Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Sun-kissed Summer Look using Scout Cosmetics


I have had a crazy month and a half house sitting my parent's place, hence a lack of blog posts and content. We don't get roaches in our apartment so it was a whirlwind of chasing after roaches at my parent's house and trying to bond with my dad's love bird. Through thick and thin, lil birdy finally bonded with me after 2 blow drying sessions (he likes to be pampered). Now, I can't wait to get some sun and smack on my bronzer. I was sent some beautiful Scout Cosmetics products in order to re-create my own sunkissed look. It took about 5 minutes, super easy!

Scout Cosmetics is a beautiful Australian mineral makeup and organic skincare brand. I would classify Scout Cosmetics under my "Green Beauty" category. 


BRONZER

For an all round sun-kissed glow I used Scout Cosmetics Bronzer "Summer"- $39.95.
This particular bronzer is smooth to apply and comes in a standard mineral container. I used Scout Cosmetics Vegan Blush Brush - $24.95 to sweep the bronzer across my cheeks, nose and sides of my forehead. With my fingers, I also used the bronzer as an eye shadow, it worked surprisingly well mainly because there is a fair amount of sheen in the bronzer. When applied onto the cheeks it will give you colour and glow! My only suggestion is to use a primer under your foundation before applying the bronzer, especially if you have enlarged pores like me where mineral products tend to get caught in the pores and end up accentuating your pores. 

LIPS

I was sent Scout Cosmetics Organic Lipstick - $26.95; the shade is "Captivate" when I first saw the colour in the bullet I was extremely hesitant to even swatch it because the shade appeared very bright and vibrant, not a shade I usually wear or can even pull off. But I took a leap of fate and decided to give it a go, I was pleasantly surprised by this gorgeous metallic shade. The colour is no where near as intimidating as I expected. The lipstick was actually quite sheer and extremely nourishing. 


NAILS

The finishing touch is nails, a glittery coat of gold on my nails, I am using Scout Cosmetics Eco Luxe Nail Polish in Truly Madly Deeply - $19.95. There are 35 shades. This is a special nail polish because it's free from potential allergens, carcinogens and irritants that is often found in traditional nail polish:
 - Toluene
 - Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)
 - Camphor
 - Formaldehyde
 - Formaldehyde Resin


Below, I have swatches (an unedited photo) of the lipstick and bronzer to give you an idea of what the actual colour looks like. 

*Products featured were provided for editorial purpose


Saturday, November 11, 2017

TRAVEL REVIEW: Royal Caribbean 8 day Cruise New Caledonia and Vanuatu (MUST READ BEFORE YOU BOOK!)


This travel post is long over due, in November 2016, we aboard the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. I have only previously been on P&O cruises and the experience wasn't pleasant  - a combination of drunks and being sea sick. The Royal Caribbean and a luxury feel as soon as we boarded the ship.

THE CRUISE - ROYAL CARIBBEAN


I loved every moment we were on board. Photo above is a picture of the dining room, you had the option of eating at a dinning room or buffet - both are included in the cost of your fare. I personally thought the food was great.

We were extremely busy on board with breakfast, lunch, dinner, movies, games, shows and the occasional gym.

TIPS:

- Costings on board are in USD
- Alcohol costs.... a lot
- Remember to return your towels or you might be charged
- Examine your statements thoroughly, you might find obscure charges here and there. We were charged several hundred dollars after we got home, apparently this is a normal occurrence, after a week or so the charges were dropped with no money taken out of the card.  
- Ensure to line up for your dinner at least 10 minutes beforehand, it gets very crowded 
- Get a room with a balcony, it's worth the extra cost.
- A stateroom can sleep 3 people, it can get a little bit crowded especially if everyone wants to use the bathroom!
- We paid approximately $1200 give or take pp. for 8 nights.
- There was a 24/7 café that is covered under your cruise fare, the buffet and main dining hall is open at certain times. There are also several restaurants you need to pay for on the cruise... but what's the point? The buffet is HUGE.
- There are heaps of activities to do on the cruise, you will receive a daily schedule the evening before. We saw performances each night (from cabaret to magic shows), movie screenings in the evening, there's a bar with late night disco, physical activities such as rock climbing, archery and tossing bean bags, trivia + karaoke, there's a gym or you can chill with paper craft session. It wasn't until the last couple of days where we got a bit bored, otherwise lots of activities. 


MARE, NEW CALEDONIA


Mare was our first port.. and dare I say my favourite.

TIPS:

- You will need to take a tender from the cruise to the port, this is free of charge
- You will need to pay approximately 20USD per person to take a shuttle from the port to the beach. It is not within a walkable distance. There are no alternative transport to the beach so, I highly recommend buying tickets on board because it's one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been too... even with an overcast. 
- There will be small stalls selling various local foods on the beach, highly recommend you to try them!
- There are a lot of wild dogs at the port.
- There will be people selling souvenirs at the port, be aware that these are not hand made and mainly imported. The sarongs are probably the only pieces that may be worth while.
- The water at the beach is SO clear you can see the fish without goggles.
- There are no pre-booked activities at Mare






MYSTERY ISLAND, VANUATU


  • I got my hair corn braided here, it was inexpensive... approximately 15-20 dollars based on your hair length. There are fresh coconuts on the island, food... not so much
  • We went on the Turtle watching tour with the locals and boy they found a sea turtle and put it on our laps.
  • You can pre-book activities at for Mystery Island, but locals will have activity stalls such as snorkelling and turtle watching. However you must be aware that locals santise their snorkelling gears their own way via sea water.
  • Mystery Island is uninhabited, apparently the island is haunted so people only visit the island during day time for tourism purposes.
  • Stalls available on the island - lots of them. 
  • Beware of footwear. The sand on the beach is mainly comprise of sea-shells, I wore thongs to begin with and my feet were so sore so I just took them off. 


NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA


  • Once you dock, there will be a stall section where locals sell either imported or hand-made items. I purchased a hand make clay necklace of turtles. The prices are not cheap and often in USD and AUD.
  • Some of the shops will take AUD - however if you venture into the town the shops will only take FRANCs and speak French. However, there are locals who are fluent in English.
  • You can go on the infamous Choo-Choo however, it is expensive!!! We just took a 3hr coach tour for a fraction of the price, this was purchased at the stalls where local tours groups compete with. We went to a couple of cultural sites, a church and a look out point. Following the tour our fare included the hop on hop off coach.
  • Duck Island is recommended, we didn't go there but there are some strange statues on the island.
  • Snorkelling is available, however I find the water in Mare to be MUCH clearer.
  • I believe Noumea contains 75% of community housing, Noumea is tiny, you can probably explore the everything in a couple of days. 
  • There are nice restaurants along the coast, we didn't have time to go to the mall. The buildings along the coast looks nice but things look more run down further away from the coast.
  • I find people to be warmer in Vanuatu - but that was my personal experience.



Overall, I had a really good time. I didn't get sea sick or experience an upset stomach on the cruise or when I ate home made local foods I purchased from the stalls on the islands.

Would I cruise again? Hell yes.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Bobbi Brown Instant Full Coverage Concealer Review + Swatched




ABOUT BOBBI BROWN INSTANT FULL COVERAGE CONCEALER

  • A highly concentrated, high pigment concealer designed to brighten under eye darkness.
  • Softens hollows and tired lines in an instant
  • Banish signs of tiredness 
  • Non-drying, water/sweat/humidity resistant formula
  • Crease free finish
  • Available in 15 shades
  • $52 AUD

MY VERDICT
  • PACKAGING: The concealer is in a standard plastic tube with a wand applicator to make application swift and simple. The applicator is long with a rounded tip.  
  • FORMULA: I found the formula to be fairly dry and the wand is a bit stiff, not really what I had expected for a concealer. After a 3 swipes you may need to go back to the tube for more product. However once applied, the concealer is very easy to blend and surprisingly hydrating. Although having said that I would have preferred for the concealer to be a little bit more runny.
  • SHADE: The shade I have been trialling is in Beige, I personally found this shade to be a little bit too dark for my under eyes but perfect to use as a facial concealer.
  • FINISH: I have never experienced any creasing using this concealer, nor would it latch onto dry areas. 
  • UNDER EYES: Because the shade is slightly darker than what I needed to create a luminous finish for my under eyes, I wasn't able to experience the full effect of this concealer. I don't have any lines under or around my eyes so I can't comment on whether it would make lines disappear. But I the formula is pigmented and creamy once applied, which are ultimate pluses for an under eye concealer. 
  • AS A FACIAL CONCEALER: To be honest, I have been using this concealer as a facial concealer more so and I really like it. The shade is perfect, on good skin days, I would even draw lines all over my face and use it for my full face. It provides a flawless luminous coverage and finish. 
  • BRUSH VS FINGERS: The concealer works well with both a dense brush or fingers. I prefer to use my fingers for under eyes and a dense foundation brush for face.
  • WEAR TIME: This concealer will definitely last a standard 8hr work day and up to 12 hrs but you may need a touch up. 

No Makeup ----> Bobbi Brown Instant Full Coverage Concealer only


The product featured was provided for editorial purpose

Featured Post

Skin do’s and don’ts this holiday season

So, the holiday season is upon us! However whilst you're out there enjoying the summer vibes, it's crucial not to let your skincare ...

Popular Posts