OVI Hydration and Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes Review

Recently, I've been blessed with the opportunity to receive and share samples of Suntory's OVI Hydration beverages, as well as Simple's Facial Cleansing Wipes, courtesy of the Contagious Network. Now, there's no way that I wouldn't recommend anything I didn't personally like myself to you guys, but I don't have to worry about that with these products because I am in love!

I'll start off with Simple's Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes. I've been using these Simple wipes since I first discovered what facial wipes/make-up remover wipes actually are. I find that these are perfect for when I just want to get a majority of my makeup off without using oily makeup remover and cotton pads. These wipes leave my face fresh and hydrated and I can get rid of a majority of my makeup (minus eyeliner) with only one of the wipes. Products like these can really help get rid of all the toxins that have made their way into your skin, and are great for sensitive skin - I personally find that all of Simple's products are. I highly recommend these and encourage you to spread the word about them. 10/10!

Onto OVI Hydration. This drink is perfect chilled and comes in three amazing flavours: Peach, Berry, and Citrus (Peach is my personal face.) The Contagious Network sent me one of each flavour, as well as nine other bottles to share with my friends, and they loved it too! These are extremely refreshing and chock full of antioxidants that leaves me feeling not only hydrated, but also cleansed. To me, it tasted like a mix of ice tea with, well, regular tea. There is a difference! Trust me! An absolutely delicious drink that I would recommend!

My Everyday Makeup Review: Foundation + Concealers

So, I figured instead of reviewing all of the make-up products I use daily all at once, I'd break it up into components: 1) Foundation  & Concealers, 2) Bronzers, Blush, & Powders, and 3) Eye Shadow, Eyeliner, & Mascara. These are the products that I use daily for everyday make-up, work, uni and going out. Now, let's get started :)



Foundation: Lancôme Teint Miracle in 03 Beige Diaphane

I previously used one of Lancôme's other foundations (Teint Idole Ultra 24H) but personally, I prefer this one much better. It goes on much lighter and I find that it blends onto my skin easily and when used with both a normal foundation brush and a buffing brush, you can't even tell that it's on. It removes redness and evens out my complexion without being too heavy on my face.

Concealer: Natio Cleverstick in Beige

I use Natio's Cleverstick using my fingertips - by dabbing my fingertips on the product and then under my eyes and on any spots. I found that smearing the stick straight onto my face made it go on too heavy on my face and I had to spread it literally all over my face leaving my face thick and gross all day. However, applying it just using my fingers worked very well and covered all of my blemishes. Recently, I stopped using it now that the weather is getting hotter and have opted for a lighter foundation. However, on the day's that I do use it, it works wonderfully to cover my dark under eyes



Concealer: M•A•C Select Moisture Cover in NC35

So when I don't use the Cleverstick, I usually use my MAC concealer under my eyes and blend it in using Real Technique's Contour Brush (totally using it for it's original purposes) because I find it fits perfectly into the area underneath my eye and blends the quickest instead of using a small, pointed foundation brush. It covers my dark eyes and spots in a much lighter fashion than the Cleverstick so I prefer to use it on hotter days, or when I'm going out to a party or whatnot. It goes on smoothly and blends out easily and I just love it and the fact that I don't need to put much on.



So those are my main foundation and concealer products and I just love them because they work wonderfully and I don't need to use much at all. They all apply quickly and blend quickly into my skin tone. Next up I'll show you guys my powder's and bronzers.

Hopefully you guys liked this and let me know what you think of these products (if you've tried them before) or let me know your recommendations for similar products! :)

(Delayed) Back to Uni Tips

Wow, it has been an eternity since I last posted! Honestly, I've just been so overwhelmed with university starting up again and right now, I'm in hardcore study mode with mid-semester exams coming up. But I decided to share a bit of advice that helps me, and will hopefully help you with all of your university or high school woes.

I know I know, school and uni? Yuck. But c'mon, it's a sad thing that most of us have to deal with. But hey, we may as well do get through it as best as we can! Sit tight, this is going to be a long one.

