Huge 500 Follower Giveaway!

I’m so excited to be writing this post I just can’t wipe the smile off my face! I have been writing on this little blog for a long time now, over a year and a half, and during that time I have started to grow a small but wonderful reader base. Recently (well, a good month ago by now) I reached 500 followers on Bloglovin’, a small number for some but an exciting milestone personally. To celebrate hitting this figure I decided to hold a giveaway so that I could give something back to one of you who is kind enough to read my posts. 

I sent out some feeler emails to companies not really expecting to hear anything back from any of them. I presumed that I would have to buy something with my own money and I was totally fine with that. To my surprise, many lovely companies emailed me back full of excitement to share their products with me. That is why this giveaway is as large as it is because without the generosity from these people I would have never been able to offer this much. 

I know what you’re thinking, ‘blah blah Shannon, tell me about the stuff’, so I shall. In this giveaway you can win: 

- Bondi Sands Self Tanning Lotion Dark (200ml)*

- Australis Velourlips in SHANG-HI and DOO-BAI

- Australis AC On Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit

- Kit Cosmetics Nail Polish in Heidi 

- Model Co. Lash + Line*

- 6 OPI Nail Laquers in the shades; OPI Ink, Chick Flick Cherry, Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, Care to - - Danse?, Alpine Snow and Not So Bora-Boring Pink*

- Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in East End Snob 

- Rimmel Wake Me Up Mascara*

- QV Face Kit containing; Moisturising Day Cream, Revitalising Eye Cream, Nurturing Night Cream and the Purifying Mask*

All of the products are unopened and unused, if you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask. The competition is open world wide and please follow the instructions of the Rafflecopter below to see the multiple ways that you can enter! 

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

*The items marked with a (*) were gifted to me for this giveaway from the company, any product that was not marked with the (*) was purchased with my own money. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Simple Snack Recipe

On a recent scout around the internet for healthy snack ideas, I stumbled across the post yummy, simple and healthy recipe ever. Yes, big claims I know, but I'm totally right. Energy balls are a big thing right now and these would fall in that category, though they are far more simple than some of the recipes I've seen out there. They're a nutrient rich small snack that tastes like chocolate and makes you feel good about eating a sweet treat. 

There's not even a real need to include a recipe but I'm going to do it anyway!

Ingredients
- 1 cup of Pitted Dates
- 1 cup of Cashew Nuts (can be substituted for almonds if that's what you're into)
- 2tbsp of Cacao Powder
- 2tbsp of Water
- Desiccated Coconut to Coat 

Method
1. Measure out all of your ingredients and throw them in a food processor. There is no need to chop the nuts or the dates. 

2. Blend it all up until it forms a chunky paste. 

3. Roll into teaspoon sized balls and then roll them in a bowl of desiccated coconut. 

That's all you have to do! These can easily be made in less than ten minutes and they last for over a week if you keep them in an air tight container. 

Please tell me in the comments below (or on twitter if that's more your thing) if you try out this recipe. I would love to hear what you think! 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

A Dip in the Pond's

A few weeks back I had the horrible realisation that I was running low on my Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil and made a mental note to pick up some more next time I was at the shops. You see, for those of you who do not keep up with my skincare regime (aka all of you), this is my all time favourite product for my face. It was during this limbo period that I stumbled across THIS post on Bubbasdoll that sang the praises of Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser. Because I was feeling particularly daring that day, I went out and bought a tub. 

The fact that it comes in a tub doesn't really enthuse me but I've become used to having to scoop the product out every time I use it. There is no other way this product could be packaged because the cream is a very thick consistency and it would not work as a pump pack or anything of the sort. For the $6 price tag, the way it is packaged is satisfying. It's a sturdy plastic with a secure lid and the size is very decent. 

Now we've covered all of the boring stuff, let's get on to the product itself shall we? This works very well to get rid of all my makeup. I simply take a small amount of the product and massage it all over my face, into my eyelashes and everything. Where my old cleansing oil used to remove all the makeup after just being splashed by water, the cold cream needs a little help in the form of a face washer (or muslin cloth) to remove the stubborn eye makeup. It will remove everything when you dry your face with a towel but the towel will end up with giant black/brown smudges all over it - trust me. 

My favourite thing about this product is how nice it makes my skin feel after I use it. Because it is such a thick consistency, it feels lovely and moisturising. When it is washed off it leaved a slight film on the face but it is nothing that doesn't disappear when towel dried and it is especially removed when I use a second cleaner afterwards. This is the makeup removing step in my skincare routine so I can't really tell whether it has any true skincare benefits because I use so many products afterwards. What I can tell you is that it didn't make my skin freak out, always a bonus, and it removes my makeup perfectly. For the crazy cheap price tag, I don't think you can go wrong! 

Have you ever tried anything from Ponds? Does this product sound good to you? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Makeup Collection: Blushes

It's that time again! This week we're tackling all things pink, peach and pretty in the blush section of my makeup collection.

Revlon Cream Blush in Charmed Enchantment
This is a good blush that I don't use very much. Having not had very much experience with cream blushers, I don't really have anything to compare it to. The only real reason that I don't use this blush often is that I'm lazy, cream blushers take a bit more work than just dusting a bit of powder over your cheeks. This blush is very easy to blend out and it gives a natural flush to the cheeks. It's also not too pigmented so it's hard to stuff up.

Milani Baked Powder Blush in Dolce Pink
When I want something with a bit more of a sheen (aka not matte) I reach for this blush straight away. It has everything I love in a blush; natural colour, not too pigmented and easy to blend into the cheeks. Though these blushes are not available to buy in Australia, if you can get your hands on them I highly recommend. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
Check out my full review of this HERE. I'm not going to harp on, it's my favourite blush ever. That's all.

Revlon Highlighting Palette in Bronze Glow
I haven't really given this the chance it deserves so I wouldn't want to go too deep with a review until I use it a bit more. That being said, the couple of times I have worn this it is really nice. The glitter in it is slightly chunkier than any other blush I own but the colour is a nice deep pinky mauve that is perfect for the winter months. 

TheBalm Frat Boy Blush
Another of my most used blushes, I love to use this one when I want to look really fresh and awake. It is slightly brighter than the Tarte or Milani offerings so it adds a bit more pizazz to my cheeks. In terms of texture it is perfect, I never really took any notice of the formulation because it just works every time without fail.   

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion
Ooh now this is a classy blush. The packaging is so swanky and metallic, though lighter than expected. The blush itself has the most beautiful natural glow to it, it really melts into the skin and makes your cheeks look naturally lit from within. It is more peachy in tone than all of the straight up pinks that I spoke about above and therefore it works with different makeup looks. Because I'm so pale I find it doesn't work with everything but with a slick of the Stila Eyeliner in Midnight and a smattering of the Mac Lipstick in Patisserie it is spot on. 

Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil in Timeless Coral
We're getting to the more iffy end of the product list as I really do not like this blush. When Josie Maran launched into Mecca Cosmetica a while back I was super excited to try something, anything really. Upon placing my order I decided on this multi-faceted product. The second I opened it up I knew I had made a mistake as the smell turned me off straight away. There is just something about the scent of this that makes me not want to put it on my face. When I did give it a go on my cheeks it just didn't blend in, it left an oily mess where my foundation used to be. There wasn't even much colour in the product. On my lips I could smell it very clearly and though it felt quite nice there also wasn't much colour. 

Benefit Benetint
I just don't get on with this and I think it's more my fault than the product. Even though I have tried, I can't find a way to make this work. Usually I apply it and end up with two tiny streaks on each cheek because it stains straight away. When I have managed to blend it out, I end up looking like a clown with hot pink circles on my cheeks. If 'clown' is your go to look this may be for you. 

Blushes down. Only about fourteen categories to go! I hope you guys are enjoying this in depth look into my makeup collection because I'm really enjoying writing it all up for you. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Spend The Day With Me: Beach Holiday

Last weekend I was lucky enough to take a trip down The Great Ocean Road for a nice relaxing weekend with my Mum and Uncle. Though the weather was pretty iffy the entire weekend, I still managed to get some pictures of the gorgeous views while the sun was out. We stayed in Fairhaven (or, as I called it as a child, Beach-haven) in a little house that overlooked the ocean. From the Great Ocean Road you can see a house on a pole and it's fairly well known by the Victorian people, that house was our next door neighbour for the weekend. 

Mum got all up in a Kookaburra's grill to take this beautiful photo. I was way to scared to even leave the house. 

Friday was purely for relaxation. Other than driving down there, we didn't really do much and just enjoyed hanging out. For some reason we decided to put ourselves through watching The Fault In Our Stars, boy was there a lot of tears! That movie gets me like no other. 

Looking back on the beautiful Lorne township from the beach.

Mum and Uncle Peter looking super excited about the hot chips we got for lunch.

On Saturday we ventured along the Great Ocean Road a little further to Lorne, where we had brunch and browsed the shops. 

The road-side stops along the Great Ocean Road offer some breathtaking views.

In the afternoon we returned to the house, made a roast to have for dinner and read. It was very peaceful and I enjoyed just sitting in the big comfy chair, wearing one of my new Bioré face masks and looking at the ocean views. 

I kept my makeup pretty simple on Saturday and just wore what is pictured above. I would go into detail but I'm putting up a post about my everyday makeup in the next couple of days and most of this is featured in that so keep your eye out! 

After a leisurely Sunday morning, we drove all the way home in a torrential downpour. There were times when we could not see the car in front of us through the rain, it was really scary. Poor Melbourne is suffering through a tough winter (for us, we're kinda weak) at the moment. Nevertheless, I had a great weekend and can't wait to do something similar in the future. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

A Fancy Eye Tint

Ooh isn't it lovely? So fancy, so sparkly, SO EXPENSIVE. These Giorgio Armani Eye Tints in shade 11 caught my eye when they were released a little while back but I managed to resist picking one up. When my lovely Nan offered to buy me something special for doing well on my exams (and we happened to be standing in front of the Giorgio Armani counter at the time), I wanted to give one of these a go. I don't own any liquid eyeshadows so it really intrigued me. 

This is by no means a bad product but it is not quite what I expected. I thought it would be incredibly pigmented and blendable. While the blendable part is there, the pigmentation could be considered quite lacklustre. When first swiped onto the eye it is very opaque but once you blend it out it becomes very sheer. The shimmer is still quite noticeable, it is the colour that goes away. Though it is sheer, it still manages to cover up any veins on my eyelids and make everything look very nice. I prefer to wear this on it's own as a super natural makeup look, just blended all over the lid, but it also works as a pretty base for a brown smokey eye. The reason I really like this, other than the fact that sometimes I don't want a super intense eye look, it it's staying power. This stuff stays put for as long as you leave it there. 

In terms of colour this is a very natural eyeshadow anyway, meaning that it can get away with being as sheer as it is. The woman who helped us at the counter suggested that this would be the best colour for my complexion and I tend to agree. It's a light bronze with burgundy shimmer, the precise colour of the shimmer isn't actually that noticeable until you get right up in it's grill and I was very surprised to find that it is burgundy. This just adds a little bit of warmth and dimension into the colour of the eyeshadow, which results in a very unique colour. The fact that it is a light bronze makes it perfect for everyday with any lip shade. 

The way you apply this eyeshadow is much like how you would apply a lipgloss. It is a wet formula that goes onto the eyelid with a doe-foot applicator. I find this quite fun to use because it is unlike anything I have ever owned. The packaging itself is very sleek and it is weighted so it feels that bit more fancy. 

Overall, I see this being a vegemite kind of product. Some people will love it, some people will hate it. Since it is quite a lot of money to spend on a liquid eyeshadow, I highly suggest you give this a test in store before purchasing it. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon