High Tea at Peppers Manor House, Moss Vale, NSW

As part of my birthday celebration last year, Mr Prince, he's a lovely man, that one, drove me out to Bowral, where we spent a couple of leisurely hours poking around some antique stores and he then took me to high tea out that way.

We stopped by Peppers Manor House out in Moss Vale, and for the grand price of $35 per head, we got a lovely afternoon tea, and while we, sadly, weren't given the chance to sit in the garden, as there was a wedding party coming, and a storm about to hit, the room where we were sat was nice still.

We started off with the savouries, which comprised of turkey and mustard, ham and cheese, shepherd's pie and pumpkin soup. We then had some scones, which were quite sizeable, and finished off with the sweets, which included creme brulee, poached pear in wine and tarts. 

For a very affordable high tea in a nice setting, this was excellent! 

Overall, I would rate this:

8/10

Australia Day Giveaway - Open To International Followers!

Happy Australia Day, y'all! To celebrate this particular Australia Day, I'm hosting a small giveaway for all the lovely people who follow this blog, and has helped make it what it is today, so thank you, everyone!

 Here's what's included in the pack:

1) Lonvitalite C1 whitening, pigment toning and moisturising facial mask

2) Sportsgirl all eyes on you eye and eyebrow palette

3) Chi Chi eyeshadow quad

4) Designer Brands mango lip butter

5) Formula 10.0.6 deep down detox mud mask

6) Beauty Essentials felt eye liner pen

7) Savvy by DB eyeshadow pencil in blueberry

8) Colour by TBN lipstick in pout those lips girl!

9) People for Plants lip balm in pink grapefruit and sweet fennel

10) Australis Velourlips in grandmaster pash

11) Sportsgirl eye like it eye palette

12) Face of Australia lip crayon in apple crumble

13) Eyelash curler

I included a few of my favourite Aussie brands for the winner to enjoy - good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are the rules of the competition:

1) This is open to both Australian AND International Entrants!

2) The winner will be picked at random via Rafflecopter

3) No giveaway blogs/accounts

4) No double entries

5) Winner has 48 hours to respond to my email/announcement, or a new winner will be picked
6) I will be picking the most affordable option for shipping, so no tracking number will be provided, and I won't be held responsible for anything that goes missing in the post.

Review: NYX Butter Lipsticks

When I was a teenager, I didn't understand what the fuss was about when it came to lipstick, particularly when there were so many shiny choices of the gloss variety. The lipsticks, I felt, were often drying and cakey - not at all what I wanted to leave on my lips.

Nowadays, lipsticks have made a serious comeback, and I have to take back everything I once said about not being a fan of lipsticks, because I really love them!

NYX, sold at Target in Australia, currently carries one of my favourite lipstick lines, the Butter Lipsticks. They are aptly named, given that they have a very smooth, buttery consistency, and they also have a slightly sweetish scent.

Hunk is a a purple shade that looks a lot more intense in the tube itself. and is actually a little more modest on the lips. 

 

Sweet Tart is bright pink shade. It's very wearable on a daily basis.

Mary Janes is my favourite of the entire collection- my perfect shade of red, and it's a lippie that I tend to reach for at all times, night or day.

Hunk; Sweet Tart; Mary Janes

The swatches above came from just one swipe - pretty pigmented!

What I really like about these lippies is the consistency, and the fact that you can see what the lipstick colour is through the little transparent plastic portion in the middle of the tube. The cases themselves feel quite sturdy, not cheap, as you'd expect with drug store make up. There are 22 shades in total, and while I have tried, and given away, shades that didn't suit me, I'm still determined to try as many as I can!

The downside is that while they do leave a bit of staining, it doesn't stick around for very long, and reapplication is a must. 

NYX is a cruelty free brand and these lipsticks retail for an easy $11.95.

Have you tried the Butter Lipsticks before? What colour would you pick?

Review: Crazy Rumours Hibiskiss Lip Colour *

 

I was recently given the chance to trial some cruelty free goodies from the Crazy Rumours line, care of Miss Pearl Store, which stocks some excellent eco friendly products that aren't tested on animals. If you haven't had the chance to check out what she stocks, head over here now! Additionally, she offers free shipping throughout Australia with a minimum spend of $15, which means you can put more towards the beauty products - winning!

Crazy Rumours has a line of flavoured lip balms, and in addition to them, they also have a range of coloured lip balms, HibisKiss.

I was gifted four shades, Pearl, Coral, Tropical and Breeze. 

Pearl is a shimmery pink that adds just the lightest metallic sheen to the lips - a great shade to have at the beach!

Coral is 'like my lips but better' essentially, and on me, this is best for every day wear.

Tropical is a mauve-ish shade that is just a teensy bit darker than the Coral lippie, and is probably the most worn lip colour of the four of them.

