Sukin; Australian Natural Skincare

I am a big fan of skincare. I love moisturisers, facial cleansers, lotions, scrubs; you name it and chances are I will have plenty of it on my shelf at home. I'm obsessed. When I found out about Sukin, I knew I had to try their range. Natural skincare appeals to me because I want to do my part for sustaining the earth and I like knowing that the products I'm using have been made in a non-harmful way. Their packaging is minimalist and stylish, and I love the green and white combination. The vast range is affordable, 100% vegan and all of the products smell incredible! Sukin's focus is to create 'skincare that doesn't cost the earth' and I think their endeavours to do so have been a wonderful success.

They achieve their focus through:

• Recyclable packaging
• Plant-based ingredients rather than harmful chemicals
• Natural formulations: Biodegradable and won't harm waterways
• Not using microplastic beads in scrubs
• Not testing on animals

The facial moisturiser is a staple in my everyday routine as I put it on before I go to bed, leaving my skin soft and nourished. I think it is so important to support cosmetic companies that are natural and environmentally friendly, as looking and feeling good while using ethical products has never felt better. It is so refreshing for a company to be honest and open about their sustainability practices and the ingredients used in their products, as many companies nowadays try to conceal this information from consumers. 

I would highly recommend Sukin to anyone seeking a good vegan skincare company that produces high quality and affordable products, without damaging the environment on the way.

You can visit their website here and read more about their company here.

Have you used Sukin products before? Do you know any vegan cosmetics worth trying? Let me know in the comments below! 

xxx

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

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

After a friend reccomended to me the new Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, I was slightly hesitant to try it because I have never really been a big fan of mascaras, which is evident as I used to only own two (now I own three..).
I think after many, many years of dance concerts I grew sick of it and never wanted to use it again! My lashes have a natural curl to them already and I never really felt the need to buy mascara; however, I am pleased to say that I have found a mascara I quite like.



The worst things about mascara for me are clumping, heaviness and the formula going onto my eyelids when I blink. Overall I am very impressed with this mascara as I experience little clumping, it isn't as heavy as other mascaras I have tried and the mascara isn't incredibly over the top so much so it would smudge onto my eyelids. I purchased the washable version although I didn't see a waterproof version in store. So even if I was unlucky enough to smudge it, I could easily wipe it off and start again without ruining much of the rest of my makeup.

I like the two sections on the brush, both the large and small sides. The larger side is good for applying the mascara normally, whereas the smaller side is more suited for touch ups and curling the inner part of the eyelash that is most often hard to reach.



I find that there is indeed a noticeable difference before and after application of this mascara. I find that my eyelashes have a more prominent curl while also looking bold, which is a look I love. The mascara stays on for the entire day; say if I apply it in the morning around 9am, it will still look the same until 6pm when I come home and take it off.
I purchased it at Priceline on sale for $15, although the RRP is $21.95. I know that The Chemist Warehouse were selling it for $12.50 recently, but it's available virtually everywhere between the $13 - $22 price range.

I'm satisfied with my latest addition to my small, but good, mascara family. Each mascara gives a different look, and I think the Maybelline Lash Senational is my favourite.



What do you think of the Maybelline Lash Sensational? Have you tried any other mascaras lately? Talk to me in the comments below. 

xxx

Lush 1.0

A few days ago I ventured to the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, and stumbled upon one of my new favourite stores- Lush.

Up until a few months ago, the last time I had a bath was probably ten years ago because I've always been more of a shower person. However, after one of the most long and stressful days I have had this year, I decided I needed some 'me time'- and that included having a bath. 

It was so calming and peaceful and I find it a really good way to relax. Because I've been taking more baths, I have been in need of bath bombs; then Lush came into my life.

The first time I heard of Lush was back in 2013 when I was in Hawaii. I browsed in Lush at the Ala Moana Centre, however I wasn't too keen on buying bath bombs back then! I had read reviews online on other blogs and watched various Lush Haul videos (like Zoella's) and became intrigued. I was so excited to visit Lush in Sydney as I was now incredibly interested in their products and knew that I would actually use them; compared to if I had bought them a few years ago.

I only bought two items as the store was very crowded and there wasn't much room to move around and look at everything, so I will most likely go back sometime in the new year to stock up on some more goodies! 

The first item I found was the Big Blue Bath Bomb, which I used in my bath tonight.

It was absolutely lovely and smells incredible, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is after a nice and calming bath. The tag says:

'A good bath if you need to think. Helps to clear the head. With refreshing lemon, lavender and seaweed'; which I think is very fitting. 

It left me smelling not only amazing, but I felt incredibly refreshed and calm too. It was so lovely to end such a great day by having a nice bath, lighting a candle and re-reading Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. 

I will definitely be purchasing more than one of these goodies next time!

The other product I bought was the Magic Wand, which you swirl around in the bath for a gorgeous pink colour. The wand is reusable for up to ten baths which is quite good value for money if you're after a cheaper option. In saying that, everything at Lush seems to be reasonably priced for handcrafted organic bath bombs and cosmetics. 

I haven't used the magic wand yet but it is gorgeous, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

I think next time I go to Lush I will look at their face masks and other bath products, but for now I'm happy with these purchases! 

xxx