Review: Crazy Rumours Mint Chocolate Lip Balm

 

Today, I'd like to talk about a vegan and cruelty free brand that I'm enjoying. Crazy Rumours (how cute is that name!) is the brand, and they have a leaping bunny on the packaging.

This lovely little tube was sent to me by Pearl at Miss Pearl Store, along with the gorgeous Priti NYC nail polish reviewed a few weeks ago (see here for the post).

  

During the cooler months, my lips tend to crack something awful, so having a number of balms around really helps me. Additionally, I have them in different colours, flavours and finishes, oh my! I was sent this is Mint Chocolate, and it's semi-sweet without being too tasty (because the ones that taste like icing sugar are dangerous - you end up eating your own lips!). I found it to have a wear time of a couple of hours - my lips are constantly moving and there's always something to eat! 

I did find that this didn't leave my lips flaky or dry, like some other lip balms can. A great find, and a tasty one at that too! I don't know if it's specific to this flavour, but it was also a bit (minty) tingly!

For those looking to try one, or several in different flavours, hop over to Miss Pearl Store to see what else they have!

Are you keen to give this a go? What flavour would you get?

Goodbye Shopping Ban, Hello Illamasqua Shopping Hauls!

So after the end of the week, where I:

1) Got the thumbs up from my doctor about my fracture healing well

2) Got 3 of my 4 wisdom teeth removed in the chair with IV sedation (which, by the way, was amazing - no swelling, some pain, and the weekend to sleep it off)

3) Reached the end of my shopping ban!

I thought I'd celebrate by going by David Jones and picking up a beauty bag, for which I qualified by purchasing a candle for Mr Prince for his birthday. I then headed to Illamasqua for the very first time to see what the hype was about and boy was I glad I did!

I bought their sculpting duo, which, while not particularly dark, actually does make a difference. I can't wait to crack it open, but I'm trying to be good and use up the Lorac one that I have, and love, first. I also got this GORGEOUS glittery green nail polish called Destiny, created for the Chinese New Year for the US and Aussie markets specifically, so this limited edition baby isn't even available in the UK! I've already used it and it's incredibly opaque. One coat was enough to cover everything!

While I was there, I learned that they were having a beauty school drop in, which is a makeup class that they hold several times a year to go through certain looks and is free of charge! One thing to keep in mind is that they can end up getting a little full, and there are limited spaces, so if you ever head to one of them, I'd suggest you get there early. The theme this round was Red Carpet Glamore. I managed to get there on Sunday and the girls were the sweetest!

They handed me a little popcorn container of M&Ms and marshmallows, as well as a bottle of water, and asked me to get settled in, so I did!

Frances, who was doing the makeup, started by prepping the skin with hydration, then built a good base (which was helped by the fact that the model, Dima, had amazing skin already!) with foundation.

 

Ta dah! And that's the finished product! As you can see from the above pictures, Frances went through a simple but effective smokey eye, concealer under the eyes, bolder brows, sculpting and highlighting and bright lips, all of which came together to look stunning. I also managed to pick up a tip or two that I've been eager to test out! 

Guess what else I managed to pick up? You guessed it! Some naughty Illamasqua goodies! It was too good to resist, what with their 10% off demonstrated products and their GWP - I just couldn't say no!

And that's everything! I got 4 items, and 1 gift with purchase.

 I got two polishes, Destiny (again, but it's a gift for someone else!) and Blizzard, which looks almost like a matte glitter coat (to be used over a different colour). Very interesting, and definitely gorgeous. Did I mention that Illamasqua's polishes are 3 free?

I also got a blending brush for my concealer. I really liked how it was used in the demonstration, and as the brushes are vegan and cruelty free, I thought this would be a good one to try.

Lastly, to qualify for the gift with purchase, I got the eyeliner in Sophie, which is a creamy black. Not having had much luck with using pencils on my waterline previously, I'm going to give it a go this time, because that's how it was used at the demonstration, so I figured it might be ok. Fingers crossed!

