Monday 27 June 2016

Adventures: Minnamurra Rainforest

The other month I went to the Minnamurra Rainforest located in Budderoo National Park, which is around 20 minutes west of Kiama. It seems rather odd to have lived so close to it for all of my life but never actually visited. It was a great day walking around the forest (one of my favourite places) despite my realisation for how unfit I am... I think I stopped on more than half of the benches there for a sit-down and snack break but that was fine because I had more time to admire the view.

The Falls Walk is 4.2km return and the time suggested is 1-2 hours however I feel as though my walk was towards the longer end of the spectrum. The walking track grade is 2, meaning that 'no bushwalking experience is required, the track is a hardened/compacted surface that may have gentle hill sections and occasional steps'. Perfect for me! (Even though I still struggled, if I'm real with you).



I suggest packing water and food because there is nothing more I wanted to do when I reached the waterfall than sit down, relax, and eat. The waterfall really is worth the (hard work) walking, even though it isn't spectacularly gigantic or anything, it is still really nice. I'd love to go when it's raining one day because I think it would be incredible. I love the rain and I think the rainforest would look so beautiful and lush.

I am so glad I didn't bother straightening my hair or anything because it went frizzier than usual! It also got a bit chilly so I'd advise not to wear anything that will make you too warm or too cool. At some parts of the walk I wished I wore my jeans because my legs were freezing, but at other times I was glad to have worn my shorts because when you reach the hills you really start to warm up and break out a sweat. I also took my polaroid camera and sadly only one photo out of five developed. I'm not quite sure why; the lighting was on the correct dial but nevertheless I wasted a lot of films that day (and film is expensive) so if you're wanting to take photos when you go then don't just rely on your polaroid!



This post is a part of a new series, Adventures, where I will talk about places I've been to, what I did there and share photos. I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures with you! 

xxx

Sunday 5 June 2016

June Beauties


The other week I found myself on both Sephora and Mecca Maxima websites, with no intention of purchasing anything. 'I'll just have a look and see what there is to see', I thought to myself. A few hours later (and around hundred dollars later) both websites told me my purchases were successful. Both packages arrived within a week of ordering which I was stoked about! 

I was particularly excited for these parcels to arrive because I realised that I had never actually ordered make-up online before. I usually purchase my makeup from places like Priceline and The Chemist Warehouse, albeit I have been to Sephora and Mecca in the city once before and purchased things there; so this was new! 

I bought the Benefit Sugarlicious box, Zoeva 112 Face Curve brush, and the Too Faced La Creme in Berry Naughty. All in all, I am so pleased with the products and can't wait to use them more.





The Benefit Sugarlicious box exceeded all of my expectations. At first, I was rather hesitant to purchase it because of its cost, but then I thought I'd give it a try anyway and I am so thankful I did! I'll admit, it's smaller than I anticipated (it's length is about the size of the side of an iPhone 6) but the products are still incredible. 
This box has smaller versions of the Benetint, High Beam, Sugarbomb blush/bronzer and the Sugarbomb lip gloss. In all honesty, I hadn't read any reviews on the products so I was slightly clueless as to what the Benetint and High Beam bottles were for- and now I've used them I absolutely love them. 

Benetint is a rose tint liquid used for both lips and cheeks. I prefer to use it on my lips as it gives it not only a soft pinky glow, but it is also very moisturising which I like because my lips are always pretty dry. My cheeks have always been naturally rosy so I generally stay away from blushes of any kind, so I'll be saving the Benetint for my lips! The regular size bottle retails for around $50 which is so expensive for what it is, but here's hoping my mini version lasts me a while. 
High Beam is a highlighting liquid that is used on or above the cheekbones to give a bright, glowing, highlighting beam to the face. I think it looks absolutely gorgeous, and a little bit does go a long way! I've never used a highlighting product before but overall I am pleased with High Beam. 
I couldn't tell you the last time I used lipgloss but Sugarbomb is such a lovely sheer pink colour so it's hard to resist not liking it at least a teensy bit... Benetint and Sugarbomb can be used separately and/or together, but I love the look created together. I haven't used the blush/bronzer yet but the colours are gorgeous and the mini-brush is too cute.





I bought the Zoeva 106 Powder brush at Sephora at the beginning of the year and I haven't looked back since. I usually use my hands to apply foundation (I knew being a great finger painter would come in handy one day) so I thought it was time I invested in a brush. Zoeva brushes are vegan friendly and feel so incredibly soft on my skin which I love. The 112 Face Curve brush is great for application and spreads evenly. The design is very minimal and chic, and although there is the rose-gold brush collection I prefer the original (my taste changes constantly though so in a few months time I might say the opposite).





I can confidently say that lipstick is my favourite beauty product. I wear lipstick whenever I can and I have so many shades (most of which are dark pinks, purples and reds) that of course I needed another one for my collection. One of my favourite lipsticks of all time is the Mary Kay Hibiscus, which has been out of production for a while now. After stumbling across the Too Faced Berry Naughty, I thought I'd give it a whirl as it seemed to be close in colour. I compared the two and Berry Naughty is slightly more purple than Hibiscus, but I still really like it! I tried taking a photo of a swatch but even the photo doesn't do it justice. The lipstick is actually bright and sparkly which is unlike its first appearances. I was surprised when I opened it because I did a double take and thought 'Oh no, did I order the wrong one?' But the second I applied it I sighed with relief because it isn't as dark as it looks! It has a nice shimmer to it which I really like, I'm not a huge fan of matte lipsticks at the moment (I guess that's even more reason to try some!). It cost $32 which is expensive, but lipsticks last me such a long while so I think it's worth it. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous and the gold case is stunning, Too Faced have really outdone themselves. I can't wait to wear Berry Naughty next weekend, I think it will undoubtably become one of my favourite lipsticks.


What products have you been loving lately? Let me know in the comments below!

xxx







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