BH Cosmetics Haul: 264 Color Steal - 88 Color Palettes

A couple of weeks ago I came across the BH Cosmetics website because I wanted to check out their eyeshadow palettes. I'm such a neutrals & brown shadow girl that I wanted some more colours in my collection, without having to pay so much for them. I always look at the site but never buy anything because I don't really need them, but I just couldn't past this deal up.

BH Cosmetics were having their Graduation Day Sale & within the sale they were offering a steal deal for a limited time only. This included 3 eyeshadow palettes which were the:

Each palette retails for around $19.95 & I got all 3 for only $25! It was something I knew I'd be getting my moneys worth. Shipping cost $12 to Australia & took less then 2 weeks to get here.

Palettes were securely wrapped to prevent any damage

All 3 palettes had a glossy finish to the packaging. 

                                  

I'll give you a quick run down on what I think of these palettes.

Tropical Shimmer Palette

Pretty nice & wearable colours overall, I wasn't too sure what to expect when I heard "tropical". I really quite like it. The colours are mostly bronzey type colours. I like how they brought in colours such as blues, greens & purple/pinks but have made them quite wearable as they are more toned down.

Matte Eyeshadow Palette

This was the palette I was looking forward to the most because I wanted some matte colours. Unfortunately, compared to the other 2 palettes, this was my least favourite. It was just like any other 88 palette that you can get off ebay. If you look at the photo below, a lot of photos a quite shimmery... this is Matte palette isn't it? That aside, nothing amazing, great bright colours overall.

88 Cool Shimmer Palette

Since I'm more of a "warm" makeup person, this cool shadow palette wasn't anything I was overly excited for. Surprisingly, this is probably my favourite of the 3. The colours are so pretty, especially the purples (my favourite colour). You get all those bright pretty colours, but since they are quite deep & shimmery, it will be pretty wearable. I also love the browns and plums they have included in this palette.

Overall I am happy with the palettes, especially for the price I got them for. I'm thinking I might do separate posts for each palette with close ups of the colours and maybe some swatches? Let me know what you think!

Cherry Culture Haul

Last month Cherry Culture had a 40% sitewide sale, even on their already reduced items. I was really good and only bought 3 things. Nothing too interesting but I thought I would share it with you anyway.

I have been wanting a Beauty Blender for the longest time, But I just couldn't justify spending that much on a sponge. I knew after trying a 'dupe' a couple of yrs ago that it just wasn't the same as the real deal. My sister also wanted to buy one so this was the best way to go. $28.95 for 2 plus 40% off.

The other two things I bought was the Milani Baked Blush in Coralina - I saw swatches of these and fell in love with it. I'm yet to try it but hopefully it's as good as I initially thought. I own only 1 other Milani blush in Dolce Pink but it's just too shimmery for my liking.

I also bought the NYX Collection Noir - Liquid Black Liner. I have never really worn liquid eyeliner since I'm not very good at it, but I've been wanting to practice. I think I bought this because at the time off the sale, LaurenBeauty posted a photo of instagram saying how good it was so I thought, why not?

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what you think :)

Collective Winter Fashion Haul

Now that it's getting colder here in Australia, I have been buying some warmer fashion items throughout the past month or so. I love a good bargain, I personally don't like spending a lot of money on "seasonal" type clothing, unless it's a staple item like jeans or something. I'll show you what I have bought recently, so they should still be available!

Clothing:

Valleygirl has Knitwear for only $9.95 so I picked up these 2 oversized jumpers, since it's getting quite cold now. They both have the gunmental studs on the shoulders. The Navy blue one is really soft! I love them both as they keep me really warm and I like the studs on them.

The Black Jacket is also from Valleygirl and it was on sale for $14.95. I own a lot of Blazers & Cardigans so I thought I would buy something a little more casual.

The Love Potion oversized jumper is from Ebay. Very similar to the Wildfox ones but for a fraction of the price. I only paid $15 for this one.

Bags:

Can you believe that this bag was only $9.95??? I bought it from TEMT. The zips on the sides go all the way down to expand the bag. It's an open tote which features just one pocket inside. 

This is the same bag as I featured in my May Favourites. I decided to pick it up in this nice green, to give me a pop of subtle winter colour. This one was only $5 from Kmart. Such a bargain for a great bag.

Shoes:

I have been looking for boots for so long. I am really picky with my boots, I've been wanting just a plain black ankle style, with a low thick heel. Months later I came across this pair...

Guess how much I paid? Originally $39.95 got them for $5! What a steal! Bought them from Cotton On at the Harbour Town store. So happy with them!

The other week I also bought this pair from Kmart. Originally $25 but they marked them down to $19. They are a great style for casual wear. Really comfortable too!

I have also been looking for black flats that were good quality, nothing too flashy or tacky but for a great price. 2 of my most favourite black flats were sadly ruined by my puppy :(.