Breeze is the darkest shade out of all four of them, and even then, it's not very dark. It's a pretty 'hint of wine' shade, which is where I might be wearing this next - wine tasting, so I just end up leaving a smudge on the glasses, rather than huge marks, but still have something moisturising on my lips!

Pearl; Coral; Tropical; Breeze

These swatches came about after three swipes per lippie - as you can see, not very pigmented, but great for those seeking a lip balm that adds a little something. They stick around for a long as you don't do too much with your mouth, and they keep your lips soft and moisturised.

In addition to colour, they also have a great smell - it reminds me of bubblegum and lemonade - yum! Sadly, it doesn't have any taste, but on the upside, that's less of an incentive to eat what's on your lips. All that and cruelty free? Definitely a bag necessity!

These slim lippies retail for $6.50 and you can find them here.

Have you tried anything from Crazy Rumours before? What's your favourite shade?

*These products were kindly provided for my consideration.

Lust Have It FaB October and November 2014!

 

About time! I recently received a bumper pack of stuff from Lust Have It - my October and November FaB bags! We were informed of their delay late in the game, and while they did send out an extra beauty box for our inconvenience, I thought they could have handled things a little better (ie mentioned the lateness of the boxes way in advance).

Even though they didn't come with a printed list of which pack was from which month, as well as general RRP, you can tell that they are excellent value and I can't wait to start putting them together with outfits! I did check on Facebook and it looks like they sent the information cards out via email, but I never received it.

Without further ado, because it's taken long enough, let's just jump right into it!

Pack one:

1) Elegant Touch Express in Polished Bright Pink - I received two sets of this from a different beauty box a couple of months ago, and they are really cute and would be great in a flash. I also like that this is a different colour, compared to the other ones that I already have.

2) Beau.Box Wonder Powder - From what I can tell, this is a finishing powder with SPF 15, and from a company that doesn't test on animals, which is a bonus! I do use a finishing powder, so this will be helpful.

3) Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Eyeliner and Shadow in Black - I like products that have versatility, so that I can keep it in my bag for the moments when I need a touch up, or for when I need to darken things a little for night.

4) Earrings - Gold isn't my colour, but it might just be right for Summer! I might look at pairing this with a flowy dress, or something similar.

5) Watch - This is a lovely rose gold watch that I can see being used a lot. Accessorising, here I come!

Pack 2:

1) Metallic Temporary Tattoos - I've seen variations of this popping up everywhere! It looks gorgeous against tanned skin, and while I can see this as something fun, it's probably not something I'd be getting too much use out of.

2) Jelly Pong Pong Bronzer Duo in Caribbean Sun - This looks like it's a cruelty free brand, which I wasn't aware of with the pencils! I was super jealous when tons of other subscribers got this instead of a repeat product

3) Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Eyeliner and Shadow in Black - I really hope this is awesome, because I got sent one in each pack!

4) Make Up Sponge in Green - I do love blending sponges, and this is so bright, it's going to be hard to lose in my make up bag!

5) Bracelet - This is a simple, slightly chunky bracelet in rose gold, and it's something that I can definite use!

And that's everything from October and November! Would you be happy with your packs? What do you think of a beauty box arriving this far along?

December Binned Things aka Empties

Whoa, mama! December was a big, huge month for empties, and I'll show you everything in the basket. I don't even know how I managed to get through all those items, but that's one way to end the year - with a bang!

1) Jergens Ultra Healing Ultra Dry Skin Moisturiser - See full review here.
Repurchase? Yes

2) Jergens Foot Cream Extra Dry Skin Moisturiser - See full review here.
Repurchase? Yes

3) Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream - See full review here.
Repurchase? Definitely!

4) Swisspers Aloe Gentle Eye Make-up Remover - A pretty decent make up remover, but it makes my eyes tingle and almost burn a little.
Repurchase? No

5) Listerine Zero Mouthwash - Not my usual, but a nice alternative when the store runs out of what I tend to get!
Repurchase? Yes

6) Manicare Nail Polish Remover - A decent nail polish remover that does what it should.
Repurchase? Yes

7) Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray - The holy grail of make up setting spray! This and Skindanavia (made by the same company) are my favourite setting sprays.
Repurchase? Yes

8) Lorac Tantalizer Compact -My very first contouring and highlighting duo! I really enjoyed using this one, and I'm sad to see it go!
Repurchase? Yes

9) Bomb Cosmetics Mint Choc Chip Cleansing Shower Butter - Yum, yum, yum! This is my favourite flavour for ice cream, so naturally, it's also fantastic in the shower.
Repurchase? Yes

10) Dove Clinical Protection Deodorant - I got this particular one in Hawaii, and it was just as fantastic as the normal one. I just wish we had as wide a range as they have in the States.
Repurchase? Yes

11) Glamourflage Mia Sublime Face Mask - I received this in a Lust Have It FaB pack, and while I liked it, I didn't love. I also didn't think it added much to my routine.
Repurchase? No

12) Eco Care Facial Cleansing Wipes - Rose scented facial wipes that aren't very moisturising, but great in the Summer, as it's light.
Repurchase? Yes

13) People For Plants Mist Toner - This smells like Kakadu plum with a hint of rose. Cruelty free beauty that feels good!
Repurchase? Yes

14) Freeman Facial Peel Off Mask Cucumber - Bit of an old school mask that I found good for my younger skin, but not so much for my current complexion.
Repurchase? No

15) Arbonne Hand Lotion - A hand lotion that my sister gifted to me that I found to be ok, but nothing spectacular.
Repurchase? No

16) Dr Lewinns Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 30+ - I purchased this ages ago, before the current horde of SPF 30+ products flooded the market, and this was one of the few facial lotions I could find. While I liked it at first, I found that this didn't work quite as well with make up, 'balling' on my skin and flaking off.
Repurchase? No

17) Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel - One of my favourite products from 2014 - just AMAZING, how smooth the skin felt after applying this to the face.
Repurchase? Yes!

18) Lee Stafford Dark Brown Dry Shampoo - My favourite dry shampoo! And it's for brunettes!
Repurchase? Yes!

19) C.O. Bigelow Lip Balm - I really liked this lip balm when I first bought it, but got bored of it after a while, sadly!
Repurchase? No

20) Montagne Jeunesse Hot Chocolate Mask - Out of all the MJ masks I've tied so far, this would HAVE to be my favourite of the lot. It warms up and draws out all the gross. AND it smells like chocolate - tasty and useful!
Repurchase? Yes!

21) Eco Tools Mascara Comb - One of the few brushes I barely ever used in my collection.
Repurchase? No

22) Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner - A staple for years, and this doesn't transfer onto contact lenses.
Repurchase? Yes

23) Coral Colours Eyebrow Pencil - WORST eyebrow pencil ever! I don't tend to be overly negative, but this one ran on me, making me have some serious reverse panda eyes. Not good.
Repurchase? Absolutely not.

24) Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser - A surprisingly good cleanser! Great scent, and just enough foamage.
Repurchase? Yes

25) Australis Paparazzi Perfect Concealer - A basic concealer with a nozzle for easy application.
Repurchase? Maybe

26) People For Plants Cleanser And Make Up Remover - Great cruelty free product from PFP! I definitely prefer this over their foaming cleanser.
Repurchase? Yes

Out of all the tiny samples, I really liked the Paula's Choice serum, which caused a little tingling when I first used it, but made my skin glow - worth it! Also, the Urban Decay eye shadow primer is pretty awesome.

What did you use up last month? Did you find any holy grails in your lot?

Review: Rimmel Provocalips 16 Hour Kiss Proof Lipcolour *

With all the beautiful products that are currently clamouring for your attention on the market, it can be hard to tell what's right for you. Thankfully, that's what I enjoy doing as a blogger - test driving the best and the brightest that are available!

I was recently sent the entire set of Provocalips by Rimmel, and while the range may be small, it does feel like there's something for everyone.

How do they work? It's pretty easy - first, apply the colour, let it dry down, then put a coat of the sealant over the top and hey presto! I said it was easy!

Skinny Dipping is a nude brown shade that does blend with my skin colour a little, which is a little too nude, if you know what I mean. On the upside, my lips look HUGE with this on!

A mix between a brick brown and red, Make Your Move is more my kind of nude! A hugely wearable colour, I love the way this adds a little something to a daily look.

Dare To Pink is a light pink that is great for the bright Summer days when you want some colour on that isn't dark.

I'll call you is a nice girly, non-cotton candy pink. Again, another shade that I've worn on a couple of occasions and really liked. 

Little Minx might be the one shade that hasn't quite translated across as well, but it's a hot pink shade that brings a lot of attention to your lips, so prepare to pucker up!

Kiss Me You Fool is a bit of a fire engine red, so it's a bit cool for me, but very attention grabbing.

Ahh... Play With Fire! Without a doubt, my most commonly reached for colour. This is a great deep red that is wearable at all times of the day! 

Kiss Fatal is an almost purple shade, a dark wine colour, but without the 90's vibe. Great for going out at night!

This ends with a glossy finish and they claim that it lasts for up to 16 hours on the lips. While I can drink and snack lightly with this on my lips, I can't get through a whole meal without having to reapply. 

What is really great about them is that this can hold up on windy days, when you want some serious colour on your lips, but you don't want to be dragging strands of hair out of your mouth/lips, leaving streak marks on your cheeks. Also, wearing this means that you don't have to check your teeth for colour after an application - a bonus on a date!

I also love that I can wear them and kiss the man, and it doesn't come off on him - oddly enough, he loves that too!

While it is a little disappointing that this doesn't last past a meal, I can honestly say that this is one heck of a lippie to scrub off your lips when you're done with it - you can't give it the kiss off easily!

Retailing at $17.95, you can find them at most pharmacies. Have you tried them out yet? What's your favourite shade?

* These products were kindly sent to me for my consideration