And, ahhhhh... look at that pretty GWP! I got their bronzing duo, and it's beautiful! While I was there, they asked if I wanted to have a look at anything else, and I had to turn the offer down. After all, I still want to go back there - what if I'd been tempted to buy everything?

As for the shopping ban (now a distant memory!), I did think it was a great idea, and that it was very good at curbing unnecessary spending, but 3 months was a very long time. I think I might cut back to 1 month for next time. It was definitely interesting, even though I had to buy things a couple of times (necessary clothing for my arm, and the Priceline goody bag that came up, which I used my voucher for).

Have you used anything from Illamasqua before? What's your favourite?

February Her Fashion Box Review 2014!

My last subscription box of the month arrived at the end of the week, just getting in before the end of the month - cutting it a little close! Nevertheless, it's awesome having it here - I do love this particular sub, I'll admit.

As the parcel arrived in a plastic wrapping this month, I was a little confused, but once I opened it, I could see why. Included were these two Shop Til You Drop magazines (when did they become fortnightly issues?!?! I feel really behind the times!), one of which was included as my bonus for doing the survey last month.

It also came in a smaller box than usual. I will admit to having a moment of 'oh no!', but then, I opened the box, and found it to be stuffed with beauty items!

Here's everything that I found in the box when I opened it! It was a bit of a Tardis, crammed full with stuff. I was impressed that it all fit in there to begin with.

To kick things off, I went through my usual routine of flipping through the included magazine to see what the other boxes got this month. I'm currently subscribed to Feminine, and at $39.95 per month, I will admit to sometimes getting box envy, but Feminine is a very safe choice for me, as I mostly love what I get from this range.

For anyone interested, there's a shot of me in the back of the magazine again this month! They gather certain shots from Instagram (you'll find me @temporaryprincess) and pop them on the back page, and there's one of me using the scarf from last month as a makeshift sling.

Who hasn't used a ChapStick product in the past? With the number of lip products on the market these days, my trusty old ChapSticks have been all but forgotten, so it's nice to see this in the box. As someone who suffers from surprisingly dry lips (and I mean DRY with lots of peeling skin and sad looking lips), particularly as we're now in Autumn, this is definitely a product I'd like to test drive! 

I'm not huge for wearing things on my lips at night, but have put Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream on my lips previously, so I'll give it a go and report back.

As someone who didn't have much of a chance to experience Summer this year, thanks to my accident, this is a product that could be handy in a couple of weeks! Given that it's been wet, rainy and cold recently, I'm sure that my sad little tan will fade soon, despite my generally olive/dark skin. I have a Le Tan version of this as well, so I'll have something to compare it against.

Interestingly, I got a light/medium version of this, even though I think the dark version would be better suited to me, so we'll see how it goes!

Urban Rituelle! How lovely to see you in this box! I first fell for an Urban Rituelle scent when I was up in Byron Bay with Mr Prince, and it perfectly captured our trip, and since have had a soft spot for this range. I received an EDP in Ginger Apple. There was a code that expired on the 28th, which I didn't get to use, sadly, because I didn't open my box until then!

While there's nothing about this in the magazine, it's fairly self explanatory. These Shadow Shields prevent eyeshadow from drifting beneath your eyes. I get this sometimes with loose pigments, so I might trot them out then.

What's in the bag? I think that might deserve a post of it's own! According to the magazine, it's a Mirenesse Lip Bomb  Glossy Lacquer Stain that comes out on the 12th of May, which, excitingly, sounds like we got it way before it's available. I haven't had a peek yet, but it's supposed to be pink, and is meant to be a gloss, stain and lacquer. Eee! I love me a lippie - mustn't get hopes up just yet, though! Stay tuned for more!

With all the excitement of the beauty products, I almost forgot about getting to the accessories! We got the Soulful necklace, 3 layer heart necklace, and it's quite cute, if a little delicate. The chains look like little ball bearings put together.

There are also three little bow bracelets called Sun Ray, and you can mix and match them as you like. They are reasonably cute, but a little delicate.

My take on this month's box? Her Fashion Box listened to our take on things for this month (or mine, at least - I asked for more beauty items) by providing new and exciting beauty products not yet on the market, but I feel that they might have let things slide a bit on the accessory front this month - not the best move, seeing as it's a fashion box primarily.

I'll need to take the accessories out for a spin soon to see how they perform. I do think they're cute, but I feel that the necklace is a little too 'tweeny' for my taste. That said, I am constantly surprised by how they fit in with my wardrobe, and I do get compliments on their items a fair bit. 

As a side note, I would like to say that I was recently asked to contribute to the review section of the HFB site by submitting reviews of beauty items from the boxes. It's nice that they're sharing a link to my blog (yay!), but I would also like to state that my opinions are still my own, and that I'm still paying for all of the boxes with my own money.

For anyone who's looking for more information on Her Fashion Box (which ships worldwide at no additional charge!), look over here. 

Are you happy with your box this month? Would you rather have more beauty items, or more accessories?

High Tea at Soiree, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Happy, tasty high tea! I'm so sorry that it's taken me until February (Shock! Horror!) to go to high tea, but there are tons of them coming up, so stay tuned for more reviews!

I headed to Soiree at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth in the city, which, annoyingly, was having the G8 Summit there that day, so it was a little confusing to get into the place, but once we found someone who worked there and could direct us, it was easy peasy.

I thought the way they set up the reserved sign was super cute, tying it around a cocktail shaker. Soiree is a hotel bar, so as expected, there are no roses or delicate teacups, but what you'd expect to typically find - ceramic cups and teapots, with my very first sandwich tongs! Unexpected, but cute.

I really liked the way they set up the menu - concise, just enough details and a nice range of teas. One of the reasons we picked the Sofitel was because of a dietary requirement, and as they were extremely accommodating in Melbourne (see here for the Melbourne high tea at the Sofitel), I made the conclusion that they would be the same here in Sydney, and I was proven right.

As always, I ordered my usual Chamomile with a side of honey, which was brought over in a tiny jar. Incidentally, I love it when they bring it over like this - definitely one of my favourite things about high tea.

Here's the spread! As Mr Prince always says, it looks tiny, but you feel really full afterwards! I really liked that they brought out their little creations on this funky little stand. Definitely the first on it's kind that I've seen. Really did fit into the whole theme of their high tea there - sleek, modern, and different. They also took the time to go through everything on the stand with us.

Here's what we got for dessert:

Chocolate eclairs

Fruit tarts

Macaroons (honeydew? We never quite got what flavour it was - but it was tasty!)

And on the middle tier:

Opera Squares

The Wentworth Cheesecake (alternative was a jelly dome)

Raisin scones

Plain scones

Jam and cream

And we began it all with:

Roast beef on whole wheat bread with horseradish butter

Smoked salmon on ciabatta bread, cream cheese, cherry tomato, capers

Cucumber dill on white bread

Spinach and pumpkin muffins

Quiche lorraine

At the time of booking, I specified that we had a certain dietary requirement, and they were fantastic on the phone. When we got there, we found that they slipped up a little and they were incredibly apologetic, and made certain that they brought a replacement plate of chicken sandwiches for the table. They also came by a couple of times to make sure we had everything we needed. Aside from the hiccup, I couldn't fault the service at all.

The ambience was quiet and dignified, despite the craziness next door in the lobby with the summit happening, and we were able to have a lovely girly catch up, which was wonderful. Additionally, everything tasted amazing! I certainly felt that we got our money's worth, at $49 per head.

I would rate this:

9.5/10 

My Palette Collection: *Warning* Picture Heavy!

Hello wonderful people!

I was doing a bit of make up clean out and thought that this would be an opportune time to take some pictures of my palette collection! Be prepared for lots and lots of pictures! So, without further ado, and going from left to right, I present my little collection of beauties!

ELF Prism Eyeshadow in Naked; ELF Prism Eyeshadow in Smoke; Australis Pretty Pastels Palette; Australis Totes Smokin' Palette

ELF Prism Eyeshadow in Naked; ELF Prism Eyeshadow in Smoke; Australis Pretty Pastels Palette; Australis Totes Smokin' Palette

Urban Decay Naked Palette; Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette; Savvy by DB Eye of the Artist Eyeshadow Palette; Chi Chi Glamourous Nudes Eyeshadow Palette; Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette; Lorac Unzipped Palette

Urban Decay Naked Palette; Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette; Savvy by DB Eye of the Artist Eyeshadow Palette; Chi Chi Glamourous Nudes Eyeshadow Palette; Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette; Lorac Unzipped Palette

Urban Decay Ammo Palette; Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Palette; Topshop Smokey Eye Palette in Constellation; Too Faced Loves Sephora - Celebrating 15 Years of Beauty Together

Urban Decay Ammo Palette; Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Palette; Topshop Smokey Eye Palette in Constellation; Too Faced Loves Sephora - Celebrating 15 Years of Beauty Together

I do have a couple of other little palettes lying around the place, but they are less often used and I'm contemplating moving them on or getting more use out of them. Decisions, decisions...

If you're interested in any particular palette and would like a review, just let me know! What do you have in your palette collection? Is there any that you're particularly lemming at the moment?

February Lust Have It Review 2014

Lust Have It, you beautiful thing! After a hard day's work, it's always nice to be rewarded by something gorgeous, particularly when you're on a shopping ban (which, incidentally, ends this Friday - it's so close I can almost taste it!).

From the looks of it, you can probably tell that it's a pretty good box! For more of what's in it, read on!

First off, it arrived in this little black box this week, which caught me by surprise. Thankfully, there was a little note in the box explaining that they'd be changing the packaging in the coming months, so it would be likely the same box in March as well. I can't wait to see what they come up with!

Look at all these pretty little things! 7 things to try out! Oh wait... There's actually 8 things in the box.

Will you look at that? I was one of the lucky little ducks out of 1000 to receive this So...? Sinful 10ml perfume! Thanks, Lust Have It, for the beauty dip! Here's a break down of everything in the box.

1) Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive - this little 7ml sample will last me for about 3 uses, and it's one of those that you have to leave on your face for 10 minutes before washing off. One of the best things about Juice Beauty is that they are cruelty free, which makes this a brand I can get behind, as long as their products agree with me. Having used one of their moisturisers before, and liking it, I'm really looking forward to giving this a go!

$7.58

2) The Cosmetic Kitchen Eye Shadow in Fairy Floss (full size) - I love this colour! I'm not sure how I'm going to pull this off, but it's so cute and bright and actually does look fairy flossy! This can be used damp and dry. Also, The Cosmetic Kitchen is vegan AND cruelty free, so if this works out for me, I can add another brand to the list! 

$22.50

3) The Cosmetic Kitchen Eye Shadow Brush (full size) - ok, so I did gripe about having a brush once, because I thought certain other variations that month were a little better than mine, but honestly? I love brushes. Can't get enough of them! So this is an amazing addition to my box. It's soft and gorgeous! And did I mention, cruelty free?

$22.50

4) Vaseline Ultimate 10 Anti Aging Body Lotion - I have used this before, and liked it. This will be handy for travel.

$0.54

5) Clairol Professional Color Radiance Shampoo - I haven't had my hair coloured for ages, but LHI must have been reading my mind, because I'm getting it done next month! This will be waiting in the shower for me then!

$2.79

6) Clairol Professional Expand Volume Mousse - I have a full size bottle of mousse that I haven't touched for a while, but this may be a handy addition to my travel artillery. 

$3.90

7) Hand Spa Bijoux Hand Wipe - from that I can understand, this is supposed to be an anti aging hand wipe, which sounds intriguing... I might even send this to my mum and see if she'd be interested in using it.
$1.50

8) So...? Sinful Perfume - 10ml little spray, it's a cutie! I can't quite smell it at the moment, due to a hideous bout of cold/flu, but I'm sure it'd be great when I get the chance to give it a sniff!

$?

Ringing in at over $61.31, I feel that this box is one of the reasons for subscribing to such a service. Exploring new brands, and finding new favourites, hopefully adding new cruelty free items to the list, it's a good February box for me.

Are you pleased with yours this month? Do you think beauty boxes are worth it?