I was at Harbour Town & Novo Shoes had some on sale as well as 50% off the 2nd pair, so of course I grabbed 2. Still not exactly what I was looking for but I reallllyy like them! Both were $25 down from $49.95 and with the deal, I only paid $37.50.

I also bought a really soft infinity scarf from cotton on for $5 with my boots purchase in a really pretty magenta colour. I'll insert a photo once I get a good photo of it.

Let me know if there are any good fashion deals I should check out! :)

Favourite Hair Products

I'll give you a brief run down on what my hair is like, and what it has been through.
I have naturally thick hair, that grows pretty fast. It's currently quite long. Particularly in the last year, I have kind of abused it with the colouring. I have naturally brown/black hair. Let's just say, within the last 6 months of last year, it had been coloured and bleached, to the point my hair was snapping quite a bit. These are the products I am constantly using, and they have helped my hair become healthy again.

I am loving the Matrix Total Results Repair range.
I've been using this range for over 6 months now & I can say that I have found my HG shampoo & conditioner. This made my hair a lot more healthier after dying my hair quite a bit last year & it just has just improved the overall appearance of my hair, making it feel much more soft. I have also tried the Moisture one, but I just didn't like it as much. I just shampoo the roots of my hair and let the excess run through to the ends when I rinse my hair out & then I apply conditioner from my ear down. The Break Fix elixir is great. You only need about a pump each time. I apply this to my hair when it is still damp & either let my hair air dry or even after blow drying my hair, it will be so soft and straight,

Where to them:
- I originally purchased this set from PC Hair Salons in a pack for only $34.95. I Believe the Shampoo & Conditioner cost $15 each & The Elixir costs $24.95.
- I now purchase them from Beauty Bay for $5.95 each! (Elixir $11). What I do to ensure that I don't run out is once I start a new bottle, I will re-order a new set. (Clearly I can't live without it!)
- You can also buy the Matrix range at the Hair House Warehouse



Macadamia Natural Oil: Healing Oil Treatment & Deep Repair Masque
I have been using these products for about 3 years now. Basically ever since I started seeing raves and reviews about them on YouTube and they definitely live up to their hype. I love the smell as well as how my hair feels after I use them. Sometimes I'll mix the oil with the masque when my hair is extra dry. Otherwise, I usually use the Healing Oil after I have just straightened it, to not only treat it after using heat on it but also for when I want the real sleek look. I used to have the big sizes of these but I have decided to repurchase them in the smaller sizes as the packaging is much more practical, especially for travelling.

Again, I buy mine from Beauty Bay but they can be purchased at basically any hair salon/ anywhere that sells hair products.

Tresemme Heat Protectant Spray
I don't need to say much about this since it's basically everyone's favourite. But I've used other heat protectant sprays and nothing works like this one. It doesn't leave a sticky feeling at all.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical
I cannot live without this stuff. I literally have about 2 or 3 on back up **hoarder alert** I just don't ever want to run out of it & I'll usually get mine when it's on sale for $5 or on Buy one get one free

Both of these Items can be bought from basically any Chemist, Grocery, Stores like K-mart, Target & Big W etc.





Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
Funny (annoying) how we don't have the "Aussie" hair products here in Australia. My sister bought this for me when she went to America last year, after I heard so many good things about it. I really like that you only have to leave it in for 3 minutes & your hair will still feel as soft as those hair masques that require you to leave them in for 10-20 minutes.

L'oreal Elvive Colour Protect Conditioning Spray
I use this as a detangling spray for when I have just gotten out of the shower and I want to comb my hair without damaging it. It works pretty good & I picked it up for only $3 at the Giant Chemist. I actually stocked up on these since I loved it so much, but now I alternate between this and the Matrix Break Fix.

I want to find some products that will give me volume without having to tease my hair, so I'm thinking of buying the Big Sexy Hair products & also I have really annoying baby hairs so I need to try and find something that will tame those too!

Michael Kors Selma Review part 2: What's in my bag?

I thought I would do a 2nd part to my Michael Kors Selma review, by showing more detailed photos as well as showing what fits inside the bag, which also doubles as a "What's in my bag" post. I was pretty rushed with my last post so I didn't really include that many photos. I hope this post will be able to help you more with what the bag looks like! **warning: this post is photo heavy**

 Front view of the bag without the long strap.

 The Base of the bag

Base studs of the bag have "Michael Kors" engraved.

I can fit quite a few things in this bag & it's not even completely full yet. But with what I have in here, it's making it quite heavy. So I try not to bring too much with me. 

• In the back pockets I have my I-pod & Mobile, Blotting sheets & Bandaids in zipped pocket
• Front pockets have Tic tacs, Hair ties, Bobby Pins & Usually some lip products
• I can fit my I-pad, Cosmetic Pouch, Wallet, Sunglasses, Dry shampoo, Hand Cream & Tissues in the main area, allowing room for other things too. I would probably just pop a cardigan in on top.

Here's a photo to show you the main things I have in my bag, not including some of the random bits & pieces. Again, I could fit more things in there if I wanted to.

This is what the inside of the bag looks like when it's empty:

 Back of the inside Contains two open pockets, one zipped pocket & a D ring for your keys

Front of the inside: 2 even sized pockets

Just a couple more photos to finish off this post:

I love the detailing of this bag. "Michael Kors" is engraved on the gold bits of the handle as well.

I'm loving this bag more and more. Definitely worth the money and like I said in my previous post, It can be dressy and classy when held in the crook of your arm, or worn with the long strap for a more casual look.

Unfortunately, Macy's doesn't ship Michael kors bags to Australia anymore :( I don't know why, but I found out when I was looking at the Hamilton bags I wanted. I believe there is now a store in Sydney? But for anyone else who is interested and has access to this bag, I recommend going in and seeing how you like the size. It'll be different for everyone.

I hope this post was helpful! Thank you for reading,

Check out my main review on this bag here:

Michael Kors Selma Review

xx

Essence Lip Liner Review

These lip liners by Essence have become one of my favourite lip products and they are something I will definitely keep repurchasing. Surprisingly, after years of being into beauty and makeup, these are the 1st lip liners I've owned... what? Yep, Pretty much couldn't decide on what MAC shades I wanted etc so I basically just never got liners and just lipsticks.

For the price of these ($1.75 but I got them for $1.05) I just went ahead and grabbed a few. I also recently bought another 2 darker colours for winter.

The application is ridiculously good. I didn't even use a heavy hand to swatch these, but the colour pay off was just amazing. In fact, I basically just used feather strokes for the red liner, that's how pigmented they are!

What I like about these:

• They are super creamy
• They are pigmented and provide an even coverage
• They have a nice variety of colours
• The price - they are only $1.75! (Priceline & Target)
• The colour shows up on my pigmented lips, as they do on my arm

They make my lipsticks that look too pale on me or that are a bit too sheer look amazing! (Now I can use those abandoned lipsticks that didn't look right without a liner). They can also be worn by themselves or with a lipgloss on top.

(L-R)

Femme Fatale, Red Blush, Soft Berry, Satin Mauve, Honey Bun, In the Nude, Cute Pink

As I said earlier, I didn't even swatch these with a heavy hand. How good is the colour pay off?!

I mentioned in my Priceline haul, I'm fairly new to Essence. So far, I have been really liking their range. Let me know if there is anything else I must try. So far I have some of the eyeshadow quads, all the cream shadows, 2 of their mascaras, some lip gloss and of course these liners.

xx

Chemist Warehouse 50% off sale & Priceline Haul

Oh Heyyy, another haul? In my previous Chemist Warehouse Haul, I mainly got some Maybelline items that I have been wanting to try for a while. I liked them so much that I picked up some more colours, as well as some Rimmel products that I bought on a separate occassion. As you know the Chemist Warehouse had Revlon, Rimmel & Maybelline all for 1/2 price which ended on May 31st. I looked at their new catalogue and say that they are continuing the same deal until June 16! I think I will be avoiding going there now cause it's just too dangerous, but why not for half price, I'm getting the things I've been wanting to try/ will eventually buy more of anyway ;)

My Chemist Warehouse Haul:

 Maybelline

Color Show Nail Laquer - Coral Crush - $2.98

Color Tattoo - Painted Purple & Tenacious Teal - $5.98

I love the Maybelline Color Tattoos so much! I thought I'd pick up these gorgeous colours too. I'll be doing a post on these, with a review and swatches.

 Rimmel

Hide the Blemish Concealer Natural Tan - $5.47

Matte Finish Lipstick by Kate in 113 - $6.47

Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel - $4.25

My Priceline Haul:

I bought 2 Essence Liners in Red Blush & Soft Blush, these are always sold out where I live so I thought I'd pick them up while I could. They are both deeper shades which will be good now that Winter is here. My favourite liners and they are only $1.75.

I will be doing a post with swatches of these soon.

Lastly, my two bigger purchases which I was most excited for!

I have straight, flat hair.

 If you curl it, it doesn't hold, If you tease it for volume, it just goes back down to being flat. So when I saw these two products, I knew that I wanted to try them.

VS Sassoon Big Hair Root Boost: This was originally $32.99 but it was on sale for $15!

Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play: I have been wanting to try this hair spray for the longest time! Priceline recently started selling it for $19.95, originally $24.95 I believe. However, the particular Priceline I went to today had it on sale for only $14.97. Score!

I'll have a play around with them and see I'll let you know what I think.

If you have tried these, let me know what you think!

xx