Take It Off

If you're anything like me, you hate when it comes time to remove your makeup. Waking up early just so you can make your face up before going out? No problem. But spending five minutes before bed taking it off? We often cant be bothered. Cue the cleansing removers.

Basically these work to a) remove makeup, and easily I might add, and b) cleanse the face. All in one step. A no fuss, easy product. My favourite that ive tried is The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. This is the only balm style ive tried thus far and I must say its a very easy and effective way at removing everything. And this coming from a girl who wears a ton of mascara. Just a small amount heated up between your fingers and gently rubbed onto the eyes and face, then rinsed off with a wash cloth and your skin is makeup free. I find this is more effective then my beloved Avon Eye Makeup Remover Lotion as I dont have to spend as much time getting everything off. It leaves my skin soft and if im feeling really lazy, ill leave the cleanse at that, though I typically go in with a facial cleanser to make sure everything is nice and clean.

Option two is the micellar waters. Everyone has heard of Bioderma Sensibo H2O, a favourite among makeup artists and of course, bloggers and youtubers. What is a micellar water you might ask? In short, its a blend of water and fine particles of oil that absorb dirt and makeup and leave you with a cleansed face. It feels and smells just like water, though some that ive tried can leave a bit of a tackiness to the skin, Bioderma and the La Roche-Posay ones do not. A little applied to a cotton pad and sweft over the face and your good. With mascara you need to hold it onto the eye for a few seconds to get everything off. This isnt my favourite for removing eye makeup but it does get the job done.

My last option is cleansing milks. Ive tried a few and while I didnt like some (mainly because it stings the eyes, im looking at you Origins), the ones I did like, I liked a lot. These are basically a creamy cleanser that you can use on your whole face. It is a non-foaming and non-drying form of cleansing. My favourites are the Vichy Purete Thermale Cleansing Milk, and the no7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Milk.

With our nicely cleansed faces, we are now ready to get on with the more important things in life, like sleep.

Lily 3 Month Update

I cant believe my little munchkin is already three months old. She has grown so much, not only in size but in my heart. Looking back at pictures from when she was born, I can see a huge change already. She's starting to get into more of a daily routine, actually sleeping in her bassinette now at night. She will sleep through the night for the most part, goint to bed around 9 most nights. I have to get up to put her pacifier back in a few times but she'll typically sleep til 7 or later. This is a great thing for me as I get to have more sleep now (thank god).

She is always looking around, always smiling and cooing happily. Im still waiting to hear that first little giggle though! She kicks her feet around a lot, often kicking me in the stomach or waving her arms about. She will swat at dangling toys and sometimes hold onto things but only for a few minutes. I dont think she does it knowingly though. She has been sucking on her hands and sometimes a thumb, which is so cute.

She has been drooling a lot. Im going to ask next time we go to the doctors but I think this is the start of her teething. Im not sure of her current weight or height as im having issues getting a hold of doctors at the moment, but will update on that.

She has outgrown all her 0-3 month clothes and making her way into the 3-6 or even larger. She has quite long legs so some of her pants are larger. She has just gone up to size 2 diapers aswell. Packing away all the little clothes makes me so sad. You really dont realize how quickly they're growing.

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Theres nothing more annoying then after spending time doing your nails and looking down half an hour later and what happened? You chipped a nail already. Everyone loves the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat so when I saw it in store for the first time I thought it was time to see what all the hypes about.

First off this stuff smells very strongly of chemicals, to the point where I actually questioned whether I wanted to put this stuff on my nails. But that aside, once applied it dried very quickly, which for a busy body like myself, this is especially handy. The shine it left is amazing. Even over a poor paint job, it makes the nail look smooth and even and super glossy. I couldnt stop looking at my nails. As for whether it helped the colour to last longer? Im not totally sure. I felt like it helped but even if it didnt, the glossy finish and quick drying in itself was enough for me. However, when this bottle finishes I probably will not repurchase as the terribly strong chemical smell is very offputting. I would rather wait an extra minute or two for drying then breathe in toxic chemicals everytime I do my nails.

Christmas tag

Something a little different to get into the Christmas spirit! 

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?
A Christmas story.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Christmas morning.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
Me and my brother sleeping on the couch waiting out Santa!

4. Favourite festive food?
Turkey, eggnog, apple cider.

5. Favourite Christmas gift?
Not sure about that one.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?
Cinnamon!

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Not really.

8. What tops your tree?
A star.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
I always wanted one of those jeep things. Theyre way too much money. 

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?
Having a nice dinner with the ones you love. 

New Mac Lippies

L to R: Pure Zen, Modesty, Plumful

New seasons mean new makeup. I seem to have gone for a nude, an everyday, and a plum shade (not on purpose). The first is Pure Zen, a cremesheen. Ive wanted this one for a while and just thought id go for it, even though its not exactly a shade id wear this time of year. Its a warm peachy nude, which now that ive got it home looks very similar to my favourite shade Shy Girl. Second is Modesty, a great colour for everyday wear. This one I think would look good with just about anything. Its a mauvey pink and again a cremesheen. Lastly is Plumful. I hear everyone talk about this one and finally got it myself. This ones a lustre, which is good for people like me who are afraid of the brights as it tends to go on more sheer, but is buildable. It is of course a rosey plum and I think it compliments my skin tone well.

Im always looking at new shades so leave me recommendations and I'm sure another post is just around the corner. 

Crazy For Lip Pencils

(l-r Nars Satin 'Biscayne Park', Bite 'Meritage', Nars Satin 'Rikugien', Bite 'Sahara', Nars Matte 'Bahama'

Ive been a little obsessed with lip pencils the last few months. My love began with Nars, and now Bite have been making their way into my life. The convenience of a lipstick in a pencil form. Whats not to love.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
So far I only have one of the mattes, which was the first pencil I bought a year ago. Dont let the word matte scare you, these pencils are not drying at all. They look absolutely beautiful on the lips and have great colour payoff. As with all Nars products, they have a great selection of colours. The one I chose was Bahama, a perfect winter/fall pinkish brown. I have my eye on Bettina, and Dolce Vita.

Nars Satin Lip Pencil
The satins are creamier and more moisturizing. This formula is my favourite, as it can be easier to wear and doesnt accentuate any dryness. Biscayne Park is possibly my all time favourite lipstick. Described as a pink guava, though im not sure id say that myself. To me its more of a really easy to wear peachy nude. Out of all the shades here, id recommend trying this one. Next is Rikugien, a rose pink. This one doesnt get a lot of wear because I find it to have a slight frostiness to it which im not a big fan of in lip products. It is a nice colour and id love to wear it more, but I find I like it more with a bit of Biscayne Park mixed in with it. Next on my list is Majella, a gorgeous red.

Bite High Pigment Pencil
After falling for the Nars pencils, while wandering Sephora one day I came across these beauties. Similar to the Nars Satin pencils, creamy and easy to wear. A bonus is theyre retractable, so no sharpening needed! I went for Syrah as it was a similar but slightly more peach version of Biscayne Park. This one is more spring/summer to me as its a brighter peach shade. And for the brightest shade I have, theres Meritage. This was a deluxe size that came in a Sephora Favourites set. I havent had a chance to try this one out really but it looks like an easy to wear red.

Rimmel Eastend Snob

If your jumping on that liner as lipstick bandwagon, Rimmels Exaggerate in Eastend Snob is a great one to try. It is a muted pink matte that can easily be worn on its own or of course for its original purpose, to line the lips. It comes in a retractable package, which is nice for those of us who dont like to sharpen things. It can be a little drying on the lips, but lasts really well. Applying a balm over the top should solve this a problem easily if it bothers you. My only complaint is that if you apply too much pressure, the nib can break off a little bit. That aside, I see myself getting a lot of use out of this.