Top 5 Beauty Bloggers

I figured it has been a while since I've shared some of my most read blogs, so it is time to spread some love! I obviously read far more than five blogs regularly but I've narrowed it down to my top five of the moment. Though I haven't included my close blogging friends (such as the gorgeous Chloe) or the superstars (like Lily, Anna, Amelia and Esteé) so that I can give some attention to my other favourites. It's only a top five after all. 

1. Like Neon Love
Tenneil is an Aussie blogger who just rocks in every way shape and form. Her blog is so professional from the pictures to the content to the writing, it's serious #bloggoals. Her posts continue to be really well thought out and you can tell that she puts to much effort into each and every one. Tenneil has a personal preference towards higher end products and that is something I love because it just adds to the already luxurious feel of her blog. I've loved hearing about her big move from Perth to Melbourne (Melbourne girls all the way!) and I'm looking forward to continue following her on her life journey. 

2. Anna Blush
This blog also belongs to an Aussie beauty who hails from Perth, I swear I'm not being bias towards the Australians it just happens to be this way on my bloglovin' timeline at the moment. Anna is someone I've been lucky enough to interview in my Beauty Interview series (check it out HERE) so I have interacted with her and I can vouch that she is absolutely lovely. There is something about her posts that draw me in every time, I'm sure its just that we're on the same wavelength and everything she writes about I am interested in. Her photography and writing skills are off the hook, I'm jealous. Also, Anna's recent Bronzers for Pale Girls post is a godsend for us ghostly ladies. 

3. The Chloe Look
It's starting to become a pattern that I enjoy blogs with good writing and photos, shocking I know, and Chloe's blog is no exception. She is an English beauty blogger who seems to be getting more and more readers by the minute. Her Valentines Day Gift Guide post is really helpful because it includes gifts for both girls and guys, these are the kinds of things that Chloe thinks to include because she is so thoughtful about each of her posts. I have also been lucky enough to interview Chloe HERE if you would like to take a look at that. 

4. Fashion Fixes Hearts 
The newest addition to my most read list, Charlotte is a french blogger (her posts are written in English though) who is fairly new to the game. I'm starting to run out of things to say because I like pretty much the same things about all of these blogs. As per usual, her writing, pictures and content is great and it keeps me coming back time after time. The fact that I have said basically the same things about everyone should not be seen as a negative towards Charlotte or anyone because these are my absolute favourites. There have been plenty of blogs that I don't enjoy as much and therefore don't read often or at all anymore. On top of all the content love, I'm also a big fan of the name of this blog. Fashion Fixes Hearts, awesome. 

5. Ghostparties
This one is the most popular of the bunch but I still needed to include it because Kate is one of the, if not THE, best blogger I have ever encountered. Everything about her and her brand is just on point. From her light and airy pictures that give me hope that I can still have really nice pictures if they all have a similar background, to her amazing interior decoration taste, it's all perfect. The style and layout of her blog is really nice and easy to navigate, you can tell that it is very professional. To top it all off, Kate is just a gorgeous human. She's just got it all going on. 

I've linked all of these lovely ladies blogs and twitters within their blocks of writing so make sure you go check them all out. Give them some love and tell them I sent you! Please give me some recommendations for blogs to read in the comments below, I'm always looking for the new best thing. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Top 5 MAC Lipsticks

From left to right: Plumful, Pink Perl Pop, Creme Cup, Patisserie, Diva. 

Not gonna lie, I'm cheating slightly because I only own five MAC lipsticks. In THIS post last week I spoke about how I made a sneaky little international makeup order and some of these lipsticks were a part of that. All of these lipsticks are really amazing and I think I'm good with just these five for now because they cover all of the bases. 

Patisserie - Lustre 
A holy grail nude for the likes of Lilly Pebbles and Vivianna Does Makeup, it was only a matter of time until I picked it up for myself. I have learnt very quickly that if something is heavily endorsed by both Anna and Lily, I'm likely to love it. It is very much a 'your lips but better' shade, to the point where I had it on and my Mum couldn't even tell. This may seem like a downside but when you actually apply it to your lips you can see that it does in fact make a difference. It is a good combination of peach and brown so that it lifts the complexion while staying very neutral in colour. The lustre finish means that it is creamy and comfortable on the lips with the slightest hint of indistinguishable glitter. 

Creme Cup - Cremesheen 
This was my very first MAC lipstick and for that it holds a very special place in my heart. It is very similar to Patisserie in that it is highly recommended by the beauty community and it is a nude shade. Different to patisserie, it is more pink in tone. It is something I would wear on a natural makeup day just to give my lips a subtle tinge of pink. It is a cremesheen formula so it is really creamy with a slight sheen but without the glitter that a lustre has. 

