Clockwise - Back Applicator, 2Hr Express Deluxe Bronzing Mousse, Applicator Mitt.

This little product is the number one tanning product in the industry. Loving Tan appeals to its market, not just for the beautiful packaging, great deals and discounts, but because of that beautiful, glowing, natural tan it gives. Some sunless tanners really leave a terrible colour on your skin, it looks unnatural, sometimes yellow and sometimes even a gross kind of green.

I bought this product based on a number of recommendations by people who self-tan regularly and had tried many products. It was affordable, and arrived very quickly. This product can now be bought from many different online stores, including their own, and that's what makes it so ideal - it's availability! As well as the self-tanner, I got the applicator mitt and the back applicator (which, if you have long arms, or a boyfriend/girlfriend/friend handy, you won't need!).

  I have a boyfriend handy, and he comes in great use when it comes to applying my tan - it's actually quite possible my back and shoulders look 99% better than the rest of my body which would definitely come down to his application of it - he's a natural!

I bought the 2 HR Express Deluxe Bronzing Mousse in the shade Medium. The 2 HR Express comes in two shades, Medium and Dark - I am not a regular self-tanner and as I am generally quite fair, I did not want to go all-out with the dark shade! Loving Tan also comes in a standard, 6 HR Deluxe Bronzing Mousse, which comes in Medium, Dark and Ultra Dark (they also do other products which look amazing but I have not yet tried).

I apply the tan as would any other person, and there are a million and one tips and tricks out there which you can find on youtube and other blogs, so I won't write about my technique except to say that I moisturise the heck out of my hands, knees, ankles, elbows and feet before applying. I also put a very tiny amount of tan on my hands and feet so that it doesn't look funny. 

This tan leaves a beautiful, natural, olive-bronze look to my skin and lasts about a week on me and my skin. It's a definite favourite, and one I always reach for when I want a bronzed look in winter, or, of course, summer. 

Knobby Knees - Moon Tan / Loving Tan comparison.

Where to buy?

Australia
Loving Tan 

Everywhere else
Loving Tan 

image source: www.catsthemusical.com

Last month I went with my mum to see CATS the amazing show based on T.S Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" the tickets were a gift and I am not sure we would have gone otherwise which would have been a total loss. I used to go to musicals a lot during high school because I was studying drama and that was part of our course (a perk of our course actually!) - any kind of stage production was a total dream to me and I enjoyed every single one I went to, particularly "The Man from Muckinupin" which coincidentally (or not) was a production we actually performed at school in my final year and of which I had a major role. 

The Tickets!

We were lucky to have the seats we had as we had an incredible view of the stage, which was dressed with a set that was absolutely purfect and was designed in such a way that it consistently surprised us throughout the show with new additions or amazing stage entrances! Whoever did the set design really did an amazing job and it added tenfold to the performance itself. The musical was held at a common place for stage performances and productions - Burswood Theatre at the Crown Casino. I have gone to many shows at this location and have enjoyed them all, but none surprisingly as much as this one. I had no idea what I was in for, so seeing the stage dressed the way it was was meant nothing to me and I was excited from the get-go. 

Terrible quality photo, but our seats were great & the set design was incredible.

The set is a larger-than-life junkyard that the cats all come to play at. The cats are actually Jellicle Cats and they all come out to play at a particular time of the year for something that is known as the "Jellicle Ball" - different cats have different stories and each story is crazier than the next, with singing (musical score by Andrew Lloyd Webber) and absolutely awe-striking costumes and dancing their voices ring out and make music in your ears while their beautiful, catty costumes really enhance the performance. Each cat performs for their leader, the wise Old Deuteronomy and there is some hilarious wit and jokes throughout the entire performance. 

Image source: www.catsthemusical.com 

 Delta Goodrem had been confirmed to play the Australian shows, however it was not Goordrem who played the role of Grizabella in Perth, it was in fact Delia Hannah and she was absolutely amazing. I had thought I would have preferred Goodrem purely because I enjoy her music and voice outside of musicals, but I was pleasantly surprised at the way Hannah portrayed Grizabella and sang her heart out. Hannah's performance of Memory was the only part of the entire production which I was expecting as I had heard about it many times, and even knew the song prior to the show, however her performance was above my expectations and really swept me away with the intensity and rawness of the entire song, it really left me quite emotional.

