Y'all know how much I love to travel! So when RY.com.au told me they were putting together a Travel Edit for their website, I knew I had to be a part of it!!
RY.com.au kindly sent me some travel sized products from their range, plus I used some products from my own collection, that are also available on the RY website.
One of the hardest things about travelling, is trying not to overpack. I am a notorious over packer, however I am trying to curb the habit. One of the main places where I over pack is in the toiletries department. I think that I will wear all 6 of those lippies and use those 3 eyeshadow palettes.. haha NOPE! I am barely lucky enough if I use mascara and a brow product let alone foundation, powder, and everything that goes with it. So today I am going to share my top travel essentials & tips!
Inflight Essentials & Tips:
- Use make up remover wipes like the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution Make Up Remover wipes* to help freshen up mid-flight (especially on long-haul flights) or once you land
- Bring an empty drink bottle to fill up after you have gone through security/customs, so you can stay hydrated on the flight
- Bring a multi-purpose balm for lips, cuticles and dry spots like the Lanolips 101 Ointment
- Pack some of your favourite tea-bags for a in-flight treat!
- In-flight hydration essentials:
- Gel Eye Masks like the Lonvitalite 24K Gold & Collagen Eye masks
- and a thick hand cream like the Kora Organics Daily Hand Cream
- And finally so you look put together after you get off that flight an amazing Dry Shampoo like the Sachajuan Dark Volume Powder
Overpacking? No way with minis!! You can now just about get all your favourite products in mini sized! And I mean, who doesn't love mini products?? They are just so cute!!! 50ml varieties of hair care and last up to 14 washes - so there is no need to lug around a 2 x 250ml bottles of shampoo & conditioner!! And some even come in convenient "travel packs". Like the Pureology "Step Up To Next-Leve Hydration" pack*. Also treatments and styling products come in the same small cute packaging, like the Matrix Miracle Creator Treatment* and the Evo Easy Tiger Smoothing Balm*.The same goes with skincare, super convenient trial or travel packs, containing minis of your favourite moisturisers, serums and oils. The Jojoba Company Travel Essentials Pack* contains 5 20ml products to keep your overpacking to a minimum.
Another way to save space is to pack multi-use products. Things that can be used in multiple ways, saving on the amount of products you need to take!! A small palette containing blush, bronzer, and highlighter, is always a good idea like the Poni Cosmetics Contouring Kit* which you can also use as an eyeshadow palette too!! A mascara that has the options of lengthening or volumising, so you can adjust your look from day to night is hand too. The Poni Cosmetics White Knight Mascara* has both of these options, plus doesn't smudge or leave you with panda eyes and is easy to remove. A pop of colour on your lips can make you look more put together than you actually are! A creamy pinky nude colour will always be your best friend on holidays. Plus you can always use a lipstick as a cream blush too! I love the Bite Beauty Matte Lip Crayons, as they are thin and don't take up much space!
Well there you have it, how I try to reduce the amount of products I take when I travel!! Plus a few handy tips to keep you hydrated and fresh mid-flight!! Hopefully I can get back to regular posting from now on!!
What are you travel tip or favourite destinations? I'm planning a 4 week Eurotrip for next year, I would love some recommendations!!
Note: Products marked with an asterisk(*) have been sent to Loads of Lifestyle for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
I have been seriously itching to do things to our new house. Since we moved in in February, I have made all these grand plans in my head, only to slowly come to the realisation, owning a house is bloody expensive!! Repayments, insurance, water & rates.. It all adds up! So these grand plans (new bathroom and kitchen) will stay in my head for quite a while now, so I am doing little bits here and there to make it feel like our own.
So my first little venture into our makeover, is purely a styling makeover. I would have loved to have painted as well, but we are heading overseas next month, so I thought I better not!
Our bedroom before.. A mix of cheap doona cover, semi-expensive sheets and mis-matched lamps and basically a mess. I wanted our bedroom to feel a little more luxurious and cohesive.
Our bedhead and side draws are about 8 years old (James bought them before we were together). The bed has a beautiful curved timber head and matching timber draws. (similar here and here).
For our new linen, I chose the Aura Home Mason Fringe Quilt Cover set in Rose Dust (available here) and Sheets on the Line Classic Luxe Sheets in Mist (available here) with The Goodnight Co. Silk Pillowcases in charcoal (available here). I also added some european pillows from kmart & grey cases from target. I am yet to find the perfect throw pillows for the top of the bed. I am thinking of one of those circular knot pillows!
