LUSH Easter Collection for 2014!

While I do get super excited for all the chocolately goodness that Easter brings with it, this holiday break means something else that tingles all my beauty bells! LUSH.

LUSH Cosmetics continue to amaze me with their Limited Edition ranges throughout the year and with their Easter Collection for 2014, they have not failed to impress. I jumped into my local LUSH store before work a few days after they brought out the collection and with only 5 minutes to spare before my shift started, the pressure got to me and I tried to pick up as much as I could!

The LUSH Easter Collection screams utter cuteness and adorability, with a few repeats from last year but also a few new exciting goodies to fill our Easter baskets with (Golden Egg I am looking at you in all your golden glory and so disappointed that I didn't manage to pick you up)!




Bath Ballistic | The Immaculate Eggception

This baby is absolutely huge making the $11.95 price tag completely worth it! It comes in two different variations of colours and is double layered (much like the Heart Locket Bath Ballistic at Valentines Day). Split it in two or throw the whole thing in the bath, either way you will be greeted with a little surprise chick or bunny inside and the scents of vanilla, lemon and grapefruit!



Bubble Bar | A Bunch Of Carrots 

These carrots are quite possibly the most adorable things I have ever seen and look good enough to eat! Three vibrant orange bubble bars in the shape of carrots tied together with green crepe paper leaves rich in carrot oil for skin smoothing and rejuvenating and fruity oils such as bergamot, lemon and buchu.

Bath Ballistic | Fluffy Egg

This little beauty smells exactly like Snow Fairy and Candy Mountain from LUSH's Christmas Collection! If you're on a diet this Easter, then snap this bath bomb up and savour in the sweet scents of jelly beans, marshmallows and candy floss. If you aren't, then buy it anyway. You will not regret it!

Bubble Bar | Bunny

The cutest little Bunny Bubble Bar makes its way back into LUSH stores this year but with a whole new formula! Smelling exactly like LUSH's best selling Honey, I Washed The Kids scent, it is made up of shea butter and coconut oil to keep those limbs moisturised whilst delving into the realms of Alice In Wonderland.

So there you have it! All the Easter goodies that I treated myself to over this little break! Did you pick up anything from the LUSH Easter Collection? Hope you all had a chocolate filled Easter day my lovelies!

Elle xx

The Cheapest Makeup In Australia?! | ft. BOE Beauty!

Hello my lovelies!


Today I bring to you a very exciting post and video about the cheapest and most affordable makeup on the market for us Australian's!

If you live in Aus, then you would know that cosmetics are ridiculously overpriced and expensive BUT, I bring jolly good news! Big W's has started their own makeup brand called BOE Beauty and everything is only $2! That's $2 for a mascara, a lipstick, powder, blush, you name it!!!

With an incredibly appealing price tag, I knew I just had to pick up pretty much one of everything and let you guys know what is the bomb diggedy!


Make sure you watch my YouTube video HERE, give it a THUMBS UP and hit the SUBSCRIBE button to find out my top picks!


Much love,
Elle xx

Hauling It | Priceline 40% Off All Cosmetics & Catalogue Sale!

Hello my lovelies,

Oops I did it again. Oh deary me! Things went from bad to worse (much like Brittany Spears really) in the spending department where I made a decent 3 separate trips to Priceline when they had their infamous 40% Off All Cosmetics sale just last week!

I can officially confess that I have a problem and I need therapy (that isn't the retail kind)! I spent a little way too much, but hey, 40% off doesn't come around too often! Who am I kidding! I'm not convincing anyone with my rationalising! It's official! My name is Elle and I'm completely and utterly obsessed with make up!

Be sure to watch my haul video HERE, click LIKE and hit SUBSCRIBE if you aren't already!




Anyways! Onto the damage...



First up, a product that wasn't actually on sale but when I saw the tower of shining bottles as I walked in, I immediately picked one up and threw it into my basket! It's the Garnier Micelluar Cleansing Water, an apparent dupe for the Bioderma Crealine H2O Cleanser & Make Up Remover which is, although an extremely amazing product, one that costs an arm and a leg.

The Garnier Micelluar Cleansing Water is a much more cost effective option retailing at AU$11.99 for 400mL compared to Bioderma's hefty AU$29.99 for only 250mL of product! If Garnier has done it right, it might be a new holy grail item for not just me, but beauty bloggers world wide!

Something that was on my wish list was the Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick in, of course, 110 Ivory. I had seen a few fellow Australian Beauty Gurus receive packages of the new Maybelline products that would be rolling out in the following months and I knew instantly that I had to try this! It seems to apply very easily and creamily and the standout feature is that it is a shade light enough for my Edward Cullen skin! *double fist pump*

Speaking of new products, I snatched myself up one of the Maybelline Eye Studio Big Eyes Light-Catching Shadow Palette in 01 Luminious Brown. All I can say is WOW. Maybelline you sure have stepped up your game with your products and continue to amaze me! The pigmentation of these eyeshadows are incredible! Look out for a review post coming in the near future for more info on this beauty!

I was so excited to get my hands on this lipstick by Maybelline in Brazen Beige which is apart of their new nudes collection in the Color Sensational range and when I swatched the lippy on the back of my hand, I thought I had hit gold and finally found the perfect nude lipstick for my pale skin. However when I came home and swiped it across my lips, I was more than disappointed. Corpse alert.

Sticking with Maybelline, I also purchased their Total Clean Express Makeup Remover due to hearing a multitude of rave reviews. I haven't been too sure about my Neutrogena Oil-free Eye Make-up Remover due to the oily-ish residue it leaves behind so I am excited to give this one a burl! 

The Maybelline Master Precise Liner. There isn't much more to say. A holy grail product and repurchase for me. This is my 4th one I believe and I know that I will continue to buy this baby 'til the day I die! 

This was an opportunity for my to try out some more Face Of Australia things, as in the past, I haven't really delved into many of their products. I ended up picking up the Face Of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Macaron, a gorgeous mid-toned pink lip crayon that I have heard a lot about. 

The Face Of Australia Translucent Loose Powder was also extremely high on my wish list due to the countless amount of times that I have seen Lauren Curtis on YouTube rave about it. Every Priceline I have visited in the past, it has been sold out, so when I saw this baby sitting by its lonesome on the shelves, I felt like the heavens had opened and shone a light down on me! 

I also decided to branch out and try a Face Of Australia Blush in Hello Dolly, a bright looking Barbie pink colour!



Another brand that I haven't had a lot of experience with is Models Prefer, so naturally I picked up a few of their goodies that I'd had my eye on for quite some time now. 

One of these products was the Models Prefer Infinite Colour Foundation in Shell, one of the lightest coloured foundations that I have ever come across in the drugstore/Priceline! I cannot wait to try this and see how it works with my combination skin as I find my Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Ivory is the slightest bit too dark for me nowadays. 

Something else that I had been eyeing up was the Models Prefer Essential Brow Kit in Light/Medium. From the picture on the back of the box, this looked to be the perfect tone of ashy-brown to fill in my brows which is why I flung this bad boy into my basket in the 40% off Priceline rush. However, when I got home and opened it up, I was a little disheartened to see that the wax and powder are in fact much more of a warm toned brown. Still, I have not yet tried it on my brows and am excited mainly for the tinted wax! We shall see how it pans out!

This is a definite "YouTube Made Me Do It" moment! Ash from AshleighGreenStyle on YouTube recently hauled this primer and loved it and I simply knew that I had to get my hands on it! The Models Prefer Perfect Canvas Mattifying Face Primer promises good things to me and I look forward to seeing how it competes with my trusty Face Of Australia Face Base Primer.

I have heard absolutely wonderful things about the Essence Silky Touch Blush in 10 Adorable and I knew that at some point I had to pick up the beautiful light pink shade and add it to my collection. I remember walking past the Essence counter and it reminded me to stop by, as with 40% off, the prices of this beauty just kept going down! 

Another favourited product amongst Aussie beauty vloggers/bloggers is the Essence I <3 Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara! I have a very serious addiction to mascaras and am still on the hunt for the perfect combination of longevity, volumising, lengthening and anti-smudging. Maybe this will be the one...

I have heard great things about this product also, the L'oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer which without this 40% off, I would never have been able to justify purchasing it! It's quite a small, compact little number and the primer itself is a light pink, mousse-y type texture. 

These Australis Velourlips Matte Lip Cream's have hit BIG time in the beauty community and I finally decided that it was time to get on the bandwagon! I picked up the red one called Ny-cee and apparently it is a dupe for the Lime Crime Velvetine Liquid Lipstick in Red Velvet however I cannot confirm this. It is quite a drying formulation and can start to flake away unattractively after a while, but I'm willing to give this baby another shot! 

This Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 330 Sloane's Plum is absolutely gorgeous! I have never before tried lipsticks from this range and I can honestly say that I regret that so much! The formula is so smooth and moisturising (as the name suggests) and they apply like a dream! The colour, a rich burgundy plum is to die for and is looking to be a very convincing contender as my fav A/W lippy!

The Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in 001 Transparent is a holy grail item for me and after I recently hit pan on my existing one, I knew that I had to purchase a back up! Finely milled, translucent and keeps my makeup staying all day. It's a true winner. 

Another gorgeous A/W themed lippy that I purchased was the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 663 Va Va Violet! It is this gorgeous, very dark purple colour that I am so keen to rock ASAP! I love the uber chic and luxurious packaging of the Revlon lipsticks and their formulation is spot on!

I am currently jumping up and down in my seat with excitement that I own now two Indeed Laboratories products! I have heard incredible things and so when Priceline had 30% off selected products, I knew that I had to take advantage of it and purchase the Indeed Laboratories Eysilix Instant Eye Rescue! I am currently searching and trialling out different eye creams/serums and I have my fingers crossed that this will make a difference to my dark under eye circles and bags! 

Another product that was on special for 30% off at Priceline in this months catalogue was the Indeed Laboratories Hydraluron Moisture Booster and it's safe to say that I am just as excited to have this in my procession. I know so many people that have raved about this product and the differences they not only see but also feel in their skin when they use this. I have very high hopes!

The Toni & Guy Creative Extreme Hold Hairspray was also significantly marked down in price, from AU$15.99 to AU$5.00 and I thought what better opportunity than that to try out a new product! I quite enjoy Toni & Guy products, owning the Toni & Guy Casual Texturising Sea Salt Spray, Toni & Guy Creative Texturising Glue and the Toni & Guy Casual Sculpting Powder. It will be interesting to see how this holds up (aye aye! I'm full of puns today!) 

And finally, the last product that I purchased was the Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray. I loved my recently finished Tresemme Thermal Styling Heat Spray so when I saw this on the shelves for ½ price, I couldn't resist! I can't wait to see how this goes in comparison.

Phewwwww! That was a long one! If you are still here and reading away, be sure to comment down below telling me what you bought in the Priceline 40% sale! I would love to hear!

Lots of love and keep smiling,

Elle xo

Monthly Favourites | February '14

Hello my lovelies!

Make sure you SUBSCRIBE and click HERE to find out what my favourite beauty, fashion and lifestyle things were for February!


LUSH /// Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser
A new staple to my morning skincare routine! It is unlike anything I have ever used before in terms of how you apply it to the face, but nonetheless I absolutely love using this cleanser when I wake up in the morning. It is so refreshing and calming to the skin!


MAC /// Pro Longwear Concealer in NW15
Another new product to fall in my hands in the month of February and it has quickly become a holy grail item in my make up routine. An amazing concealer that is hydrating under the eyes and gives incredible coverage on both blemishes and hiding those peaking dark circles!


MAYBELLINE /// Fit Me Pressed Powder in 115 Ivory
I've been loving this powder on days where I have been wearing only a BB cream or merely concealer to provide me with a little extra coverage all over. It is the lightest pressed powder that I have ever come across and it's perfect for my pale skin!


CHI CHI /// Blush (from Glamorous Make Up Collection Set)
A gorgeous every day shade that is such a natural pink colour with a slight shimmer that leaves my cheeks flushes and glowy all in one! Multi-purpose products are always a winner in my books!


MAYBELLINE /// Mega Plush Mascara in Black
This is a great mascara that leaves lashes fluttery and natural looking, perfect for going back to uni where I still want a little bit of definition but nothing too overwhelming, spidery or clumpy.


REVLON /// Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey
I am a lover of these lip stains and I find that Honey is a perfect, 'my lips but better' shade. It lasts and wears really well on the lips, leaving a slight minty feeling. I love that it's retractable and has sturdy packaging.


KIKKI-K /// Mint 2014 Diary 
I fell in love with this planner the day it came out on the kikki-k website and knew that I had to have my hot little hands on it ready for university this year. It feels lovely in the hands, has a handy elastic bit to keep the diary from opening and the space for each day to write things in is wonderful!


LORDE /// Pure Heroine Album
I have to be honest, I didn't actually warm to miss Lorde when she hit big time with her single 'Royals' but with an open mind one day, I downloaded the album and since then, it has been on repeat! My favourite songs would have to be 'Glory And Gore' and 'Tennis Court'.