While all the cats and performances were incredible, including that of Grizabella it was none other than Mr Mistoffelees, played by Christoper Favaloro, who took my heart and impressed me the most. Mr Mistoffelees performed a magical conjuring act, he is an illusionist cat who dazzles the rest of the Jellicle Cats and absolutely enchanted me with his surreal tricks. I was awe-struck watching him dance, with absolutely insane choreography, and Favaloro made it look so easy! When I left the show I was in love with Mr Mistofelees and his song was stuck in my head for days afterwards. There was never a cat so clever as Magiacl Mr Mistoffelees!

Image source: www.catsthemusical.com

If you hadn't seen the show, I feel sorry for you, because it was incredible and if you still have the chance to see it, I highly, highly recommend it. I give it 4/5 stars!

Now, I leave you with Goodrem's performance of Memory, the most iconic of all songs.

Sunset by the pool, over the beach.

It was a nice surprise when we got to go to Bali earlier in March, however much I am afraid of flying. I suffer severe flight anxiety so even the short trip (3 or so hours) was terrifying for me and the thought of being in Bali and away from home was also a cause for my anxiety to rise and lodge itself in my throat. Instead of the build-up to my trip being exciting, I was not counting down the days, instead I was panicking about the flight ahead. When I arrived I had a great time, until I realised to get home I'd have to board a plane again! Despite my flight anxiety, it was a really great trip albeit seriously humid. 

The climate in Bali is tropical and the weather was incredibly humid - the wet, sticky kind of humid. It was beautiful except for the fact I felt like my lungs were full of water and my hair was frizzy (which never happens??) but since I spent most of the time in the pool, this did not matter a great deal. Makeup and nice clothes were definitely optional due to the humidity but I was not out to impress, just relax! 

Below are some photos of my time away, it was beautiful!

View of the beach from the hotel restaurant

Hello waterfall! 

I had to take a photo of this little boat.

Why so Koi? 

Obligatory "Legs in Shot" by the pool!

Today's post is focused around a cute little date I had with my mum and future sister-in-law. We were cupcake tasting at a cute little boutique coffee shop in Victoria Park in Perth, WA. It is called the "Sassy Cookie" and the owner is a lady who bakes all her own cupcakes, cakes, tarts, biscuits - basically she bakes everything she sells, and she also does cupcakes, biscuits and cakes for events, such as weddings! 

We had heard about this little cafe online, and I had called to enquire about cupcakes and biscuits for my future sister-in-law's kitchen tea we are having pre-wedding! The lady was so lovely and we said we'd pop down to try out her cupcakes and biscuits before we ordered anything! We found the place, nestled in bushes and down a few stairs - the cafe is a little house that has been converted into a shop-front and cafe, while the other half is still a house! As you walk in, you immediately feel at home and feel really special! The girls working there are super friendly and there is a big board displaying all their coffees, teas, smoothies, milkshakes etc while the fridges at the front are stocked with cupcakes of all flavours, tarts, biscuits, breads - it's pure heaven for cake-lovers and sweet-tooth's alike! 

My mum ordered a tim-tam milkshake, which is basically tim-tams blended with milk and ice-cream. It was absolutely rich and delicious, it definitely wasn't something you'd drink if you were watching your calorie intake for the day, that's for sure. My sister-in-law and I ordered an Oreo milkshake (if that's on the menu, would there be anything else you'd get??) which again was literally (well, it tasted like it anyway) just Oreo's crushed up with milk and ice-cream. It was heaven, absolute Oreo h e a v e n! We also decided to order some cupcakes to try out before ordering any for the Kitchen Tea as sometimes you just can't be sure that they'll be as delicious as you'd hope or as you'd make (we are big bakers in our family and love making cupcakes and cakes, just lack the time). We ordered a basic vanilla cake with pink icing on the top as a standard thing to try, as that's the most basic. We also ordered a white chocolate mud cake with some vanilla icing on the top and we also decided to splurge and try a very decadent chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing on the top. We cut them up into threes and we devoured them in minutes! By far our favourite was the white chocolate mud cake, and our least favourite was the chocolate cake, as it was just too rich and too strong for us! These cakes and the milkshakes were absolutely amazing, and I feel like I'd visit this place every often, if it weren't for the distance / the high calorie intake (haha). If you live in Perth I would highly recommend giving this place a go - you won't regret it! Needless to say, we ended up ordering cupcakes for the Kitchen Tea and will post plenty about that event here soon! xoxo 