I absolutely love our bedside lamps! As soon as I saw them in the window of Nutmeg Home (our local homeware shop) I knew they would be the perfect addition to our bedroom makeover. They are the Orbit Lamp by Elegant Designs (available here, similar in white here). I love the gold foil on the glass lamp bases, plus the gold knob at the top of the off-white shade. I styled the bedsides with some of James' current reads, and 2 trinket bowls and my current fav Ecoya candle (White Peach & Orange Blossom - available here)
Lastly, our little antique set of draws. James picked these up at a antique store years ago. The third mirror, though still whole, the brackets that hold it, are broken. So I need to find some new ones. We have also replaced 3 of the 6 draw pulls (just waiting on the other 3 to arrive). The parlour palm, had been ripped to shreds by my cats, so I moved it in here to recover and it loves the bright light in our room. I popped it in the mid-century style pot and stand from kmart (available here) I have been loving this style of plant stand for the longest of time, and when I saw it at kmart, I knew I had to have it!
Well there you have it, I hope you liked this little insight into our home! If you really like these types of posts and would like to see more, let me know in the comment section below!! Hopefully next will be my beauty room makeover!
I believe I am well overdue for an updated skincare post! My skin has been amazing lately!! And I have a plethora of products to thank for it!! So take a seat, grab a cuppa or a glass of wine - this is a little bit of a long one..
Step 1: Make-Up Removal - I have a 2 step process for my make-up removal, depending how much I am wearing! For my eye make-up I use the Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution and then I go in with a oil cleanser to break down the rest of my face. At the moment I am loving DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and the Banila Clean It Zero cleansing balm.
Step 2: Cleansing - I have found my HG cleanser. The Medik8 poreCleanse Gel, I am on my second tube of it, and I love it! It contains a combination of L-Mandelic, Salycilic and L-Lactic acids for a more gentle acidic face wash, compared to a Glycolic based cleanser. It does what it says, it clears out my pores and if I have an pesky breakouts appearing, it zaps them before they get too big!! Next up, I use the Medik8 White Balance Cleanse* which is a powder cleanser you mix with a few drops of water and watch it foam up! Its quite a fun product to use! It's infused with patent pending Oxy-R (oxyresveratrol), that works to even the skin's tone and protect it from elements that may increase skin pigmentation. It also contains bamboo micro-exfoliant particles to smooth the skin. I have been loving using this at night after my gel cleanser. The combination of these 2 products has been my skin become so much brighter and I haven't even been getting any hormonal breakouts that I usually get at that time of the month!!
Step 3: Toner - long gone are the astringent toners from my youth, I am now all about the moisture enhancing toners, inspired by my love of Korean skincare! The two that I am using at the moment are the Secret Key Milk Brightening Toner* and the Face Shop Rice and Ceramide Moisture Toner. Both are thicker than your usual watery toner, so much so that I can place the toner in the middle of my palm and press the toner into mix skin (which is much better than swiping!)
Step 4: Essences, Serums & Ampoules - The more the merrier! Essences, Serums and Ampoules a basically the same thing, they are concentrated liquids designed to target a specific issue. The two that I am currently using are the Medik8's Hydr8 B5 serum which as you can see by the name, is a hydrating serum containing Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin B5. It leaves your skin feeling smooth and hydrated! The other is the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence by the Korean brand COSRX. It is made with 96% all-natural snail secretion filtrate, it is a powerful essence that is suppose to transform your complexion, for healthier and more elastic skin. I have been really enjoying using this essence. the texture is a little strange to get used to, because of the high percentage of the snail secretion filtrate, it does have a slimy texture to it! But it leaves the skin bouncy and looking younger.
Day Time:
Step 5: Eye Cream - The Medik8 Hydr8 Eye 360* is an all-in-one hydrating eye cream with an SPF15 sun protection. It also contains antioxidants and anti-glycations to help improve the appearance of fine lines and puffiness.
Step 6: Sunscreen - My HG sunscreen, the Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face Superscreen SPF50+, oh my. This is the greatest facial sunscreen ever. It is thick but not to thick, doesn't have that horrible sunscreen smell, and protects you skin from all those UVA/B. It's non-greasy and hydrating all at the same time.
Night Time:
Step 5: Treatments and Oils - So this section changes every second night. I will switch between these two options. Option 1: Alpha-H Liquid Gold, a glycolic acid based resurfacing treatment, designed to brighten and revitalise dull and tired skin. I am on my third bottle of it and it literally is Liquid Gold! If I am using this, I skip steps 3 & 4, and apply the Liquid Gold and nothing else. However if you have more sensitive skin, its advised to use a moisturiser over the top. Option 2: Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil*, a feather-light treatment oil that is absorbed into the skin almost instantly. It helps to reinforce the skins protective barrier. Because I have a more oily skin type, I opt to wear this oil at night time, but you can wear it day or night.
Step 6: Overnight Treatments and Moisturisers - DNA Restoring Mask by Dr Ronald Moy* since this beauty came across my desk, I have been in love! You can either use it as a mask up to 3 times per week, or if you prefer a more intense treatment like I do, you can leave it on as an overnight mask. It helps reduce sun damage with DNA Repair Enzymes delivered through liposomes to deeply penetrate the skin. I have used this on sunburns at night and have woken up with it greatly reduced. I use this every 3 or 4th night. The other product that I use in-between is the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Dry* for a product that is designed for dry skin, it does wonders for oily skin. It would be too much to wear as a daily moisturiser for someone with oily skin, but as an night time moisturiser it is a great choice. It leaves my skin nice, plump and hydrated the next morning.
So there you have it.. My everyday skincare routine! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave them in the comment section below!
Note: Products marked with an asterisk(*) have been sent to Loads of Lifestyle for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
Step 1: Make-Up Removal - I have a 2 step process for my make-up removal, depending how much I am wearing! For my eye make-up I use the Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution and then I go in with a oil cleanser to break down the rest of my face. At the moment I am loving DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and the Banila Clean It Zero cleansing balm.
Step 2: Cleansing - I have found my HG cleanser. The Medik8 poreCleanse Gel, I am on my second tube of it, and I love it! It contains a combination of L-Mandelic, Salycilic and L-Lactic acids for a more gentle acidic face wash, compared to a Glycolic based cleanser. It does what it says, it clears out my pores and if I have an pesky breakouts appearing, it zaps them before they get too big!! Next up, I use the Medik8 White Balance Cleanse* which is a powder cleanser you mix with a few drops of water and watch it foam up! Its quite a fun product to use! It's infused with patent pending Oxy-R (oxyresveratrol), that works to even the skin's tone and protect it from elements that may increase skin pigmentation. It also contains bamboo micro-exfoliant particles to smooth the skin. I have been loving using this at night after my gel cleanser. The combination of these 2 products has been my skin become so much brighter and I haven't even been getting any hormonal breakouts that I usually get at that time of the month!!
Step 3: Toner - long gone are the astringent toners from my youth, I am now all about the moisture enhancing toners, inspired by my love of Korean skincare! The two that I am using at the moment are the Secret Key Milk Brightening Toner* and the Face Shop Rice and Ceramide Moisture Toner. Both are thicker than your usual watery toner, so much so that I can place the toner in the middle of my palm and press the toner into mix skin (which is much better than swiping!)
Step 4: Essences, Serums & Ampoules - The more the merrier! Essences, Serums and Ampoules a basically the same thing, they are concentrated liquids designed to target a specific issue. The two that I am currently using are the Medik8's Hydr8 B5 serum which as you can see by the name, is a hydrating serum containing Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin B5. It leaves your skin feeling smooth and hydrated! The other is the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence by the Korean brand COSRX. It is made with 96% all-natural snail secretion filtrate, it is a powerful essence that is suppose to transform your complexion, for healthier and more elastic skin. I have been really enjoying using this essence. the texture is a little strange to get used to, because of the high percentage of the snail secretion filtrate, it does have a slimy texture to it! But it leaves the skin bouncy and looking younger.
Day Time:
Step 5: Eye Cream - The Medik8 Hydr8 Eye 360* is an all-in-one hydrating eye cream with an SPF15 sun protection. It also contains antioxidants and anti-glycations to help improve the appearance of fine lines and puffiness.
Step 6: Sunscreen - My HG sunscreen, the Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face Superscreen SPF50+, oh my. This is the greatest facial sunscreen ever. It is thick but not to thick, doesn't have that horrible sunscreen smell, and protects you skin from all those UVA/B. It's non-greasy and hydrating all at the same time.
Night Time:
Step 5: Treatments and Oils - So this section changes every second night. I will switch between these two options. Option 1: Alpha-H Liquid Gold, a glycolic acid based resurfacing treatment, designed to brighten and revitalise dull and tired skin. I am on my third bottle of it and it literally is Liquid Gold! If I am using this, I skip steps 3 & 4, and apply the Liquid Gold and nothing else. However if you have more sensitive skin, its advised to use a moisturiser over the top. Option 2: Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil*, a feather-light treatment oil that is absorbed into the skin almost instantly. It helps to reinforce the skins protective barrier. Because I have a more oily skin type, I opt to wear this oil at night time, but you can wear it day or night.
Step 6: Overnight Treatments and Moisturisers - DNA Restoring Mask by Dr Ronald Moy* since this beauty came across my desk, I have been in love! You can either use it as a mask up to 3 times per week, or if you prefer a more intense treatment like I do, you can leave it on as an overnight mask. It helps reduce sun damage with DNA Repair Enzymes delivered through liposomes to deeply penetrate the skin. I have used this on sunburns at night and have woken up with it greatly reduced. I use this every 3 or 4th night. The other product that I use in-between is the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Dry* for a product that is designed for dry skin, it does wonders for oily skin. It would be too much to wear as a daily moisturiser for someone with oily skin, but as an night time moisturiser it is a great choice. It leaves my skin nice, plump and hydrated the next morning.
So there you have it.. My everyday skincare routine! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave them in the comment section below!
Note: Products marked with an asterisk(*) have been sent to Loads of Lifestyle for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
Well hello there! Long time no post!! I am truly sorry about that, but I have had some massive changes happen in life this last 3 months!!
If you follow me on Instagram you would probably already know this one, but on our holiday to Japan at the end of last year, my boyfriend James, asked me to marry him!! We had just had an onsen (Japanese hot-spring) and I was relaxing in our Ryokan (traditional inn) drinking some green tea and reflecting on our trip so far, when he joined me at the table and popped the question!! He gave me a gorgeous antique diamond ring from the 1890's!! I love that it is such a quality piece that has lasted way over a century!! So I have been busy planning our engagement party, as we don't really plan to get married, well at least for 3 or 4 years at the earliest!
The second huge change/piece of news... We Bought a HOUSE!! We looked at it and signed contract before we left for Japan at the start of December, so we had to wait a few months for settlement, but we finally got the keys on Valentines Day! We sat on the front deck and popped a bottle of Moet and toasted to the next 30 years of repayments!! haha So we have been busy packing for the last couple of weeks, and my beauty room has been packed up even longer because of the room it was in doesn't have any air conditioning vents, and it has been ridiculously hot for the last 2 months, I decided to pack it up, so my lipsticks wouldn't melt!! So that's why I haven't been as active on Instagram or the blog!!
So now, we have started to move all of our belongings into the new house, and hopefully have our first night in it on Friday!! It is a gorgeous little weatherboard cottage with 3 bedrooms and a sleep-out, which is going to be my beauty room! It has its own separate entry, which will be good for my make-up clients!! It has a lovely front deck and front yard, with an original lamp post that still works. The backyard has a massive shed, paved entertaining area and the best feature... a in-ground swim-spa!! We absolutely love our new little pad and I cannot wait to start decorating!! Eeep!
So it will be a few more weeks before I get back to regular posting, as I have so many things coming up (hen's parties, weddings, and our engagement party!) But I will hopefully post a few posts here and there!!
Thats it for now, hopefully I can have a post up for you all next week too!! In the mean time, I am looking for fabulous pieces of decor and furniture for our house! Let me know your favourite websites to pick up decor and furniture in the comments below!!
If you follow me on Instagram you would probably already know this one, but on our holiday to Japan at the end of last year, my boyfriend James, asked me to marry him!! We had just had an onsen (Japanese hot-spring) and I was relaxing in our Ryokan (traditional inn) drinking some green tea and reflecting on our trip so far, when he joined me at the table and popped the question!! He gave me a gorgeous antique diamond ring from the 1890's!! I love that it is such a quality piece that has lasted way over a century!! So I have been busy planning our engagement party, as we don't really plan to get married, well at least for 3 or 4 years at the earliest!
The second huge change/piece of news... We Bought a HOUSE!! We looked at it and signed contract before we left for Japan at the start of December, so we had to wait a few months for settlement, but we finally got the keys on Valentines Day! We sat on the front deck and popped a bottle of Moet and toasted to the next 30 years of repayments!! haha So we have been busy packing for the last couple of weeks, and my beauty room has been packed up even longer because of the room it was in doesn't have any air conditioning vents, and it has been ridiculously hot for the last 2 months, I decided to pack it up, so my lipsticks wouldn't melt!! So that's why I haven't been as active on Instagram or the blog!!
So it will be a few more weeks before I get back to regular posting, as I have so many things coming up (hen's parties, weddings, and our engagement party!) But I will hopefully post a few posts here and there!!
Thats it for now, hopefully I can have a post up for you all next week too!! In the mean time, I am looking for fabulous pieces of decor and furniture for our house! Let me know your favourite websites to pick up decor and furniture in the comments below!!
Happy New Year Everyone!!! I hope you all had a happy and safe break over Christmas and New Year!! I have been a little absent from the Blogging and Social Media world for most of December, with only 1 post in December and only a couple of Social Media posts!!
It was good to have a break from it all, and I had the added bonus of being overseas for the first half of December!!
So if you remember my 2016 post I had split up my goals into various aspects of my life, and this year I will do the same..
So a quick recap to 2016 and how I went:
It was good to have a break from it all, and I had the added bonus of being overseas for the first half of December!!
So if you remember my 2016 post I had split up my goals into various aspects of my life, and this year I will do the same..
So a quick recap to 2016 and how I went:
Blog Resolutions:
- Up my posting to twice a week - I kept this up for the first 6-ish month and then I was a bit sporadic
- Keep working on my photography skills - nope
- Post some make up looks (!!) - I posted 1 make-up look! I need to work on this!
- Be better at responding to comments from my lovely readers! - I think I was pretty good at this (need to check) ha
- Collaborations with fellow bloggers - I did a collab with the lovely Sarah from Bows & Pleats on our money saving series called "Spend or Save" (here, here, and here)
Beauty Resolutions:
- Skincare – more specifically, a consistent regime of quality products; including regular facials from my local cosmetologist, Bette – she’s amazing! - Success!! I really focused on my skincare this past year and my skin is pretty amazing at the moment!! I did skimp on the regular facials but!
- Spending Ban – NO UNNESSCESARY BUYING (just because it’s pretty and shiny!) - I think I did pretty well with this!! I mean there was no unnecessary Black Friday/Cyber Monday hauls last year, and I only splurged on a few releases!!
- Shop my stash – I have so much make-up, as evident from some of my collection posts (highlighter & eyeshadow palettes) - Still need to work on this!!!
- Project Pan – coming soon… - Project pan was started... But I didnt really manage it well and forgot about it!!
Personal Resolutions:
- More Adventures - like weekend escapes or hiking - Hmm we had a few, but not as many as I had hoped!
- Spending Ban – learning to decipher between WANTS & NEEDS… - I think I did ok? haha
- SAVE – for a house, for a holiday(s), and an emergency fund. - TICK, TICK, TICK!! BOOM Success!!
- Read more quality books – not the trashy ones I have read time and time again. - Started out ok, finished by re-reading the Harry Potter series! haha
- Be more active - gym, boxing, walks with the dogs, gymnastics. - I am so sporadic with this. Still need to work on it!
- Go gluten free! Coeliac Disease runs in my family, so this a little bit preventative but also a lifestyle choice too. - I was Gluten Free for about 6 months and then gave up! So much cake and bread to eat!!
- Nail my back handspring & the splits - for those who don't know, I coach gymnastics to school age children - it's so much fun!! - HAHAHA
Business Resolutions:
- Practice, Practice Practice! - Practiced a little, but not enough!!
- Advertise more locally. - Paid for a few sponsored posts and non paid adverts through FB
- Make alliances with other local businesses – hair & make-up deals etc - Kind of forgot about this one!!
- Practice some more! - Enough already.. haha
- Attend another masterclass or learning opportunity. - FAIL
Sooooo all in all, I think I have succeeded in this!! I think I nailed a pretty major one - SAVING! So I think that outways the negatives a little!! I think this year I am not going to set so many and just have 1 major one for each aspect of my life and 2 little ones I think!!
How did you go with your 2016 resolutions? Did you smash them or did they go out the window in week 2 of 2016?! Let me know in the comments below!!