Pink Pearl Pop - Cremesheen
It is another cremesheen, meaning that it is very comfortable to wear. This is more of a barbie pink that is perfect to wear during spring because it is vibrant without being too bright or in your face. You can apply it full on for more of a pop or you can just pat it in for a bitten look. I consider this colour somewhere in between a real bright and a nude, it is the colour you imagine lipstick to be when you're a kid (either this or red). I don't wear this too often because I have to be in the right mood but when I do I love it. 

Plumful - Lustre 
Another recommendation from the British beauty blogging duo of Lily and Anna (and Amelia actually), this is a really unique colour compared to all of the others I have mentioned. The others are all nice but I've seen things like them before, Plumful is a totally new experience for the eyes. It is a mauve-y purple that comes off as rather sheer when applied. It can be built up for a more intense colour or patted in for a more subtle look. This is going to be a perfect colour to wear during the Autumn and Winter months because it is a bit deeper than a nude but it is still wearable for day to day. 

Diva - Matte 
I went a bit crazy on this last one. I've always eyed off Diva when other people talk about it because it is just such a gorgeous colour. I never justified buying it because it was so expensive and spending that money on a colour I wont wear terribly often doesn't seem like the smartest of ideas. When I had the opportunity to get it from America, I jumped on the chance to add Diva to the cart. It is a deep red with burgundy and purple undertones. It is very vampy so you need to be feeling pretty bold when you wear it but at least it does a pretty good job at making your teeth look nice and white. The matte formula is actually quite comfortable and it doesn't drag on the lips, which is something I had previously heard MAC mattes do. 

I'm really happy with my little MAC lipstick collection but I would love to hear what your favourite MAC lipstick is. There's always room on my wish list. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Top 5 Rimmel Products

Rimmel has to be one of my favourite drug store brands, if not my favourite over all. I love quite a few of their products so it was hard to narrow it down to just five but I think I did a really good job. I am very confident in these five products because they are my most used and most loved. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Bronze
I love a good brown eyeliner and this is a great one. It is pretty long wearing and very creamy. This means that it is super easy to apply and blend out for a softer look. Once it dries down (after mere seconds) it sticks around for a long time. These liners are good in all sorts of colours but the bronze is my favourite because it metallic and it adds a little something to a look. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Nude Foundation
This foundation is becoming one of those products that I just go on and on about. I will be short and sweet. It is a stain to matte finish, light coverage and medium wear. All in all, love. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick in Bulletproof Beige 
A super creamy eye shadow stick? Sign me up. I love a good champaign shade all over the lid and this does the job every time. It is a good size so that it covers the lid super quickly but you are still able to have some precision if need be. It makes a good base to stick other shadows on top or it is also great at going all over the lid with a little blending at the edges and calling it a day. 

Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish in Punk Rock
This is a really nice formula of nail polish in general. It stays chip free for a good few days to a week, depending on how strenuous you are on your nails. The brush is also perfectly wide so that smaller nails can be covered in one swipe. The real outstanding thing about this nail polish is the colour. It is a dark blue/grey that looks black from a distance. It is a very Kate Moss shade, which is very fitting since her name is on the bottle and it makes me feel all grunge. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 103
I don't know if I've ever spoken about this lipstick on the blog before but it is one that I love to wear during the cooler months. It is a dark nude shade that leans to the side of mauve when compared to other nudes. It is matte but still comfortable on the lips, though you do want to make sure there's no loose bits of skin flapping around because that's an unattractive look under this lipstick (trust me, I've done it). 

Wow Rimmel is a good brand! I honestly don't know what I would do without all these products. What is your favourite? Please tell me some new things to check out. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Top 5 Most Memorable Grammys Looks of 2015

The Grammys were today and overall I found them entertaining though mildly boring. Personally, I found three main issues with the show. First that a large percentage of the performances were of slow songs and though that shows off the artists voices, it makes for an uninteresting television experience. Second that Ed Sheeran didn't win anything. While I'm firmly on the Sam Smith train, I think one piece of the love could have been shared with good ol' Ed. I am a bit bias as Ed is one of my favourites but there is something to be said for the fact that his album is still number 1 and it came out in June. Finally there is the most relevant point, the fashion was a bit yawn worthy. As usual there was some real stinkers but there wasn't much that wowed me. Hence I was able to narrow it down to five looks, three good and two bad. 

Taylor Swift 
I think Taylor was by far the best dressed of the evening. The cut of this dress is not something I would think I would enjoy but somehow it works. The high-low hemline shows off her gorgeous legs and those beautiful shoes that are a pop of colour to offset the teal. Speaking of the teal, lets mention how gorgeous of a colour this is. It goes really well with Taylor's skin and hair, making her look glowing and radiant. Really, T Swizzle can do no wrong. 