• Invest in a good backpack! Yes, sometimes we all want to have cute outfits with matching handbags when going to uni and a 'dorky' backpack can throw off the whole aesthetic, but trust me, if you're trying to cart a heaving laptop, textbooks, study books, lunch, a water bottle and absolutely everything else in there, it's a guess of which will break first - your arm or the bag. I've found that using a backpack compared to a handbag lifts a lot of weight off my body and is easy to walk around with instead of bashing my friends with when I walk beside them. Don't necessarily just get one that looks good, make sure it's big enough for everything you need and has supporting strap and base which won't break once you've got your supplies in them.
• Work out a study schedule. I find it easier to study in the morning/afternoon/when it's still daylight outside because if I'm studying late into the hours, I find it very draining, my handwriting goes all over the place and I honestly don't remember a thing. Plus, I'm too anxious to get back into my bed. Try and set aside some time each day to study, or if you're like me and has to endure two-hour train rides, make some use of those and crack open that laptop/tablet/notebook/textbook/whatever! Don't wait months to revise or write down your lecture notes. If you write your notes sooner, rather than later, you're more likely to remember it.
• Handwrite your notes. When I am taking down lecture notes in class, it's usually on my tablet and most of the time I'm accidentally writing it down word-for-word. I'm sure you've heard this a thousand times before, but you need to write your notes in your own words. So this is what I do when I transfer my notes onto my notebooks. I find that hand-writing notes is more helpful, as well as writing down a list of 'objectives' that I need to learn. If you're lucky like me, some of your lecturers will attach these to the lecture slides which they will (hopefully) post online. Then again I go to a university of Technology, so my course is pretty much accessible online. Still, attending lectures is crucial to learning and you won't get distracted as much.
• Eat healthy! Well, we should all be doing this anyway, but I've found that going back to uni has caused me to put on a few extra kilos because a) I'm sitting on my ass more and b) I'm not eating right. I have to have early breakfasts and lunches dispersed throughout the day (with snacks in between), and I'm juggling between eating too much or too little, and honestly, my appetite is all messed up. But I'm trying to stick to healthy foods now such as fruit in place of snacking on a chocolate bar, and I'm finding that it's working. I'm still having to snack between or during lectures, but it's better to eat some carrots or strawberries instead of a poptart. Even making some extra leftovers from last nights dinner to eat the next day is better! (And cheaper too - provided you/your parents make a healthy dinner.)
• Making friends. Uni can be overwhelming and to me, going to a uni which literally nobody else from my high school goes to had started off as a scary and harrowing experience. But on my first day at orientation, the first person I talked to was actually a south cost girl like myself and we had some friends in common! We were even on the same train! Even though I've lost contact with her now, this initial encounter boosted my confidence and at the next big orientation day, I met two of my closest friends at uni who to this day, still remain that way. One was literally pushed by her friend into me, and the other just wondered over to say hello. Though, I wouldn't so much go with the first approach, the second girl's (I'm not saying their names for privacy reasons, hahaha), had the right idea in mind. Lately, I've been trying to do that more often, even if it's just asking whoever is sitting next to me in a lecture about the content of the lecture and making conversation. You never know how much of an impact that person can make in your life and what's the risk in saying hello?
• Don't forget about downtime. Like I said, I was the only one from my high school to go to my university and long train rides plus an intense study schedule (plus work), means that it's difficult for me to hang out with my friends. Thankfully now I only go four days a week (which is still a lot compared to three of my friends and my sister only going 2 days), but it's opened up more opportunities to see my friends, especially at the weekly trivia night at their uni/our local one. Also just lying down, relaxing, exercising, reading, and all that jazz is important too, especially if you're feeling like you're being overwhelmed. Even if it's only for half an hour in between study breaks. Trust me, it helps, and will get you back on track.
• Always bring a jacket and umbrella. Just trust me on this.

Wow, so I ended up blabbing for a lot longer than I thought, and it made me actually miss blogging. Hopefully, I'll start up again (with shorter posts), but more related to make-up reviews, fashion posts and day-to-day stuff. Fingers crossed I stick with it! Because I love blogging. Hope you find all of these tips helping, and comment if you want me to add or talk about anything else, because I'm sure I've left a lot out!

Alright, I'm off now. Love you all and take care of yourselves!

Winged Eyeliner Troubles and Review: Maybelline Eye Studio ® Master Precise™ Liquid Liner and Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG POST BECAUSE I APPARENTLY LIKE TALKING ABOUT EYELINER?

Let me start this off by saying that I am absolutely horrible at applying winged eyeliner. I first started wearing eyeliner out in public for one of my best friend's 18th which was December 2013 (I was probably practicing it in my bathroom about two weeks prior to this) and since then, it's become part of my daily makeup routine. Not winged eyeliner! Just a normal black line across my upper lash line.

When I first started I'd use one of Maybelline's gel liners (wow, I honestly never noticed until now how much Maybelline liner's I use) and since then I've gone all over the place with drug store gel liners, liquid liners (rarely), kohl and eyeliner pencils, and felts. I'd basically try everything on the market because I was that obsessed with it. You know when you find a new product or item of clothing and you just use it as much as you can? That was me with eyeliner. I'd wear it all the time.

Now however, I really only wear it when I'm going out with friends or going to work. If I'm just going to the shops or hanging out with the family, I tend to lay off the liner and heavier makeup (though really, since I hardly wear bronzer or eyeshadow, eyeliner is the heaviest I wear), I tend to avoid it. Recently, I tried experimenting with winged eyeliner and after watching videos on YouTube explaining 'simple techniques' that will 'guarantee' 'perfect winged eyeliner', I just about gave up.

I had tried the sticky tape method, the spoon trick, the drawing it on with soft kohl pencil, then going over the top, the blah-blah-blah. You get my point. I looked everywhere. One of the main problems I had found was that the wing stroke simply wasn't going on where I wanted it to go on. The ink would bleed out, or the gel/pencil/tip would be much thicker than I had anticipated and would throw the whole thing off. I could never get the tips perfect and would end up wiping the whole thing off at the last minute. Eventually I found that using my sisters Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner actually worked like I was trying to get all of my other liners too and I made my first (semi-decent) attempt at wearing winged eyeliner out in public. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to show you because I didn't think I'd be writing up a review post, nor do I have a photo to show you now because I've just done a workout (another shoutout to Cassey Ho's Blogilates) so my face is make-up free, but next time I do, I'll snap a photo and show you guys.

Anyway, back on track. I was shopping around Priceline, trying to buy some of the Hyper Glossy liner for myself when I noticed the Master Precise Liner preaching things such as "precision tip" and "thinnest line." Since my main winged eyeliner woes involved the tip being too thick, I figured sure, why not? And so I bought it.

It was one of my best impulse buys.

I tried on the Master Precise Liner when I got home and it delivered. The line coming from the tip was thin and worked with me and for the first time, I didn't need to constantly try again. The line flowed smoothly and didn't bleed and if I needed to adjust angles but filling the wing in, I never overdid it and make it all wonky again. I also found that it stayed on all day and that it doesn't look like it's all dried out like other liners I've used (Rimmel Scandaleyes I'm looking at you.)

I believer that the Master Precise is an amazing tool for people who was trying to learn how to apply winged eyeliner and don't want to stick sticky tape on a sensitive part of the face and I have found that it comes off pretty easily (unlike the Hyper Glossy liner, but I'll get to that in a second.) Though I'm not at that stage of doing the fancy drawings like in the picture above (I don't think I'll ever get to that stage), it works wonderfully for a simple cat eye look or winged eyeliner. I have not used it to line my lower lash line (I still use eyeshadow and an angled brush if I ever apply it there), but for winged eyeliner, I love it.

Next up is the Hyper Glossy Liner:

Like I said before, I'm sorry that I don't have any real photos to share with you. But if I do, I'll edit this right away.

This eyeliner has been out for a while and I was surprised that I hadn't gotten it sooner. Things that I loved straight away about this liner was the long length of the brush, the complete jet black colour of the liner and it's glossy finish, and that the bottle seals completely, preventing spillage. The bristles of the brush allow the ink to glide on the eye smoothly and the liner itself can be used to apply both thin and thick lines. I now use it to just apply normal straight eyeliner and I find that it glides on easily and can be easily removed with makeup remover. Though I did intially use it to apply winged eyeliner, I personally find the Master Precise liner easier just because of the amount of control I have with it, but this Hyper Glossy comes a close second.

So I definitely recommend both of these liners to anybody trying out winged eyeliner for the first time. Let me know what you guys think of it (if you own them) and other useful products to use when applying winged eyeliner.

Take care of yourselves <3

---

Eye Studio® Master Precise™ Liquid Liner: http://www.maybelline.com.au/Products/eye-makeup/eye-liner/eye-studio-master-precise-liquid-liner.aspx

Eye Studio® Hyper Glossy™ Liquid Liner: http://www.maybelline.com.au/Products/eye-makeup/eye-liner/eye-studio-hyper-glossy-liquid-liner.aspx

Blogilates!

For those of you who haven't heard of Cassey Ho, the creator of POP Pilates, you need to check her now now!

Blog: http://www.blogilates.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates

I've never really been one to commit to a gym membership, or to get up and go for a jog outside. I know, I'm a horrible exerciser and it's a miracle that I am not morbidly obese. But after discovering Blogilates last year (or the year before, I can't remember), it's really the only form of exercise that I have committed to and enjoyed. Currently, I started doing the "Beginner's Calendar" again after a few months of not completing Cassey's videos and found that the last time I did it, it helped me lose weight and tone down my body. I used to do the occasional video here and there, but now I'm working through the calendar day by day.

Cassey doesn't just provide amazing pilates videos, but also shares healthy recipes and meal plans, as well as her own inspirational merch. Honestly, it's all amazing and more people need to jump on board if they don't want to pay for a gym membership or exercise machines. All you need is a yoga mat or carpet (but if you're using carpet, you should probably clean it, or at least lie a clean towel down first due to sanitary reasons.) It's free, fun and doesn't take long at all and I give her a full 10/10.

Even if you've never done pilates before (like me), her videos are very doable and she often provides alternatives to difficult moves. Honestly, she's just amazing and wonderful and I felt the need to give her a huge shoutout.

So go! And check her out using the blogs above and let me know how to guys go!

Shopping Day

Well, more so on my sister's part.

Hanging around the shops all day really isn't helping the fact that I am trying to save money. Though I did slightly succumb to my shopaholic urges (not too much though) and merely purchased Revlon's Chroma Chameleon in Pink Quartz to see what I'd actually look like with gold nail polish, L'Oréal Paris Super Liner Blackbuster in Black, and e.l.f. Studio's Eye Refresh in clear. Just a few "essentials" as I'm trying to wane off buying more clothes and shoes.

I work in a shoe store (and bought the pair in the photo below for my birthday) and so walking past it and not in is absolute torture. I absolutely love the shoes I wore today (link down below) and even though I'm not a big daytime heel wearing (unless it's a small heel on boots), I try to avoid it. But these I fell in love with and felt really empowered. I'll admit that the balls of my feet hurt a little bit, but I find that with nearly all heels that I wear so I'll have to invest in some proper gel cushions.

Today wasn't just all following my sister around as she shopped for her upcoming holiday to Europe, but we also went to the movies to watch How To Train Your Dragon 2 (I nearly typed 'How I Met Your Mother'), which actually made me really inspired to write up a blog post comparing Disney to Dreamworks - but that's for another day.

Anyway, I'm sure that this was a pretty boring post for whoever is reading this, but if you've made it this far, make sure to take care of yourselves <3

Revlon Chroma Chameleon (Pink Quartz): I searched high and low for this but couldn't find a reliable seller. Considering I dug it out of the clearance table at Target, I'm not surprised. If you guys can find a place to buy it online, let me know!

L'Oréal Paris: SuperLiner Blackbuster (Black): Bought at PriceLine, can be found here: http://www.lorealparis.com.au/cosmetics/eyes/superliner/blackbuster-eyeliner.aspx

e.l.f. Studio Eye Refresh (Clear): Bought at K-Mart, can be found here: http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/eyes/concealers_and_primers/eye_refresh

Shoes: http://www.spendless.com.au/lily-black/

Staying Home All Day?

Now that uni is over for the semester, I've been spending a lot more time at home and only today have I actually questioned the stigma about staying at home all day. As a teenager, I'm expected to be out every second, every day and every night, rebelling against authority figures and yet here I am at home, catching up on old shows and playing video games. And honestly, I don't see a problem with that, so why is it so frowned upon? If you tell people that you've spent the last few days at home without a "good" reason such as being ill, or caring for another who was ill, they'll either think that you're lazy, or boring, or unemployed and not trying to change that.

Don't get the wrong idea! I do have friends whom I talk to everyday and hang out with as frequently as I can and yet when I'm home all day, one of the main things weighing on my mind was the question about why hadn't I organised doing something. Even if it was calling up an old friend, going out and exercising, or just hanging around the shopping centre (despite the fact that I am trying to save money.) While somebody often plan days where they can just relax at home, I am not one of those people and want to get out and make the most of my days.

Staying at home does have its benefits though. If you've been putting off doing something, such as cleaning your room, or organising your wardrobe and getting rid of all the clothes you don't wear anymore. Today however, I did neither of those things, but most of the time when I am home all day, I try to achieve something. Often it's experimenting with different hairstyles - like I was doing before I sat down to write this.

So I complied a list of things you can do when you're at home instead of sleeping all day, or sitting in front of a computer or TV on the internet or playing games for the entire day. Some of the lists that I have seen on the internet often feature fun websites you can spend time on, but the point of this is to step away from the laptop.

Note: Image not mine

• Reorganise your room - or clean it at least. You never know what you will find or what you'll realise that you should probably throw/give away. Even change your sheets, your room will look all clean and refreshed!
• Try on all of your clothes. Place all of the clothes that no longer fit you, you no longer like, or simply never wear into a pile to sell or give away (because throwing away perfectly good clothes is a waste!) A trick I learned a while ago was to turn all of your hangers in your wardrobe one way (in my case, I turned it so that it hooked around the back, making it more difficult to remove) and as you wear an item of clothing, reverse the hanger to face the other direction when you put it back. This way you can see which clothes you do and don't wear and next time you get a whole day off a few months later you can sell/give away all of the clothes with the hanger still in its original position. Of course if it's been summer and you've been saving your coats for winter then well, maybe not.
• Play with your hair! This is mainly for girls since I've noticed that 99% of guys just wear their hair how it naturally falls (or with some gel, but it's not as diverse and some of the hairstyles females wear.) Yes, if you want to, go online (you have my permission) and go on YouTube or Pinterest, or other tutorial sites and learn how to perfect that hairstyle you saw on that celebrity that one time. Don't get distracted though! Remember, we're trying to not spend the day staring at a screen!
• READ READ READ! Try to do this with a physical book, not on your kindle, or iPad, or similar device. Find a cosy nook for yourself, have some soft music playing in the background and healthy food ready for snacking and just read away. Watch the hours go by.
• Be helpful. Clean and vacuum the house. If you live with your parents or with a roommate, they'll definitely appreciate it and once you've finished the job, you will too.
• DANCE! If you haven't blasted music in your room and just danced, you haven't lived. Play some of your favourite tunes and if you can, find and play your old favourites. You'll be surprised by how much you still remember every single lyric and beat.
• Practice putting on makeup. Learn how to apply eyeliner or blend eyeshadow. Once again, I've giving you permission to look up tutorials online but you'll find your own method of doing something soon enough.
• Pamper yourself. Whip out a face mask (or make some of your own - there's some great homemade ones online), run a bath and light some candles and just close your eyes and relax. Time flies faster than you'd think.
• Paint your nails. Wow, this list is accumulating quite a few "beauty" points. One of my favourite things to do when I have free time is to paint my nails. Even if they're already painted, I'll apply another coat if some bits have chipped off, or I'll try out new colours or new designs (such as half-tones.) Don't forget your toes!
• Wash your car or water your garden. Pretty self-explanatory here.
• Organise your garage. Similar to organising your room, but to a larger scale. Open up all the garage doors and let the sunlight and fresh air in. Make sure if you have any pets that have a habit of running away (like mine do) that they stay inside or cannot leave.
• Clean out your pantry/fridge. Yep, this is just cleaning and beauty I guess. I've cleaned out my pantry a few times and have been both amazed (and disgusted) and some of the food in there and how long ago it expired. Straight into the bin for those.
• Learn a new skill. Got some knitting needles lying around? Put them to work! Found a recipe book? Go experiment and add something to your dinner menu.
• GO OUTSIDE! Unless of course it's bad weather. Just head up to your local park if you have one nearby, or down to the beach if you live on the coast like me. Of course if you live in a more urbanised setting, go out and breathe in the city. Try to walk or ride your bike if you can and ditch the car. It'll be cheaper and healthier for you.
• Rearrange things. Your bookshelf, your pantry, your stack of magazines, your DVDs, anything!
• Call people. Who knows, you might get an offer to see them, or make plans to hang out.
• Puzzles! If you have a crossword or puzzle book lying around, get to it!

If you guys can think of anything else, leave a comment below and let me know if you actually have done/will do any of these.

Stay happy and take care of yourselves! And have a great day in! xx