GLASSHOUSE /// Tahaa Vanilla Caramel Hand Creme
If you know me in person, then you will most probably know that along with coconut, vanilla and caramel are my favourites scents and flavours of things. My amazing best friend bought this beauty for me for Valentine's Day and I have been using it every day since then! Leaves my hands so soft and moisturised and of course, smelling divine!


SPORTSGIRL /// Black 'Texas Bucket Bag' 
This has been my go-to bag this month! This little gem somehow manages to fit the hole kitchen sink in there and is a great compact size for days when I'm not lugging around my big heavy bag for uni. I love the gold detailing and hardware and the iconic drawstring feature is great!



Hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Lots of love,
Elle xo

Hauling It | HUGE Melbourne Shopping Spree!

Hello my lovelies! 


Many apologies for this video being up a couple days late! A few technical difficulties behind the scenes and as much as I pushed for this to go up on my regular Saturday's, it just didn't happen.
But nonetheless, despite that, a blocked nose and an incredibly sore throat, I bring to you my Melbourne haul where I spent much too much money and went a little crazy. Whoops! When in Melbourne though, aye? ;)


I travelled there with my Mum for a few days while she was there for a work conference and had the absolute best time ever! I ate some absolutely incredible food, saw some amazing street art and visited some cute vintage-y shops, which is RIGHT up my alley-way! (haha see what I did there)


Make sure you watch the video HERE to see what I bought, like if you enjoyed and hit the SUBSCRIBE button if you want to see more of me in the future!


Thank you so much! Keep smiling, 
Elle xo

What's In My Travel Make Up Bag?

Hello my lovelies! 


Today is all about the products that I like to take in my make up bag when travelling! I like to keep things to a minimum but adding a few things to spice up my looks and give myself a little variety when I'm out and about! 

These are the things I took on my recent Melbourne trip, where I also did a LOT of damage to my wallet and bank account, so be sure to check out my haul on my YouTube channel too!


Be sure to SUBSCRIBE and watch the video HERE! Hope you enjoy and give it a thumbs up if you did!


Much love and wishes,
Elle xo

Tutorial | Purple Smokey Eye | Valentines Day Look

Hello my lovelies!

Hope you are all well and planning your outfits for Valentine's Day next week! Love is in the air, I can just feel it! If you need a little inspiration for make up for the big, special day then look no further, Elle is here to save the day!

I have a new video today, a purple smokey eye that is just perfect for Valentine's Day whether you are going on a lovely date with a special someone or spending it with your gal pals!

Make sure you click HERE to watch my video on my YouTube channel, onceuponabeautytime and hit the LIKE and SUBSCRIBE button if you aren't already!


Lots of love and hugs,
Elle xo

The Simplest of Moments | A 365 Day Challenge for 2014!

Hello my lovelies,

As a mini project for myself this year, I set to complete the 365 Day Challenge whereby I must take a photo every day of 2014, capturing each moment as it comes.


The main reason why I wanted to do this was actually due to one of my New Years Resolutions:

• Enjoy life and be in the moment

I feel that 2013 was completely wasted and I have no real recollection of some of the wonderful things that I may have done due to the overwhelming nature of the HSC. All that comes to mind when someone mentions last year is eat, study, revise, sleep. And repeat.

I find it sad almost... that I didn't spend the year how I truly wanted and got caught up in an unhealthy mindset in order for me to succeed and complete my studies.

However this year, it's going to be different! And as cliche as that may sound, I want it to be the truth and I'm going to try everything to make sure it's the best year yet! I have a whole bunch of new experiences ahead of me and I want to capture every step of the way! 

Here is a little insight into a week that was:

13: billy blue interview  |  14: yummy clean breakfast  |  15: sunshine nails for a sun shining day
16: fruit salads on 37oC days  |  17: finally own benefit they're real!  |  18: baked a pineapple & coconut cake
19: created my youtube channel  |  20: discovered the most amazing juice  |  21: lunch date with the bestie

Be sure you check out my tumblr: thesimplestofmoments.tumblr.com if you want to follow along with me and share in with my year for 2014!



Much love and smiles,
Elle xo

Rave Review | Chi Chi Glamorous Rich Gems Collection Set

Hello my lovelies!

Last week before work, I went into Target and found amongst the sale bins this gem (excuse the pun).

The Chi Chi Glamorous Rich Gems Make Up Collection is a gift set that was introduced during the Christmas period that contains 4 mini sized lip glosses, a blush and the Chi Chi Rich Gems Eyeshadow Palette.

This set is absolutely amazing value for money, retailing from $24.95 down to $12.00 with over $50 worth of products inside! The Chi Chi Rich Gems Eyeshadow Palette alone costs $22.95 in Target/Myer stores, so an absolute beauty bargain!

The four mini Chi Chi Viva La Diva Lip Glosses that come in the collection all have shimmery particles in them, making them a perfect gloss to throw in the handbag and swipe over the lips! They apply easily with a doe-foot applicator and are very travel friendly.


The four shades include a light baby pink, a warmer toned peach, a bright papaya-like pink and finally, a brown toned nude. They are very glossy and although slightly sticky, nothing that is uncomfortable or off putting. Not to mention, they all smell absolutely incredible! Like vanilla cake batter that every time applied on the lips, will make you want to lick it all off! Love these!

The Chi Chi Mosaic Blush is an absolutely gorgeous shade with a mix of shimmery bronzes and pinks to create a lovely highlighting peachy toned blush that is rather reminiscent of Nars Orgasm Blush. I would even go as far to say that this Chi Chi Mosaic Blush is a dupe for the infamous Nars Orgasm!

As you can see swatched on the arm here, the Chi Chi Mosaic Blush has a wonderful glow and shimmer through it that is smooth and not at all chalky. I can say with confidence that this is my new favourite and go-to blush of the moment!


Now onto my favourite part of the Chi Chi Glamorous Rich Gems Make Up Collection...

... the Chi Chi Rich Gems Eyeshadow Palette!

This is an incredible eyeshadow palette that comes with 12 brilliantly vibrant and pigmented shadows that are perfect for a variety of bright eye looks! Never having tried any Chi Chi Eyeshadow Palettes before, I was a little sceptical and intrigued to see what the colour pay off would be like.

 

I was beyond pleasantly surprised when I swatched each of the shadows, and am beyond excited to experiment and create interesting and bold eyeshadow looks on my YouTube channel onceuponabeautytime! So be sure to SUBSCRIBE and keep your eyes peepered for Tutorials and Get Ready With Me's coming up that feature the Chi Chi Rich Gems Eyeshadow Palette!



There are 12 lovely shadow colours in 3 sort of colour "groups". From left to right, we have cool toned blues and greens, then warmer oranges and rusts, and then finally some purple-y shades.

I found these shadows to be very long lasting and their pigmentation was very true to colour to what it was shown in the pan. Although the packaging can be seen as somewhat flimsy due to it's plastic-y build, I think that it would hold up just fine during travel. I also love that the lid is clear, so that way I can see the colours when the Chi Chi Rich Gems Eyeshadow Palette is in my make up collection drawers clearly and precisely.


Overall, I really love the Chi Chi Glamorous Rich Gems Collection Set and would highly recommend that you pick it up while you can in this fantastic set for only $12.00 at Target! Having never tried anything from Chi Chi before, I was very pleased and happy for this first experience.



Thank you for reading and be sure to leave a comment telling me what YOUR favourite Chi Chi products are!

Keep smiling,
Elle xo

New Video | Back To School | Essentials for 2014!

Hello my lovelies!

As a part of my mini "Back To School" series, I made a "Back To School - Essentials" video showcasing what I feel are essential items to help you get through the school year for 2014!

Be sure to click HERE to watch the video, LIKE and SUBSCRIBE if you want to see more videos from me in the future!


Keep smiling,
Elle xo

Back To School Mini Series | 'No Makeup' Makeup Look

Hello my lovelies!


Today's video is a 'No Makeup' Makeup tutorial that is perfect if you are going back to school this year or just want a look that is fresh, youthful and beautiful!

Be sure to watch my video here, give it a superdooper double thumbs up and hit the SUBSCRIBE button if you are feeling extra fancy!

PRODUCTS USED:
- FOA Face Base Primer
- Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Concealer in Ivory
- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Brightening
- Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair (15)
- Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent (001)
- Rimmel Match Perfection Blush in Medium (003)
- NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe
- Essence Clear Lash & Brow Gel
- Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara
- Australis Makeup Finishing Spritz


Thank you so much for watching and may 2014 be filled with happiness and success for you all!



Much love,
Elle xo

Hauling It | Sportsgirl Fashion Haul | January '14

Hello my lovelies!!



I very excitingly just posted my first video on my new YouTube channel, onceuponabeautytime!

It's a Sportsgirl Haul and I would love for you all to go and check it out and feel oh so fashionable!



Some of these items I know are still available in stores and here are the links for the ones that are still available online (free postage when you spend $50 or more if you live in Australia)!

www.sportsgirl.com

Hope you are having a wonderful day,
Elle xo