Top 5: Beach Essentials

It's Summer time here in little old New Zealand, and chances are you've got yourself sorted with all your beach must-haves... or have you? I'm here to share my Top 5 Beach Essentials that you may not have even thought of yet!

Lifeproof Case for iPhone

Sand gets everywhere. It's just bound to happen, and I've accepted that and moved on. But I literally can't afford to get my iPhone wrecked by sand, so I invested in a Lifeproof case. It was around $80 NZD but I've seriously got my money's worth out of it. Not only does it stop sand from getting in, but it's also drop-proof and waterproof - perfect for the beach!

Large Beach Towel

Ok, so a towel is a bit of a no-brainer. But what I'm talking about here is a towel so big that it can double as a blanket! These are actually not as easy to find as I thought they would be, but I tracked down this one at Cotton On. I got it for $25 with any purchase, but they retail for $39.99 on their own. Love it.

BB Cream

BB Creams can be pretty hit or miss, so doing your research can definitely help narrow down one that's suitable for you. My favourite at the moment is the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream for Oily/Combination skin. It provides great coverage, lasts all day and most importantly for this time of year - it has an SPF!

Deodorant

Whether it be a spray or roll on, deodorant at the beach is a must. After swimming and laying in the sun all day, you can be pretty sure that the deodorant you freshly applied in the morning has long since worn off. It's always a good idea to keep some in your beach bag, just so you can enjoy the rest of your day while smelling good.

Poncho Cover-up

I love this Seafolly one from North Beach, I actually have one like this in a mint colour

When you've had a bit too much sun, the best thing you can do is cover up, and something Camille and I swear by are these "poncho-ish" ones. They're loose, comfy and best of all they can protect you from those harsh UV rays. They are perfect for throwing on after you go for a swim, and are so nice and cool that you can pretty much live in them.

So those are my beach essentials. Wishing everyone a safe summer, remember to Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap!

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!! I hope you all have a fabulous day and get to spend it with all the people you love. 

Also wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all my readers, it still amazes me that people actually read all my blog posts - I seriously can't thank you enough. 

And to all the people I have collaborated with this past year, your ongoing support and encouragement just blows me away. Looking forward to working with you all again in 2014!

Have a very safe and Happy Christmas,
Christel oxo

Review: Maybelline New York Fit Me Foundation Stick

Stick it to the shine and enhance your sun-kissed skin this summer with Maybelline New York's Fit Me Foundation Stick.

This lightweight gel foundation stick uses a powder core to instantly dissolve excess oil, blending with your skintone for a natural, matte finish. Easy to apply and great on the go, it is one-step perfection for flawless, shine-free skin.

I am a huge fan of natural looking foundations. To me the perfect foundation is one that looks like your own skin, but better.
Having oily skin can make it a bit difficult to find one though, as a lot of sheer/medium coverage foundations have a dewy finish which can tend to slide off my face if I don't set them with a lot of powder. 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick is great, because it actually has a matte finish - I don't even need to set it for it to last all day. The coverage is also pretty good, more on the medium side - and best of all, it is so fast and easy to apply!

It literally only takes a few swipes of the product, and then I blend it out with a Real Techniques buffing brush and it's done! How simple is that?

Here's a couple photos of me wearing it, you may recognise them from Instagram:

Overall, I am very impressed with this foundation and have been using it everyday. My only complaint is that I find stick foundations tend to run out faster than liquid ones  - but with a RRP of $22.99 NZD, I still think it's pretty good value for money.

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Review: Benefit Groovy kind-a love!

Join the beauty love-in! There’s more to adore in our complete kit for eyes, lips, cheeks & face. Follow the easy tips & tricks to bring out the flower child in you. It’s one groovy box of beauty!

If you read my Benefit Blogger Event post from the past couple of weeks, then you will know that all of us beauty bloggers were lucky enough to get this little gem in our goodie bags! So, so spoilt.

Inside you get Porefessional - a pore minimising primer, Benetint - a cheek and lip stain, four eyeshadows - one matte and three shimmer, They're Real! Mascara and a Blush duo in Dandelion & Gimme Fever. Wow. Could it get any better?

I don't know about you guys, but I am starting to get really obsessed with Benefit. Not only do they have some of the best packaging around - but so far everything I've tried from them, I have fallen in love with!

Porefessional is pretty much the only primer I use. It's really fantastic at creating a smooth canvas for your foundation, and so far nothing I've tried has even compared to it.

Swatches on the right: Unblended, blended

Benetint. Did you know that this was created for use on nipples?! Yup. Exotic dancers needed something to perk them up, and Benetint did the job perfectly. Or so I've heard, I haven't tried it in that area myself (haha), but it's GREAT as a cheek and lip tint! It gives you such a natural flush, I just love it. I had actually been wanting it for ages, so I'm so happy that it's included in this kit!

From top to bottom: Tickle My Ivory, Gilt-y Pleasure, Shimmer Down and Kiss Me, I'm Tipsy

The eyeshadows come in four different colours: Tickle My Ivory (a matte creamy white), Gilt-y Pleasure (a shimmery muted gold), Shimmer Down (a shimmery browny taupe) and Kiss Me, I'm Tipsy (a shimmery dark chocolate brown).  Not gonna lie, I love the shade names! Hahaha
The eyeshadows themselves are really nice. The pigmentation is good and the colours are beautiful. Great for everyday use, and you could easily go from day to night with this. So impressed!

I have a review on They're Real! Mascara which you can find here. Been a fan of this for awhile now, so am very pleased to see they included a mini one in this set.

Left to right: Dandelion and Gimme Fever

The blush duo in Dandelion & Gimme Fever is quite possibly my favourite thing in this set. It's so pretty and gives the perfect amount of colour payoff, which means you don't spend ages trying to build up the colour and you don't go overboard either. Yay!

Overall, I am stoked that I received this set. It contains all the must have items that you need in your makeup collection, in one awesome little tin. If you are stuck on what to buy someone for Christmas, I highly suggest you head over to Smith & Caugheys and check out this and all the other sets Benefit have to offer. You will NOT be disappointed!

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Lush Christmas Blogger Event

Last Thursday, Camille and I were invited to attend the Lush Christmas Blogger Event at the beautiful Lush Queen Street store.

We are serious Lush addicts, so of course we jumped at the chance to go. And I have to say, it was a lot of fun! The Lush girls are always so friendly and best of all they actually know their products inside and out! I swear there is no question they can't answer!

Finding out what's inside our goodie bags!

You pretty much know it's gonna be a good night when you're handed a goodie bag and served a drink as soon as you step through the door. Soon after, they explained everything inside the goodie bags in detail - which made it quite exciting! Not gonna lie, resisting the urge to grab everything out and play with it, was pretty difficult. Hahaha

Lush ladies gloving up for the demo!

We were then split into two groups for the activities of the night! Our group first went over to the counter and watched a full demonstration of how Angels In Bare Skin cleanser is made. It was so cool! The Lush girls are so hilarious, they had us laughing pretty much the whole time. And ohmygoodness, it smelt divine! The coolest part is they actually made enough for us all to take some home - so awesome.

Mixing, rolling... and voila!

Next our group headed over to the other side of the room for a knot wrapping demonstration. Knot wraps are inspired by a traditional type of Japanese wrapping cloth called Furoshiki, where the wrapping of the gift becomes a part of the gift itself. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Learning how to knot wrap like a pro!

As I'm sure you are all aware, Lush are an ethical company that thrives on reducing landfill. So naturally, these knot wraps are completely reusable. They are all either Greenspun (made from recycled plastic bottles), made by the re-wrap co-operative in India or are upcycled vintage wraps! Love it! They come in a huge range of designs including some very beautiful festive prints that are great for Christmas.

After the demonstration, we all of course had to give it a go ourselves - and we got to choose one to take home! It was so much fun, and now I obviously want to collect them all!

Inbetween all the Lush madness, we mingled with all the other amazing bloggers. Was so lovely to catch up with everyone again - can't wait til the next time!

All in all, it was a fabulous night and I can't thank Barbara and all the amazing Lush girls enough for putting on such a great event. Next time you're on Queen St here in Auckland, make sure you pop in and have a look - you're bound to find the perfect Christmas present for someone special (and maybe two or three for yourself haha!)

And just because, here's a few more snaps from the night:

Bath Ballistics demonstration

Soaps <3

Look at how adorable the snowmen are!

Camille's attempt at a knot wrap

Please may I have them all?

Honestly, this sign cracked me up so much

A quick peek at what's inside my goodie bag!

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

NOTD: Snowflakes!

I love doing my nails. Especially around Christmas time when it's ok to do Christmasy designs! I'm gonna try and do a few different designs up until Christmas, but in the meantime...
This is what they look like today!

And here's what I used:

First I applied Milani One Coat Glitter in Gold Dlitz. I then started stamping using Konad white special polish and the snowflake designs on the bundle monster plates: BM14 and BM319. To finish it off I drew some little stars and dots with the dotting tool (Btw I used my OrlyWhite Out for that!)

To seal the design, I made sure to apply the Konad special Clear polish!

Hope you liked this quick look at my nails, be sure to check back soon for more nail art designs.
Thanks for viewing!
oxo

fLash Eyelash Serum

Hey there everyone!

I’m Camille, Christel's younger and awesome sister. After much nagging, I finally 

forced her into letting me write a post! (I love ya Sis <3)

Today I am writing a review on fLash Eyelash Serum. This is the first post of what will become a fortnightly series.

Ok, so I’ve been using this since November 24^th and the results so far are actually way better than I expected! My eyelashes have not only grown about 2mm, but they have gotten thicker! Unlike my beautiful sissy, I wasn’t born with lashes as long as the river Nile. I was born with very stubby lashes. So, as you could well imagine, receiving this product for my birthday was a very appreciated gift!

 Stubby eyelashes: Day 1

fLash recommends using the serum every night, applied to the top of the lash line, for 8-12 weeks.  Once your desired look is achieved, you then drop down to using it twice a week. Each bottle of fLash Eyelash Serum lasts for three months. Which is quite good for its price, considering it is around $69.99 NZD!

It’s bit of a bugger to apply. You have to apply from outer corner of the lash line to inner, which tickles like heck!

 Slightly less stubby eyelashes: Day 12 (Its hard taking photos of yourself at 6:30am!)

Now that I’m not only Christel’s photographer, but co-writer, you will be seeing more posts from me on here, as well as on my other blog Homesteadingnz.

I hope y'all enjoyed my first post for Makeupper. I'm very excited to be a bigger part of my awesome sisters blog!

Camille

xoxo

 

Win with Dizain Collective and Gypsied!

Be in to win summer's must have accessory - the Turband!

The Dizain Collective along with Shop Gypsied are giving you the chance to win a stylish Turband of your choice, all you need to do is head over to The Dizain Collective and fill in the entry form. Easy as!

Don't forget to "Like" them on Facebook as well, they're always posting new and exciting things and it's the best way to stay updated with what's new on the site!

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Review: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

From left to right: Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light.

A limited edition palette featuring three shades of Ambient Lighting Powder, the high-tech, soft-focus finishing powder that features state-of-the-art technology to recreate the most exquisitely flattering types of light. Palette includes one new limited edition shade, Incandescent Light, and two existing, Dim Light and Radiant Light. Includes a 5ml Veil Mineral Primer to create the perfect canvas for your look.

Every now and then a product comes on the market that is an absolute must have. The Ambient Lighting Palette is one of those things.

I first saw the Hourglass Ambient Light Powders on Youtube and fell in love. But I could never decide on what colour to buy, so when they released this palette, it was a no brainer. I had to have it!

The palette contains three beautiful shades, one that is limited edition and two permanent ones. The greatest thing about this palette is that it has multiple uses, which in my opinion makes it much more useful and far better value for money!

Dim light is a neutral peach beige powder than blurs imperfections and highlights a radiant complexion with the perfect balance of warm and cool tones.

This is the one I use all over my face in place of my usual setting powder to give an all over subtle glow. It's also great to use under the eyes to set concealer.

Incandescent light is the limited edition shade and is a pearlescent powder that highlights the cheekbones and brightens the complexion with a celestial glow.

This one I use as a straight out highlighter. It's great on the cheekbones and browbones, and even looks great in the inner corners of the eyes!

Radiant light is a sun-kissed golden beige that enhances the overall complexion with believable, subtle warmth, and also extends a summer glow.

I tend to use this one in place of my bronzer to warm up my complexion, it especially looks good when applied over top of blush. I probably wouldn't use this all over my face, just where the sun would naturally hit.

I managed to order mine off Sephora before it went out of stock, and used Youshop to get it to New Zealand. Doing it this way ended up saving me so much money, as it was a fraction of the cost that I would've paid for it here!

Honestly, this is amazing. If you can get your hands on it, then I urge you to buy it! You will not be disappointed.

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Review: Lush Christmas Goodies

Stuck on what to get your loved ones for Christmas? If like me, you have decided to leave Christmas shopping 'til the last minute (despite your good intentions!), then I hope this review on a few Lush Christmas goodies helps you out!

It seems like a lot of people don't have baths these days. Everyone just has shower cubicles (like me) so to me, receiving a really nice shower gel is fantastic! Christmas time brings out all sorts of limited edition products from Lush, and one of these is Ponche shower gel.

 

Spanish for punch, this shower gel is inspired by the Mexican fruit punch made from seasonal fruits such as plums, oranges, cinnamon and vanilla. All ingredients that can help warm and stimulate the senses. Wash your hair and body with this fruity, softening shower gel and lift your spirits and get into party mode - there's even a dash of tequila to give it a little kick and some festive cheer!

This is one of the best smelling shower gels I have ever used. It's not overpowering, or too sweet, which I really like. It foams up really nicely and leaves your skin feeling fresh and clean. I also think it's pretty cool how it contains a little bit of tequila - perfect addition for this time of year! Hahaha

If you're lucky enough to have a bath (my boyfriend does, and I use it whenever I can!), then it's important to know this: Lush takes the simple act of relaxing in a bath, to a whole other level.
Seriously. Have you checked out their bath products? Well, the Christmas range is even better.

The first one I tried was Bombardino, which is one of their Bath Ballistics.

Bombardino shares it's name with a drink enjoyed in the Italian Alps and smells of rich lemon cheesecake.We've added cocoa butter to soften the skin; whilst Sicilian lemon oil and Fair Trade vanilla absolute (the first Fair Trade absolute in the world!) give your bath a sweet and delicious fragrance.

This smells pretty good, and the lemon scent comes out even more once you add it to the bath. It also dissolves quite slowly - it took over 2 minutes, which I actually thought was pretty cool! It really does look awesome as it fizzes around and colours the water a bright yellow. This may be a little off-putting to some, but I found it to be pretty awesome. Also leaves your skin feeling beautifully soft and smooth when you hop out of the bath - yay!

Here's a quick clip of it in action:

The last thing I tried was the Magic Wand Bubble Bar.

Fairy princesses of all ages will love this great value re-usable bubble bar for up to ten bubble baths. Swish it around in the water for a skin softening, vanilla scented soak and a mound of candy bubbles. Then pop it on the side for use another time... just like magic!

This is definitely my favourite out of the bath products, it is so cool! I swished it around in the bath, and immediately you could start to see little bubbles forming. When I swirled my hand around after, it made more bubbles form. I wouldn't say it was really bubbly, but it was a nice amount considering I didn't use too much of it! I love how it's re-usable too, I feel like it makes it especially good value for money - not to mention it smells fantastic!

Here's a quick clip of it in action:

I hope this has given you a couple of Christmas gift ideas! Be sure to check out the whole Christmas range at your nearest Lush store, or check it out online. There is something for everyone!

Thanks for viewing!
oxo