Revo Lipbalm in Strawberry, Revo Lipbalm in Coconut, Hurraw Moon Balm, PawPaw Lip Balm, Lucas PaPaw Ointment.

I thought I would do a post on 4 of my favourite (and the best) lip balms I've tried over the years! Everyone knows that lip balm is an absolute staple in your handbag or by your bedside, in your bathroom, kitchen, living room.. basically anywhere. So I wanted to share with you some of my favourites and see if they are some of your favourites too!

The first is one that everyone (i'm almost pretty confident saying that too) has, is Lucas' Papaw Ointment. It basically solves every ailment that you could possibly have on your skin. It works for dry, chapped lips, it works for cuts, mosquito (and other insect) bites, chafing, burns, nappy rash.. I could go on! If something is wrong with your skin, just put some of this ointment on and you're set!
I love to use it on my lips, especially as it is so nourishing, it has no offensive scent and I feel like you can feel it working on your lips. I especially like using it on mosquito (mozzie) bites, because it takes the itch away and you tend to forget you have one (or several bites, in my case).

The next lip balm is the Nature's Care, Paw Paw Lip Balm. I recently started using this and it has more of a vaseline texture and feels quite thick on your lips, so I tend to use it at night-time only or if my lips are very, very dry or I have been in the sun/wind and have sun/wind burn on my lips. This balm is super nourishing, has a soft scent and always leave my lips feeling so soft and supple. It's a must-have, especially if you wear a lot of matte, drying lipsticks/stains.

The next is my Hurraw! Moon Balm. I cannot rave about this enough, I L O V E it beyond words. I saw it in the chemist (drug-store) a while ago and I had heard things about Hurraw before, so I wanted to try it. I wasn't after the Moon Balm, I had wanted to get one of the scented ones ie: strawberry, coconut, etc but they only had this left, so I decided to get it anyway! I am SO GLAD I did! It is one of the most nourishing lip balms I have ever used. It smells nice, it sinks right into your lips, it lasts forever! It's just one of the absolute best balms I have used. It is encouraged for a night-balm on your lips, but I use it daily and on the regular - it is always with me. It is extra thick and creamy and has a vanilla scent. They also say is has blue chamomile that helps to soothe your lips, it also has avocado oil, rosehip seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil and argan oil and I am almost positive these are vegan - making them a suitable choice for everyone! I highly recommend this balm, and not just for night-time either. Let me know if you've tried it before and what you think!

Revo Lip Balm in Coconut

Ok, last but certainly not least, is my Revo Lip Balms in Coconut & Strawberry. These balms are new, but they have quickly become one of my favourite lip products, ever. These are really similar to the EOS lip balms, but this Revo balm has a flat top allowing you to put the balm on your lips super easily. It also curves against your lips really well, so your top and bottom lips don't get in the way, depending on which lip gets the balm first! It basically feels like you've got a marshmallow pushed up against your lips (amaaaazing!) and smells absolutely amazing, it also has a subtle, sweet taste and has no bitterness so in the event you are a lip biter (like me) you won't have an awful taste in your mouth either! I picked up the coconut (white) and the strawberry (pink) balms but they do have other 'flavours' which I really want to get my hands on, my hand-bag and places around my house will love it and so will my lips!

Revo Lip Balm in Strawberry

Have you tried any of these balms? What do you think? Do you have any favourites? Let me know what they are in the comments below! x

I want to start this post by saying that I had wanted to get the Anastasia Beverley Hills contour kit so much, but as I live in Perth the only way is online (or fly to Sydney to visit Sephora) and I just never got around to getting it online. I ended up flying to Sydney around the middle of this year on a business trip (that's for another post) and whilst there, I went into Sephora to make the purchase almost exclusively, and sadly they had no stock :( it just wasn't meant to be!! I did load up on heaps of other products though, obviously!

Anyway, I pushed that out of my mind and when I got back to Perth I headed into our local Priceline (drugstore) for some other things and got my hands on this palette - the AC On Tour Contouring & Highlighting Kit by Australis which is a much more affordable option than ABH and to be honest, I am glad I did. 

As always with makeup, new lines of the same product are always being released and as soon as I had bought this palette, they released three different palettes: light, medium and dark. The website says clearly that this palette offers a healthy, natural glow for any skin tone, but I still don’t know if I entirely agree.  If I could go back and wait, I would definitely purchase the light palette, as I am quite fair skinned and feel this option would have suited my skin tone better. I am heading across to Melbourne at the end of the year and I was told there will be a Sephora opening there beforehand (fingers crossed it’s open!), so I will be visiting that store and getting my hands on the cream contour kit in light by ABH as its high up on my wish list and I LOVE cream products, especially for summer (I’ll do a post on my favourite cream products soon!). 

Sorry, I digressed there, back to the Australis palette…

Firstly, the kit is very, very, very pigmented. I cannot even stress that enough. Before you lather your brush in product STOP! Lightly press the brush in the product and TAP ANY EXCESS OFF YOUR BRUSH BEFORE APPLYING! Please! I am only thinking of your face! Either way you only make that mistake once so go for gold!

There are three ‘highlight’ shades and three contour shades. On the top row from left to right, there is a light (almost translucent) powder, a yellow ‘banana’ powder and a shimmery, peachy highlight powder. I love each of these shades the same (it’s a lot of love) the first powder is a setting powder for your face and I find it does a great job at setting my t-zone. The yellow powder is great for setting concealer under the eyes whilst highlighting that area – I have heard it has flash-back but I haven’t experienced that so can’t comment on that (sorry!). The highlight shade is so natural and adds just the right kind of peachy highlight to my cheekbones; it is shimmery (I can’t think of another word) but not overwhelmingly so and catches the sunlight perfectly leaving your skin with such a natural glow. 

On the bottom row from left to right, there are three contour shades. The first is a combination warm/cool toned colour, the middle is an ashy colour and the third is a warm colour, slightly bronzer than the first two. This is where you can have a problem with MUD. The first time I used the contour colours I lathered my brush up with the product, tapped a little bit off and applied it to just under my cheekbones – DISASTER! I had muddy looking cheeks and I had a little freak out because I was already late to work– I was NOT expecting that much pigment!! 
Anyway, the product is really easy to blend out and I managed to blend it out enough to wear during the day, instead of washing my face and starting again (can you imagine! I’d have been so much later for work! I really shouldn’t try new products when I’m late but what can you do!). I like to use the first and third colour on my cheeks, forehead,  nose, jaw-line and just under my chin as a general “bronzer” and then I use the middle colour to lightly contour under my cheekbones to add some more definition and a bit more of a 'contour' rather than bronze.

Anyway, on mornings when I have decided to go all the way and have highlighted and contoured (or evenings) I step away from the mirror and feel nicely shaped and I feel great about my face, especially with my nose, which I have a love-hate relationship with. I'm a little camera shy, so won't upload a close up of my face, but hopefully I get more confident and will be happy to do that! Also, now that summer is almost here, it will look a lot more appropriate (I don’t often wear fake tan so I’m pale as the moon and my face is usually super bronze and glowy and it just doesn’t really go with the rest of me!). I love this product, I reckon I will continue to love this product and hope you all give it a go if you haven’t already, I’ve only heard good things!

Let me know what contour and highlight palette (or even just individual products) are your favourites in the comments below, I love trying new things and would love to know what you use! Also, let me know if you’d like a post about my favourite bronzers/highlighters too and I’ll give it a go!

V x

  

I often go on 'coffee dates' with my mum, regardless if we get coffee or be naughty and get strawberry milkshakes or iced coffees (whatever we really feel like at the time!)

This particular day we had spent shopping in our local shopping center, I spent way too much as always and we had been on our feet for ages so ended up at our favourite coffee shop for a strawberry milkshake & cake treat!

I am super close to my mum (and dad) and I am very lucky for that! I love spending time with her and having our coffee dates / shopping dates so prepare for many-a-post about these special dates :)

This one in particular was nothing of real note, except how good does that milkshake and cake look! It tasted as good as it looks, also, I haven't had a strawberry milkshake, or any milkshake for that matter, in SUCH a long time, so this was so good!!

Do you like milkshakes as much as me? I mean come on, who doesn't?? What is your favourite flavour! Let me know in the comments below xx

I thought I would change up my routine and swap from my usual Stila One Step Correct Primer and try out the Bare Minerals "Prime Time" Primer as I had heard good things and seen loads of people using it. 

I decided against the neutralising formula and I semi-regret that decision as my skin does have a reddish tinge (ok, my cheeks are always flushed red, no matter what time of day it is unfortunately!) and the neutralising formula would have assisted with this issue I have but.. ANYWAY, I love this primer, the original (which I got) has a transparent colour and no real scent which I prefer in face products actually, especially as my skin is sensitive and can't handle overly perfumed products. 

The primer creates a smooth base for foundation application and it blurs out my fine lines around my eyes and forehead, excess oil and enlarged pores and really feels so soft and silky on your skin, especially to the touch. I sometimes get away with wearing this primer alone with some of my Mac Mineralise Skin Finish in light over the top, with a little bit of mascara and my eyebrows done for "no-makeup makeup days" or when I am in a rush for work / having a good skin day (will do a separate post for this).  I find when I wear this primer as a base, my foundation around my nose, cheeks and chin (t-zone) lasts so much longer than without, and as I work in an office environment from 8:30-5:30 a long-wearing foundation is an absolute must for me! 

Next time, I think I will purchase the neutralising formula as I think this will just add that extra coverage for my red cheeks for days where I don't want a full face of foundation (especially in summer). I won't and can't compare it to Stila as they are same-same but different too and I do have an absolute love of Stila products.
 

I would re-purchase though, absolutely. Bare Minerals has surprised me!

Have you used this primer or the neutralising one? What do you think?
Do you like Bare Minerals?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below xx 

Jeans, Sandals, Singlet, Cashmere Cardigan - Perfect Autumn Outfit

So, the long weekend for Easter has come to an end and it has been such a lovely Easter. As I get older, holidays seem strange compared to when I was younger, and Easter is no different, but it's such a good time to reflect on the year so far, your family, and all the little things, including sunsets, great outfits, yummy food and chocolate!

As above, I am loving the jeans, casual top and cashmere cardigan combination for winter, it's not quite cold enough all day, so the cardigan can come off but the outfit still looks done! A great outfit that makes you feel good is the best, and this makes me feel good so it's a win-win situation for the onset of Autumn.

The change of seasons also has the sky doing amazing things at sunset, including making the sky go the prettiest shade of pastel pink - it gets better and better every night and as pink is my favourite colour, it resonates with me. Who doesn't love a pretty sunset though! It's my aim to start seeing the sun rise as well, as I imagine it will be just as pretty, and super refreshing with the chill in the early morning air.

Pink Skies

The beautiful pink sunset!

Easter is, when you have celebrated Jesus and gone to church (for me), all about chocolate and chocolate brownies. This Easter was the first Easter in our new home, and was very different for me! I spent Saturday baking brownies (the first batch I have ever made in our new oven!). I love baking, and brownies are something I can do without putting too much thought into it, so it becomes a relaxing thing for me. They also go down a real treat with everyone and that's always the icing on the cake for me, hearing people enjoy my baking :)

Easter Brownie Baking - Success!

Even though I am now 22 years old my family still spoil me and my boyfriend rotten with chocolate I shouldn't eat, but still do, and which lasts me way, way too long (probably better than eating it all in one sitting and being sick!) if I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, chocolate would definitely be way up there as one of the finalists in the contest for sure. The worst part of Easter is that my boyfriend doesn't eat chocolate (or when he does, he is able to control himself and has one tiny piece) which means I end up eating the majority of it all myself - no regrets! 

Do you enjoy Easter? What is your favourite part of this holiday? Let me know in the comments below xo

Chocolate haul - how good is Kinder though

Kinder was my whole childhood and is still the best.

This will take me a while to finish, - chocolate heaven

The past few weekends have been flying by - blink and you'll miss it - and this weekend is no different. It's Sunday afternoon and I have work tomorrow, but wanted to relax a little first, not that this weekend has been very busy or anything!

I started off the weekend with my makeup brushes, I find it such a chore to wash them and thank myself for not having many. I start off with good intentions and really keen to wash them, but without fail, I get halfway through and give up thinking what a good idea it was, until the end. How good are clean brushes? I can't even tell you. They are so soft and feel brand new, and as I use baby shampoo, they have that adorable clean, baby smell when you bring them up to your face! Can't go wrong. What do you use to clean your brushes? Have you tried baby shampoo? Let me know below

Dirty brushes, ready for a clean!

How gorgeous are these tulips though?!

Right now I am sitting on my bed, with treatment in my hair before I get into the bath to have a relaxing soak. I have been using and loving "Roots" from Lush as a hair treatment for a long time now and love it to bits. It is a treatment primarily for thin, fine hair which once washed out, gives your hair amaaazing volume and body! I have very thin, fine hair which does suck, but having found this treatment, sucks a little less! "Roots" has mint in it and smells minty and fresh, you know that it is working through your hair because it gently tingles your scalp. The Lush pot says it has 'three kinds of mint to stimulate the scalp and hair follicles, olive oil to give condition and strength, honey to soften and soothe and nettle absolute for shine.' It has orange oil, neroli and grapefruit oil as added scents which leaves you with a general feeling of content - amazing what scents can do to you.

"Roots" give this product a go if you have thin hair, you won't look back!

I also run coconut oil through the ends of my hair while "Roots" is worked through the top. Coconut oil is one of those things that everyone should have in their kitchen and bathroom. It is so nourishing, smells amazing, and leaves your hair and skin feeling so silky, soft and hydrated. I leave my hair up in a soft bun for half an hour while "Roots" and the coconut oil does it's magic, and then I jump into the bath or shower. I find this super relaxing, and my hair once washed and dried feels soft, bouncy and healthy, which is a good thing as I love colouring my hair! 

"Roots" and Coconut Oil in a messy, soft bun, working through to nourish my hair.

Have you used "Roots" before? Do you use coconut oil in your routine? Let me know what you think of these products below, and leave suggestions if you have any recommendations for other products similar to these! I'd love to hear from you, xoxo

The happiest day of love, besides every other day of the year. This is a belated Valentine's post, but I thought, why not!

This year was the first Valentine's day we shared in our own house together and it was all kinds of sweet, especially as we had pancakes for breakfast! I am a huge fan of pancakes, and I am a huge fan of making them from scratch and putting all kinds of toppings on them as well. Who doesn't love pancakes?!

Home made (with love) Pancakes with strawberries and maple syrup.

We had a relaxing day at home, followed by an early dinner at Salt On the Beach, a new restaurant (new to us) that overlooks the beach in Fremantle, Perth. I never took photos of our meal unfortunately (I wish I had), but we had a delicious entree of salt and pepper squid, fish and chips for main and a chocolate crumble dessert / sticky date pudding to finish our meal with. The food was incredibly yummy, fresh and very filling, the serves were on the large side for sure! To top our lovely evening all off, we felt like the waiter was there just to wait on us which was a really nice change from fast-paced restaurants that are all about turn-around. I would go back without a doubt, and definitely for the purely magical sunset! 

Rose petals completed the evening.

The sunset was purely magical, this photo does not do it justice.