incredible. The pigmentation is to die for. They blend really well. Just overall these are great eye shadows. I highly recommend them if you can get your hands on them!

First up we have Buff, Camel and Sand. Buff is a matte yellow white shade that's excellent for brow bone highlighting. Camel is a metallic bronze shade. Sand is a warm white shade that's also a good highlight.

Here we have Dust, Chocolate and Topaz. Dust is a more brown version of Camel. Chocolate is a warm taupe matte shade. This one is my favourite in this palette. The last one, Topaz is a very brown bronze shade, also a metallic/shimmery type of shade.

The next three are all semi matte, satin shades. Theres Earth, which is a browner version of Chocolate. Storm is a dark grey with a olive undertone. Lastly there's Silk, which is a beautiful Champagne colour.

The last three swatches are Wave, Thunder and Onyx. Wave is the darkest brown in the palette, but still quite similar to Earth and Topaz. Thunder and Onyx are the darkest colours in the whole palette, but both are beautiful. Thunder is the love child of Onyx and Storm, but with brown undertones, Whereas Onyx is just a straight up matte black shade. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if you've tried any of these palettes, and what you think of them!

Shannen xx

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Matte Lip Creams; Swatches and Comparisons

At the moment, in the makeup world, there has been an insurgence of lip creams, glosses and stains. These are really good if you want a bright opaque colour, but don't like to reapply every hour or so. They are a great way to finish off any outfit, by either making it a stand out point, or matching it to an aspect of your outfit.

I have 3 Australis Velour Lips and 2 Lime Crime Velvetines that I am going to swatch and compare for you today. In my personal opinion, Velour Lips are a cheaper alternative to Velvetines, as they retail for about $15 whereas Velvetines are about $30.

Both brands are great if you are trying to abstain from purchasing cruel products, as they are both against animal testing. I'm not sure if either brand is completely vegan, but at least they are one step closer to being vegan.

I'm going to swatch Lime Crime first, as I only have 2. I also find that Velvetines are a much thinner formula than Australis. With every swatch, I'm going to include a photo with flash, and without so that you can get a better idea of what the colours look like.

The first colour is Utopia. It is a bright purple colour with pink, or warm, undertones. This formula is quite thin and I find two coats is perfect.

With Flash

Without Flash

The next colour is Wicked. Wicked is a dark, vampy red. This is thicker in formula than Utopia and only requires one good coat.

With Flash

Without Flash

The first Australis colour is called Rio'D. It's a very bright, even neon, orange. I find that the formula for these are very thick, and can be quite drying.

No Flash

With Flash

Second is called Ma-Li-Boo. This colour is a very bright pink. Its quite a true pink in my opinion, as I can't see it swaying towards warmer or cooler tones.

With Flash

Without Flash

Lastly, we have Ny-Cee. This is a real 50s pin-up kind of red. A lighter version to Lime Crime's Wicked. It's definitely blue based rather than orange.

With Flash

Without Flash

I hope this post helped you out with the different matte lip products you can get. This is just comparing two different brands, but there are countless more out there on the market. If you liked this post, let me know and I can see what other lip swatches and comparisons I can do.

Shannen xx
Photos taken on a Canon 600D
18-55mm lens used
PicMonkey.com used to edit photos

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First Impression: SugarBaby Natural Self Tan Cream

On my recent trip to Wellington I purchased some SugarBaby. I've always been as pale as a vampire and I wanted to try some tanning stuff. I got mine from a shop in Queensgate. I forget what it's called, Cosmetic Plus or something. They were having a closing down sale so I got this at 40% off. I payed $18 for it I think. 

I spent about 10 minutes trying to decide which one I wanted because they have a massive line of fake tan. Because I am a beginner at all things golden and glowing, I picked the cream because all you had to do was apply it like a moisturiser. It only takes 3 hours to develop so I would know quite quickly if it went too dark for my liking or what not. This specific product only last 3 days before you need to reapply which is another reason I grabbed it, in case I didn't like it. 

Before I go into how I feel about the products, I'm going to chick in some before and after photos. 

The very first thing I have to say about SugarBaby is that they do not test on animals. This is a super thumbs up for me. The second thing is that this stuff smells like hot cross buns. And it's awesome. 

I love this stuff. It's the perfect darkness for my naturally pale ass skin. It's not too orange, not too yellow. It's perfect. It actually looks like I've been sitting on a beach on holiday somewhere when in reality I stood in front of my mirror and spread lotion all over my body. I am currently on the second day(?). I applied it yesterday morning. So one shower later, it's still nice and tan, albeit a little bit lighter. 

I highly recommend this stuff if you want to get into self tanning, but you're unsure about how dark you wanna be or how to do it. This is super easy to apply, and super hard to stuff up. 

Definitely has a 10/10 from me. I'll keep you guys updated on how long it lasts on my body. 

Shannen xx

Photos edited on fotor.com

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China Glaze Nail Polish Swatches and Impression

From L-R: White On White, Liquid Leather, Platinum Silver, Nova, Bridezilla

Now I think nail polish is the perfect accessory to finish of any outfit and because of this, nail polish has a small spot in my heart. I have a very large collection of nail polish, sadly hidden away in a massive hat box.

For christmas, I added to this collection. I received 5 colours from a China Glaze range that I now forget the name of. They are a white, black, sheer pink, silver and a glitter. All of these colours are amazing. The silver is crazy opaque and you only really need one coat of it. The white is also super opaque too, but two coats is needed for this to make it super white. The pink is nice and sheer, which is great when I don't really want much on my nails. It has a slight glitter reflect in it which is amazing. The glitter is a silver sparkle which coats the nails in so much glitter it's basically opaque. I paired this with the silver polish underneath, but I don't think it's even necessary.

First up we have Liquid Leather. This colour was super opaque after about 3 coats. It's also super shiny. This was taken without a top coat on.

Secondly is Bridezilla. As you can see, it's a very sheer shade that only adds a slight hint of colour and sparkle.

This is my favourite shade in the collection. Platinum Silver was opaque after the first coat but you see it here with two coats.

This last one shows both White on White and Nova. I did this because I never wore the glitter on it's own. The white was fully opaque after two coats. Nova was on top of Platinum Silver and has two coats of glitter.

Hope you enjoyed this!

If you did like it, let me know below!

Also, let me know if you wanna see more of this type of posts (:

Shannen xx

Photos taken on a Canon 600D

18-55mm lens used

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First Impression: L'Oreal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes

For christmas, I got this L'Oreal Paris Mascara and Eyeliner set. It comes with a full size Voluminous False Fiber Lashes, a pencil sharpener and a mini Kajal like eyeliner. I haven't used the eyeliner, as I'm not much of a pencil eyeliner wearer, but if you want to see a first impression, or a video of me using it, just let me know. 

So today, I am bringing to you a first impression of the Voluminous False Fiber Lashes in Black. I'm not sure if it's waterproof or not, but when I got in the shower at the end of the night and started washing my face, it was quite easy to remove with just water. 

The wand on this mascara is long. Its not crazy fat and round like some mascaras, but its not super thin either. I think it's the perfect size to do both top and bottom lashes. The actual product inside the tube is very black, and quite thick. The best way I can describe it is gloopy, but its not clumpy. I didn't notice any type of clumping. 

I took photos before I applied the mascara, after one coat, after two coats and then a final one 12 hours later. 

I only normally wear mascara with one coat, just because my eyelashes are quite long, so if  I wear more, they just get out of control. So for scientific reasons, I showed two coats so everyone can see what it's like. 

I loved this mascara. There was no smudging under my eyes. It was still as black as when I applied it in the morning. The only thing I have to say is that after 12 hours the curl in my lashes did straighten out.  I was super impressed with this mascara, to the point I now wear it everyday. 

If you've tried this mascara, let me know what you though about it in the comments below 

Also, let me know if you liked this First Impression post and whether or not you'd like to see more. 

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Shannen xx

Photos taken on a Canon 600D

18-55mm lens used

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My Beauty and Fashion Idols

 These are people who I watch daily, and always check for new videos or blog posts. They are definitely a huge inspiration to me and why I started this blog up, and why I started my YouTube as well.

As I am way more into clothes and fashion than makeup, I'm going to start with my three fashion idols.

My Fashion Idols:

My number one fashion idol, or even my favourite blogger/ youtube is Rhiannon (FashionRocksMySocks). She is so amazing. She is funny, cute and dresses so adorable. I am definitely in love with her style and her personality. She's so easy to relate to and seems so real, like we truly are friends in real life.

Next up is Jess (sunbeamsjess). She is from the UK, just like Rhiannon. I'm not sure why I love Jess so much but her style is awesome. It's so different to how I dress, but here I am watching her videos every time she uploads. She also dabbles in a bit of makeup every now and then too, but she mostly focuses on fashion. I think I enjoy her so much because she is the same age as me, so I feel like we have tonnes in common.

 My last fashion idols are twins Steph and Mel (thefashioncitizen) Their banter is fun to watch and they both have awesome styles. I lean more towards Steph's style, but Melissa also has a great sense of style. Steph is way more punk and grunge, whereas Steph is more preppy, girly. More like what you'd see in magazines, in my personal opinion. Steph is more like what you see on tumblr or instagram. These girls are from Arizona and I love having the opposite styles all on one channel.

Now I love makeup almost as much as I love clothes. It's the best accessory to compliment any outfit. So I do watch a lot of beauty gurus on youtube for inspiration. Here are my top 3:

Every one knows who Shannon Harris (shaaanxo) is. She's the most subscribed person in New Zealand and there is a reason for that. She is amazing at what she does. She is charismatic and funny. The longer she's been on youtube, the more experimental she's gotten and that is awesome. She is my go to for neutral looks.

 Lauren Curtis (laurenbeautyy) is an Australian version of Shaaanxo, pretty much. She's also really funny and down to earth. Lauren does a lot more glam looks than Shaaanxo so I go to her for inspiration for more dramatic eyes. She also has a cute laugh that you'll hear often in her videos.

Lastly, Karissa Pukas (saturdaynightsalrite). She's a Canadian living in Australia. She's great friends with Shaaanxo and they've even done a few videos together. Karissa is very boho and chic and awesome. Not only is she amazing at makeup, but she also has an awesome style. I not only like her for her makeup videos, which tend to be quite natural, but for her TMI Tuesday videos, which are basically Q&A videos. She treats her subscribers just like her real life friends.

YouTube feels like a big family, and the Youtuber's I watch make me feel super included and like I'm really their friend, or something like that. It sounds weird, but once you start watching these girls, you'l' understand. 

I hope you guys check them out. They're all awesome. 

Shannen xx

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Top Buys of 2014

2014 was full of shopping and new things for me, so I am bringing to you a post about my top 3 makeup, skincare, hair care and fashion buys. I'll include links where I can. If you've tried any of these, let me know how you liked them in the comments below (:

Top 3 Makeup Purchases:

1. MAC Mineralise Foundation in NW15

This foundation is amazing. It's light, it's the perfect amount of coverage and it's he perfect I between matte and dewy.  I've found this foundation has been the best for my skin. I have somewhat sensitive skin, as in I have to be careful what I put on it as I can break out really easily and this foundation has kept my skin smooth and somewhat blemish free. I highly recommend it if you like a light coverage. It is kind of pricey, especially if you live in New Zealand, but I think it's worth it.

2. ELF Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Black 

This eyeliner is my holy grail of all liquid eyeliners I have tried. I have hooded eyes, so I need quite thin lines when I do my eyeliner. This brush on this eyeliner is so thin, and super precise. I can get right into my lash line with this eyeliner and create the smoothest lines. It's also really easy to create winged eyeliner with as the brush is flexible. ELF is an amazing brand that is super cheap but super high quality. I recommend this if you have hooded eyes, like myself, or just like thin, precise eyeliner. 

3. QVS Beauty Blender dupe

If you can't afford the true Beauty Blender, I recommend grabbing this from Farmers or a pharmacy that stocks QVS. Ever since I bought my first beauty blender type sponge, I've found a huge improvement in the appearance of my makeup, as well as an improvement in time it takes to do my makeup. I've tried 3 different types. The first was the traditional egg shape, I'm unsure what brand it was but I got it from a cosmetics shop in Lower Hutt. The second one was a slightly different shape but still wide and flat at the bottom and pointed at e top. This was a Manicare one. The one I've loved the most is my QVS one.  It's the softest sponge, it's easy to clean and it really expands when you dampen it.  I'll have a blog post coming up in the next few weeks with a full review on all three. 

Top 3 Skincare Purchases

1. Herbalism by LUSH

If you have issues with acne or any kind of blemish then you really need to pick this up. In the few short weeks I've been using it, I've noticed a huge improvement in the appearance of my skin. It's smoothed out my skin and I also get less pimples. Here's a little bit of TMI but I also used it on my back as I could get a bit acne-y there too, and it's also helped clear that right up too. The small tub it comes in is going to last me ages. I've only had it about 2-3 weeks and I've only just dented the top. And that's with doing my face and back. 

2. Bio Oil

All of these skincare things are going to be about acne because that's been my biggest skin issue. But this covers anyone with scars, stretch marks and such. Because of my acne, I have a lot of scarring left over. I apply this as a moisturiser as well, because you can use it like that. So   put this on every morning before I apply my makeup and at night after my shower. My skin is a lot less bumpy than it used to be so this helps when I put makeup on. It also helps with my self esteem too because it's clearing up, and clearing up fast. 

3. Powerhouse Tattoo Balm

Not only is this amazing for healing tattoos but you can also put it on itchy bites and pimples. It contains lavender so it's super soothing. I use it mostly as a spot treatment and I notice an improvement by morning. It smells great too.

Top 3 Haircare Purchases

1. Coconut Oil

This has been my saviour. If you haven't read the post on how I went from red to blonde, you can read it here: http://kaleidocolours.blogspot.co.nz/2014/09/ch-ch-changes.html. The coconut oil has restored my hair from dry and snapping to soft and manageable. I also have a post on how I do my coconut oil treatment. You can read this here: http://kaleidocolours.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/diy-coconut-oil-hair-treatment.html. It's a somewhat cheap treatment for damaged and dry hair.

2. Keratin Treatment

Now I've only just got this 2 weeks ago, but I've already noticed a HUGE change. My hair doesn't knot up like crazy anymore, I can just run my fingers through my hair every time. It's not frizzy anymore. I straightened it once this week and it's stayed straight. I'm in love with this stuff. And the best part, it's only $4 from Kmart. I'm going to do a more in depth review ins couple of weeks. 

3. Organic Care Shampoo and Conditioner

I'm going to put the condition of my hair down to all three of these products. But the organic care  brand is amazing. It's definitely contributing to the lightness of my hair. As it contains no yuck stuff, my hair is easy to manage. They smell amazing. They aren't ridiculously expensive like most paraben free products and they don't test on animals. They have three types of shampoo and conditioner. Colour shield, moisture and an everyday one. They also have two different ones for kids too. Here's a review on the Colour Shield range: http://kaleidocolours.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/organic-care-colour-shield-shampoo.html

Top 3 Fashion Purchases

1. Kardashion Kollection Bag

Since buying this handbag in March, I've not used any other. I can fit all my stuff in there easy as. Everyday I carry a book, a couple of different perfumes, tons of lipsticks and even more rubbish. There's always more room for stuff too. They are great quality bags that come in all shapes and sizes as well as different prints.

2. Daisy Vans 

For my birthday this year, Blake got me a pair of high top vans in a daisy print. They are literally the most comfortable shoes I own. Standing all day on a concrete floor kills my feet, but I can wear these all day without feeling the wrath of concrete. Vans in general are the most comfortable shoes. Their soles are super thick and bouncy so it's great to work all day in them.

3. High Waisted Ankle Biters

These jeans are amazing. Ankle biters are great for me as I am very short, so the length is perfect. And then there is the high waisted part. They have three buttons and a zip, so they hold everything in perfectly while still being super comfortable. I've had these in both the black and blue they come in, as well as the short lived bleach, although they weren't as nice as the other two.

Thanks for a great year and here's to a new one !

Shannen xx

Links that I could find: 

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/158/24923/Products/Face/Foundation/Mineralize-Moisture-SPF15-Foundation/index.tmpl

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/eyes/eyeliner/precision_liquid_eyeliner

http://www.qualityvaluestyle.com/products/cosmetic-nail/sponges-puffs#deluxe-egg-sponge

https://www.lushnz.com/shop/product/product/path/1021_159/id/94/face-cleansers-herbalism-cleanser

http://www.tattoos.co.nz/store,shop,2,1,TBalm.html

ELF Review

Today I am bringing to you a one brand review. This is an E.L.F. review. If you don't know what E.L.F. is, it's a cheap as chips makeup brand. The acronym is eyes, lips, face. They are a super affordable brand and can be purchased online at eyeslipsface.com as well as sites like beautybay and beautyjoint. If you don't like shopping online, like myself, you can also purchase it from Kmart.

I'm just going to start this off by saying that this is a glowing review. So if you can't be bothered reading this whole review, just  know that you can go wrong with E.L.F. Also, if you can't be bothered reading this, I have a video review of these products coming out on Monday so keep a look out for that.

First things first, let's start with the face powders. I have two. I have the Clarifying pressed powder on Ivory and the High Definition powder in Shimmer. 

I used the Clarifying pressed powder when my acne was really bad. It contains salicylic acid so it's really good and covering and treating acne at the same time. I loved this powder. It definitely helped soothe my acne down as well as setting my powder, helping it last all day. The HD powder is also awesome. It didn't set my powder as matte as the Clarifying powder. The shimmer in the powder is great if you take a lot of photos, as it helps blurs 'imperfections' and blemishes. 

Next is the eyebrow kit, undereye setting powder and cream eyeliner. The eyebrow kit is awesome. You would've heard everyone raving about this if you watch a lot of beauty gurus on youtube or read a lot on blogger or wordpress. The hype is real. It's amazing. Mine is in ash and it matches perfectly. The underage setting powder is an almost exact miniature copy of the HD powder except not as pink, and way more shimmer-y in my opinion. I noticed a huge difference in how my concealer lasted. It didn't feel as tacky, as well as my mascara didn't smudge down under my lower lash line like it used too. It also helps brighten up my underage circles a bit too. The cream eyeliner is the only product I have an issue with. I think this is due to my eye shape. I have hooded eyes, so whenever I applied this it just transferred to the top of my lid. I tried setting it with translucent powder, and I even tried using a black eyeshadow but it still smudged. It also doesn't matter how long I leave it to set, it will still smudge. If any one has any tips on how to get past this, please let me know on here, Facebook or youtube. 

Last but not least, we have the shimmering facial whip in lilac petal, blush in pink passion and the makeup setting spray. The shimmering facial whip is quite good. Not as highlight-y as I would have preferred, but it does the job nicely. It gives a subtle sheen, that's a light pink, champagne colour. I use it on my cheekbones and on my inner corner just to brighten things up a bit. It is also a little bit thick for my liking, but like I said, it does the job. The blush is amazing! I also really want to try their blushes in the other shades that they have too. It's super pigmented and easy to blend out. My favourite out of all these products is the makeup setting spray, which is why I saved it till last. I spray this after my moisturiser, but before I put foundation on and then again when I finish my entire face. This makes my makeup last all day, without a single thing budging. I love it so much that I now feel weird when I forget to put it on before I leave. 

E.L.F. definitely gets a 10/10 from me. Not only is it super cheap, but it's also really good quality. Also, an added bonus is that they don't test on animals. Feel free to recommend any E.L.F products that weren't mentioned above. 

Don't forget to follow me on twitter and instagram, like me on Facebook and subscribe on youtube!

All links are in the about me sections (:

Shannen xx

Photos taken on a Canon 600D

18-55mm lens used

Don't forget to keep an eye out for the upcoming video on Monday (: