Books I’ve Read Lately #9 - 40 in 2019

This year so far has been AMAZING in terms of books! I have found some absolute favourites already so I can’t wait to tell you all about them. 

Something I recently realised was that most books have one key message – any easy bite sized take away that encapsulates the true meaning of the book. It’s the one concept that is explained over and over using different examples and ways of describing the same key advice.

Because this is the first instalment of this series for my 2019 reading list, I thought I would shake things up a little and this year I will be including details of every book’s main message, key takeaways and sharing how I rate the book.

It’s also incredibly valuable for me to reflect upon each book I read because it not only refreshes my memory or allows the message to seriously sink in but it’s also a great reference point for me to re-visit in the future.

Valentino Donna Perfume Review

 

I'm here to share with you a perfume favourite I have had for a while now. The Valentino scent - Donna.

I used to be obsessed with perfumes and had a large amount of them to brag about but over the years I have culled my collection with only a few go-to scents to choose from.

When I was walking through Myer I saw and reluctantly (because of the price) tried on the latest Valentino scent and immediately fell in love. I was obsessed with the perfect middle-ground between floral and fruity. It hits the right notes between sexy and sophisticated making it my absolute favourite scent of the moment.

Growing My Hair Quickly - My Haircare Routine

If you know me well then you understand while I’m a huge sceptic – I’m always willing to give something a go. You’ll never see me talking about diet teas or waist trainers because I don’t fall for crap and I hate hype.

But when it comes to claims the beauty industry makes – throw it at me and I’ll put it to the test!

So when I was contacted by a company that claimed to grow my hair quickly in just 6 weeks – I wasn’t sure what to expect. That was about 2 months ago and after using the products consistently my hair has never felt healthier and thicker. While yes, it is NOTICEABLY a lot longer.

I have quite slow growing hair so I know it is definitely due to this haircare regime I have been following from ‘Bondi Boost’.

Get all the deets in my latest video below or head over to www.bondiboost.com.au

I want to get some sick before and after picture to be patient with me so I can really do the product justice and show what a dramatic effect it can have.

Pink Clay Face Mask Tutorial and Review ♥ Sand And Sky

You guys know how much I have been LOVING my skincare lately and I’ve always been a fan of a good face mask.

Well…I found a face mask that I’m confident in saying is the best I have ever tried. I see such immediate and visible results from using this I had to make a video so that you could see for yourself the change in my skin on camera.

I’m getting back into the swing of YouTube videos so any support you could show me would be incredible; whether it’s a like or saying hi in the comments I love being able to interact with you on that level.

So let’s get into the video…

 

Books I’ve Read Lately #2

One of my 2018 goals was to read a lot more and get through a minimum of 30 book before the year is out. I am really proud with the progress that I have been making with this goal and am very confident that I will go well over the 30 book mark by the end of year.

So into the good stuff…the books that I have finished up reading or have been listening to Lately. Side note - Audible is actually one of my favourite things ever but I don’t want to rely too much on listening to books and want a good balance between that and actually reading a physical book. I don’t know why but I feel like listening to a book is sort of cheating but I can’t help but love being able to “read” while on my daily commute to and from work.

I have a pretty good mix of books in this list and they cover a variety of topics. I’ve also started assigning a rating out of 5 after I have finished each book so I will include that from now on in these posts.  

We're Getting Fancy - Kerastase Aura Botanica

Recently I've been ALL ABOUT that haircare life. I think a lot of it comes from when I get my hair re-done and feel the drying effects of the bleach as well as wanting my hair to become thicker and healthier generally. 

So I have been investing in my haircare a little bit more so than usual lately, dabbling in some higher end brands which focus in-depth on hair care and reconstituting your hair make-up. 

In this post I wanted to discuss a new range I've been using from Kerastase called 'aura botanica' and it's three step series of haircare. 

Kerastase say to offer truly effective care to enhance natural, lightly revitalized hair to leave it with a healthy glow. This range is also 98%-99% natural - I like the sound of that. It also seems to be quite a trend at the moment with natural haircare, especially after the uproar with sulphates a few years ago.



Here's the breakdown

$4 Lipsticks - Coastal Scents Lipstick Review

So we all know that you can get bang for your buck when it comes to lipsticks. There are so many drugstore brands coming out with lipsticks that are nearly identical to a brand like Chanel or MAC.

So when I heard about the Coastal Scents lipsticks and how they only retail for $3.95 each I knew I had to give them a go.

How good is only having spend $4 on a lip product! It really allows you to experiment with a heap of colours or try out something a bit daring that you aren't sure will suit you so don't want to invest so much in. Read on to see if these make the cut.

Brows On Fleek - BOE Beauty Brow Products Review

You may recall the in-depth look at Benefit's extensive brow product range from a couple of months ago (if you missed out, read the post here) but today we are looking into a much more affordable alternative.

The budget friendly brand BOE Beauty have released a series of brow products that will have your brows looking on fleek without breaking the bank. This range is called 'Pro Finish' and includes 4 items; 3 products and 1 brush.

Burberry - Like Velvet on Your Lips

Burberry are one of those cosmetic brands that I somehow never got around to trying until now.

I always considered them more of a fashion brand but now that we take a look at the direction makeup has taken, it's pretty much just another fashion accessory. Also, doesn't it make great sense for Burberry to create makeup using all of the on-trend colours that we see on the runway?!

So in this post I am going to be reviewing their latest lip product release - Liquid Lip Velvets.

Paint For Your Lips - Maybelline Color Jolt Review and Swatches - New Release

  

So I guess you could call me a Maybelline lip product connoisseur because I've been all across the latest releases for years.

Some of my favourite collections being Rebel Bloom, Color Drama Pencils and Color Elixirs.

Maybelline are one of those amazing brands you can rely on for fresh releases of new shades, formulations, application methods and all the latest in lip products.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Delicate Rose Lipstick Collection Review

A little while ago L'Oreal dropped a lipstick and nail polish collection based around a series of celebrities and their perfect pink. 

The theory behind this is that if you identify that you have similar colourings to one of the celebrities, then it's an easy pick of which shade might suit you most. So there's no sitting there trying on 100 different colours but the guess work is taken out for you.

At the very least this is just a gorgeous collection of perfectly pink lipsticks and complimentary nail polishes, seriously some of these shades are so stunning! Read on for details...

2 Steps To Flawless Skin - Garnier Skin Active Review

Nothing beats a good duo that makes your skin look fabulous! Look no further than the Garnier Skin Active range for two products that will leave your skin squeaky clean with a flawless complexion.

In this post I'm talking you through two products I have fallen in love with that work perfectly to remove makeup, and then provide a natural lightweight coverage.

Also side note, how adorable is the named hair towel (band? is that what you call these things) that Garnier put together...personalization is the way to my heart... really makes a girl feel special.

The L'Oreal Nail Polish Collection That Made Me Throw Out All My Others

 

These nail polishes are so good I threw away all my others. No seriously, I did!

Okay so it may have something to do with my new venture into a minimal lifestyle but it was mainly to do with these nail polishes being so damn good they are the only ones I want to use from now on.

Feast your eyes on the beauty that is the new L'Oreal Colour Riche collection of nail polishes with this gorgeous quilted glass pattern and gold chrome lids.

Also, the colours are pretty epic and right on point for the latest trends. Read on for more details and my colour picks from the collection.

Frank Wants To Scrub your Body - It's Not As Creepy As It Sounds, Promise...

It seems these days that you can't scroll through Instagram without seeing a girl covered in nothing but coffee grinds. 

Frank markets itself as a sexy brand and as such had interesting marketing methods that follow so it is only to be expected. However, in this post we are delving below the artificial image of the brand and really looking into the product and what it is all about.

I realize that us girls do not have unlimited amounts of money to throw at beauty products, especially when it comes to gimmecky items that are yet to These are my quick thoughts and a completely NOT sponsored post on Frank Body so get ready...

Lana Del Rey 'Lust For Life' Album Review

So Lana dropped her new album and I obviously lost my damn mind because every Lana album is a piece of art. But this one well and truly exceeded expectations, releasing her best album yet. 

Lana's work consistently conveys elements of nostalgia, mixing the old with the new and relying on her vocal range for a unique sound rather than pushing loud and powerful notes which separates her from other artists such as Adele. This alternative sound has adapted through the years as she tried different styles but you can undoubtedly spot a Lana song despite the genre she is playing with because she always makes it her own. Lyrical themes follow; sex, drugs, rock and roll, patriotism, love (often going wrong) and an internal struggle to find happiness.

The Ultimate Guide to All Benefit Brow Products

It's no shocker that Benefit have incredible brow products. I mean - Gimme Brow, Brow Zings, High Brow... these are all cult classic products that have been on the market for years and years.

But what happens when Benefit make a point of focussing on their brow products and release a branded collection to celebrate all they have to offer to make womens brows everywhere look flawless? A gorgeous chrome packaged collection that will make you want to go out and re-purchase all of your go-to faves just for the adorable packaging.

Guilty as charged. Well, I'm going to talk you through the tried and tested faves that I have used for years as well as some new products where its my first time trying them.

Rose Gold Brushes - Artiste Airbrush Collection Review - Top 4 Brushes

Luxe makeup brushes can add a bit of luxury to your everyday makeup routine and these new additions from Artiste are STUNNING! 

These beautiful high quality range of makeup brushes is an impressive addition to the market and in this post we are going to be taking a look at four of the brushes from the range that I adore. There are also a heap of photos because these brushes are just stunning.

Hits and Misses - L'Oreal New Releases

Sometimes I stop and think to myself how grateful I am to work with such incredible companies. Receiving this L'Oréal package was definitely one of those moments...

You and I both know that L'Oréal have some bomb products and over the years I have only seen the value get better and the quality go up within the brand. In this article we are going to be running through FIVE of their new releases from all across the board; foundation, concealer, blush, brow products and mascara.

We have all bases covered here and some of these products are so impressive, you'll definitely want to keep reading (I mean, there is definitely a reason that I use most of these products in my everyday makeup routine).

Let's get into the lowdown...

(But also, let's keep it short and sweet. I just want to let you know if the product is great and worth trying or iffy and you could probably give it a miss).

Maybelline The Rock Nudes Palette - REVIEW AND SWATCHES

I love a buttery and pigmented eyeshadow as much as the next girl and something I have noticed is that you only have the venture into the drugstore to find some.

When I was younger and newer to makeup I had the perception that you had to spend a fortune on high end shadows if you wanted quality. But the more I have experimented with both luxury and affordable brands, it has become clear to me that you just need to do your research and you can snag quality on a budget.

3 Uses For the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil-in-Cream + Review

My blonde haired readers, this one is for you! If you have colour treated hair (and by that I mean torture your hair with bleach like myself) then you too might struggle with split ends and dry golden locks. 

I am always looking for products on the market that I can look to that bring my hair back to life and I think I may have found a hidden gem that isn't just all talk.

'Split ends repairing', 'keratin protein', 'advanced milk strengthener' and other jargon terms used for products that show no results...but this is where this product actually lives up to the hype. It is a nourishing leave in cream that I find is much more than that and can be used in a multitude of different ways.