Joy Villa 
I'm not really sure who this woman is but she looks as though she forgot to get a dress and stopped at a road works site on the way. It is literally netting they use to block off work sites, that is not fashion in any way. It is way too revealing, to the point of being all out see through. You can see the little skin coloured underwear she is wearing and that is not a good look. The fascinator on her head is just the cherry on top of the non-edible cake. 

Beyoncé 
As I said, the fashion choices were slim pickings this year. Though I really like this dress, I don't know if it would make my best dressed in any other circumstances. This is the classy way to do see through. You can see a little bit of the leg through the netting but it is in no way trashy or too revealing. The real skin was kept for the big v neck and I think it worked perfectly, two centimetres wider or longer and it would have been too much but it is just the right size. Her hair is slightly too much, I think she got a bit heavy handed on the extensions but other than that she looks gorgeous. 

Antonique Smith
Another woman who I'm sad to say I've never heard of. This time I actually like her outfit so I would be interested in seeing what she is about. I love the colour and the pattern could be overwhelming but I think it was spaced out enough that it works. The split between the skirt and the crop top is a welcomed break from the pattern and the dress would not be nearly as impactful without it. It is also a perfectly sized gap, showing a bit of her toned stomach but not too much. This is a dress I would really love to wear if I had the chance. 

Madonna 
Oh my god, she is just too old. No one would look good in this matador meet stripper meet Italian widow look. She's already the queen of pop, I just don't see why she continues to look as though she tries so hard. If she came in a super classy ensemble, I think people would respect her even more and consider even more of a legend. The way she continues to try and look young and relevant actually is counteracting that. Come on Madonna, you can do better. 

Now there's only the Oscars to go! This awards season fashion series is almost drawing to a close. Before we let it go, I would love to hear who you thought wore the most memorable outfit of the 2015 Grammys? 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Top 5 Travel Destinations

It's the second week of February so that means it's time for my themed week of the month! How very exciting. This month we're going really broad and doing Top 5 Week, which I think will be super fun. To start things off I'm going to share the places that have my wanderlust radar going off the hook. The places that give me massive *heart eyes emoji* every time I see a picturesque image of their beautiful lands. The places that... well you get the drift. 

1. Bora Bora
I fell in love with this place when the Kardashians went there, don't judge me. It just looked so beautiful that is doesn't even seem real, much like the Kardashians really, it was very fitting. Ever since then I have seen a lot of pictures and heard a lot about Bora Bora and my need to go there just keeps growing. Living on those huts over the water would be a great holiday to take for a week or two and just relax. I don't think there's actually a lot to do in terms of activities but I would be fine to just sit and look at everything for a good few days. The only downside is that I've heard it is a very expensive place to go to, so I may have to save up for a couple of decades. 

2. Greek Islands
Another place that I want to go and just look at everything because it's so pretty (also, ironically, another place the Kardashians have been). I've wanted to go to the Greek Islands since I was a little kid and our friends went there. I'm also a BIG fan of Greek food so that would totally be a bonus on an already awesome picturesque holiday. I don't really know much about the Greek Islands and you'll see throughout this list that I haven't extensively researched any of these places so I don't have anything specific I want to do but it's just more of an area I would like to experience. 

3. Canada 
I feel as though Australia and Canada are kind of similar but very different at the same time. I would probably swing by Alaska as a part of this trip too and just spend some time chilling out in some log cabin somewhere. I would also quite enjoy seeing a real life moose (would a real life moose kill me? Do moose do that?) and a glacier, two quite different things but beautiful parts of nature nevertheless. After spending some time exploring the cute towns my Grandparents told me about when they visited a couple of years back, I will venture into the big city and see what's happening in the metropolitan parts of Canada. Basically I want to go to Tim Hortons. I would also like to go to the French part of Canada because I feel as though that would give me a well rounded experience of the country. 

4. France
Speaking of France - I know, Queen of the subtle transition - that is another place I would love to visit someday. This one is probably a bit cliché but everyone wants to go there for a reason. Personally I think the only way to do France would be an eating tour, macaroons all day everyday. Paris would need to be thoroughly checked out, with all of the classic tourist spots covered, then a trip to the French countryside would totally be on the cards. I would also be doing a lot of shopping, it's a given. 

5. Peru
This is probably the least likely of these trips to ever happen because I'm a bit of a chicken and treks don't usually appeal to me. That being said, I would really love to see Machu Picchu one day. It is such an amazing historical relic and it has such a deep history that it really fascinates me. More so than the pyramids or any other historical landmarks. I don't know how I'd go on this trip but the idea of it really appeals to me. 

These are just the top five places I want to visit, there's heaps more things I want to see in my life. I would love to hear where you want to visit so please tell me in the comments below. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Beauty Interview with Daisy Daisy xxo

I am so happy that my Beauty Interviews are finally making a comeback as it is one of my favourite things to do, it involves some interaction with new people which is not something I often do. This month I'm featuring the beautiful Daisy from the blog Daisy Daisy xxo. I've been reading her blog for a while now and I really love it so I'm super happy to have her answering my questions! 

What is the first piece of makeup you remember owning?

I think everyone would probably say 'blue eyeshadow' as everyone seems to of had a blue eyeshadow phase, but the first product I genuinely remember owning was 'Soap & Glory - Sexy Mother Pucker', the lip tingling lipgloss. I think my mum got it in a Soap & Glory set for Christmas and I stole it from her. I hate the stuff these days!

What is the number one beauty product on your wishlist at the moment? 

I'm desperate to try the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade. I'm a huge brows girl and I love brow products, I will get my hands on it soon!!

How many different foundations do you own and which is your favourite? 

I don't actually use foundation, I use BB cream. I've never (thankfully!) suffered from bad skin so I can still get away with using a light coverage. I have tried the Nars Sheer Glow and I must admit, I wasn't a huge fan! Although that could just be because I don't use a heavy coverage.

What is the type of beauty product you hoard the most? 

Eyeshadow palettes! I'm not sure why, I just love them! I have every colour ever imaginable but I will continue to buy palettes. There is just something about them, they are so pretty! 

How many steps do you have in your morning skincare routine? How about your evening skincare routine? 

I don't have any kind of skincare routine, I know, I'm terrible. In the morning I get up, get dressed and go to work. I don't even wear makeup to work because I'm too lazy. In the evenings I've started to get better using a cleanser and moisturiser too. Even if I apply a bit of moisturiser its better than nothing at all! 

Now onto a few quick fire questions! 

MAC or Nars? MAC!

Rimmel or Revlon? Rimmel

Mascara or Concealer? MASCARA!! I'm a huge mascara girl.

Skincare or Haircare? Neither?? Skincare.

Purifying Mask or Hydrating Mask? Hydrating

High End or Drugstore? Drugstore all the way!! I never buy high end.

Blog or Vlog? Blog although I love vlogging!

Hair up or hair down? Hair up! I never wear my hair down.

Red or Pink Lipstick? Red. I hate pinks on me!

Highlight or Contour? Highlight.. I can't master contouring! 

Big thanks to Daisy for answering my little survey (and so quickly too! This lady is a email ninja, never have I had such quick replies). She shared her time, thoughts and opinions with us so I think the least you can do is go over and check out her BLOG, then give her a follow on TWITTER. Thanks again to Daisy and I can't wait to do another beauty interview next month. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Starting A MAC Palette

I've taken the plunge and invested in a MAC Eyeshadow Palette. This is a big step for me. I have been eyeing up the MAC palettes for ages but I could never justify the $45 it would cost for just the case so I never bothered. As much as I love eyeshadow, I would never pay that much for eyeshadow packaging and then even more on top for each shadow. Thats when I had the idea to try shopping on the US site and getting it forwarded to me through a company. I had a little look and found that the case and insert pan came to US$10 ($13AUD) which is insanely cheap in comparison. 

I went on and made a rather large purchase as a birthday gift to myself. Part of this purchase was the palette, 15 pan insert and four eyeshadows. I decided to start with four shadows because I figured that it was a large enough number to cause me to reach for the palette (single eyeshadows are often left unused in my collection) but it wasn't so much that it would send me broke. The other benefit of building up the palette slowly is that I can really think through my colour purchases and only buy colours I will really use. Each of the shadow pans cost US$10, compared to the $26 I would have paid if I had have bought them on counter here in Aus. 

To start myself off I bought three colours I have heard lots about from the beauty community. I have All That Glitters, a beautiful shimmery light pink. Then I have Woodwinked which is a shimmery bronze colour. After that is Brown Script which is a matte orange toned brown. Finally there is Sketch which is a very dark purple with a slight shimmer. I won't go into reviewing these shadows here because I want to dedicate the post to the act of buying the palette but I'm loving them.

Using a shipping forwarding company was surprisingly easy and is definitely something I will be trying again. I used Shipito because I saw that Shaaanxo uses it and I figured that made it slightly more trustworthy. The whole process was really easy, I just signed up and gave them a $5 deposit that just sat in my account until the order arrived at the warehouse. They gave me an address to mail to and I used that when making my order. It actually took MAC longer to send the package to the warehouse than it did for me to get the package in Australia. I filled in that they should be expecting a package and also filled out a customs form with all of the products in the package. Then once it arrived in the warehouse Shipito took pictures of it and I approved that it could be sent to me, while also choosing my choice of shipping companies. I chose the DHL 2 - 4 day postage and it cost me $33 which I thought to be very reasonable because previous companies quoted me up to $60. The package arrived to me on the 4th day totally unharmed and packaged really well. 

All up, with shipping and everything, this order ended up costing me $100 less than it would have if I had have gone to a shop and bought it here. If that's not worth it I don't know what is. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon