Recent Favorites ♡

Hey everyone! 2014 is just flying by! Today I want to share with you some of the things I've really been enjoying lately, starting off with some beauty bits.

1. The Body Shop Early Harvest Raspberry Body Scrub

Oh my god, this stuff is divineee and finding it was not easy! I remember seeing this on heaps of UK beauty blogs a few months back but it wasn't available in Australia. Then a month ago, Tine posted that she got her hands on one and I literally dropped everything at once but it was already sold out in most places. My boyfriend and I went to a number of Body Shops separately before he finally tracked one down for me while I was working ^^

The scrub looks exactly like raspberry jam and it smells incredible! It has a gel consistency with raspberry seeds and ground walnut shell as the exfoliants, however, it is not abrasive on the skin at all. Application can be messy if you're using it outside of the shower or bath tub (I can't imagine why...). I keep my tub in the shower because I have a shelf in there that's away from the showerhead so that's where it resides. I mostly use this on my legs and it works best on damp skin, away from any running water as it would just slide off otherwise. The mess can then just be rinsed away and leaves my skin feeling so smooth and silky. I really feel the difference when I moisturize my legs afterwards. If this isn't available in your local Body Shop but you are keen to try it out, there are a few eBay listings (for example here and here).

2. Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in No. 09 Rosewood  and 

3. Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Ore

I've rediscovered 2 of my favorite make up products of all time - Big statement, I know. I've been wearing them interchangeably on a daily basis (sometimes even both). They're both stunning all-over-the-lid shades, great for everyday but can also act as a one-product smokey eye. The lasting power on these are spot on and I have zero problems with fading or creasing.
I think Burberry sheer eyeshadows have the most perfect formula hands down. They're just the most refined/buttery smooth eyeshadows, they blend with an unparalleled ease and they're far from sheer. Rosewood is a shimmery straight taupe with the slightest dusty pink undertone, it's so feminine and prettyyyyyy!
For a loose pigment, Ore is really easy to use, the key is to make sure they you tap off any excess product before putting it on your eyelids and to gradually blend and build up the intensity. The color itself is a bronze with lots of super fine gold flecks running through it. When it's blended out, it leans to a truer bronze but when it's packed on, it's like a party on your eyelids! It has an incredibly rich and vibrant color pay-off and looks so different from every angle as it catches the light. It can be used dry or wet but I also like using them on top of other cream and powder eyeshadow bases to add a bit of oomph. I don't think I'll ever be finishing this product ever because I literally need the lightest dab with my brush each time I use it. My only issue is the packaging which can cause a bit of mess to open if you're not careful. One time I had just put on hand cream and my hand slipped and I got it everywhere on my top.

4. Essie Chinchilly 

I never use the same color twice in a row on my nails, nor do I ever match my feet to my hands but I did these last few weeks with Chinchilly. It's the perfect greige that somehow doesn't look boring either and one of my most used nail polishes. I've always loved this color, it's just so effortlessly chic (swatched here).

5. Dior Lip Glow 

This is already my second tube and such a great everyday lip product! It is a sheer and hydrating balm that reacts with your lips to give a natural but revitalised pink tint. I really like it because it makes my lips appear fuller and more luscious.

6. Bath & Body Works Island Margarita Pocket Bac

This is an anti-bacterial hand sanitising gel that my cousin picked up for me in the States and it smells SO GOOD, fresh and clean. The size is perfect to pop in your handbag. I'm nearly done with this one which I'm really upset about but I'll ask my cousin to get me some more. I also really love the scent portables for your car from B&BW so if there is the same scent for that, I might need that too :3

7. Clinelle Purifying Toner

I hate to sound like a broken record and I've already mentioned this product twice in the last month
(review here) but I seriously love this. This toner has a bunch of beneficial ingredients with soothing, anti-bacterial and healing properties for your skin and spots. This is the new spray bottle packaging which I really like. The mist it dispenses is very fine and I'm saving a lot of cotton pads!

8. Reads - #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso, Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

I've bought so many books these past few months but I'm struggling to find the time to get through them. All I want to do is sit down, relax and read. After my surgery, as I spent a lot of time in bed, I managed to read these two books.
#GIRLBOSS was an easy and inspirational read with lots of great tips, personal (and hilarious) anecdotes, photos and doodles from the woman who started Nasty Gal (the online shop). Since I'm graduating end of this semester and have zero idea about what I'll be doing next year, it's nice to be reminded that most of the time, you're not going to know where you end up in your career and that's okay. It's going to take a lot of trial and error and you might have a bunch of jobs you hate before finding the right thing for you. That being said, you shouldn't be lazy or expect instant success for little or no work. There are always lessons to be learnt, failure is not absolute or the end of the road unless you take nothing from it. Academics are not the only thing that matters!
I decided to finally buy and read OITNB (wishlisted this time last year). I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms after they released the entire season 2 on the same day and I watched all the episodes back-to-back and finished it within a day or two (it was a blur). Obviously the events and characters in the TV show were much more dramatized. It was really interesting to read the stripped down version of Piper's story and see what inspired all the characters and arcs in the show.

9. thisworks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

This is something I go back to every time I'm going through a stressful time and/or my anxiety gets bad. During these periods, I have extreme difficulty sleeping or staying asleep through the night and most of the time when I get panic attacks, I tend to get them in bed. That's why I try and do everything I can to alleviate the tensions I'm experiencing. This spray can be used on your pillow or bed covers. It contains essential oils of lavender, vetivert and camomile, all of which have well-known calming qualities. While this isn't a preventive measure or anything, it does help sooth my mind.

10. Kinder Schoko-bons

I'm obsessed with these but you can't get them in Australia! My best friend picked me up this giant packet for me when he was in transit in Malaysia, bless him. They're pretty much little Kinder chocolate eggs with a creamy centre with tiny bits of crushed hazelnuts.

And these are all the things that have been on heavy rotation lately for me! Crazy to think this is my last semester at Uni and that it will all be done in just a couple of weeks! I'm excited to have a chance to read all my other books during the summer though and to finally have more time create content for the blog. Unfortunately my trip to Thailand has been postponed indefinitely for now due to personal reasons but I will be going to Hong Kong for a short 2 weeks in January!

If you are going through exams as well, best of luck to you all. If not, I hope that you are all well c:

=('.')=

chloé