Battle of the Price Points

Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to Battles Week here on LOLS! I know, it's very exciting. Please try to contain your violent squeals/arm flailing/pants wetting until you next find yourself in a secluded field, for both my and your own safety. This week will be full of product reviews and my personal opinions, it should be barrels of fun for the whole family. 

To start off, I thought I would get a little opinionated and share my thoughts on the battle between drugstore and high end beauty products. It's on oft discussed topic around the blogging/Youtube community because people tend to lean one way or the other in their preferences. Lots of people love hearing about high end products and request reviews when someone doesn't do them, whereas when people use too many high end products people complain at the price. 

The whole thing is different in different countries. I would describe it as follows (try to follow me through this tedious metaphor, I will get there in the end): In Australia, it is a single coin with two different sides. Either way it is like a $5 coin. Here, the difference between drugstore and high end makeup is getting smaller but it all stays relatively expensive in comparison. In America, however, it is like two totally separate coins; a $2 and a 5 cent coin. The high end stuff is fairly pricy but the drugstore stuff can be dirt cheap. 

I like to try all sorts of things, no matter where I can buy them from. That being said, I am automatically drawn to high end products more. I have five reasons behind this: 

1. I see a lot of reviews on high end products, which makes them more enticing 
Obviously, a lot of the reviews I read are by far more successful people than myself and they have been sent the product for review as a PR sample. I don't partake in this activity myself (though I may be open to it, holla at a sister) but I don't shun people who do as being dishonest. I still take the reviews as the truth and when I see all of my favs raving over a product I can't help but be a little envious. 

2. There's not that much of a difference in price
Example time! I am on the market for a new black liquid eyeliner and I've been doing some googling on the topic. I heard that the L'Oreal liner is a good one so I looked up the price to see if I should make a sneaky Priceline order and it cost $25! I could get a Stila one for $26 and I know that the Stila one will at least last longer without drying out. With such a small difference in price between some of the top drugstore and mid-range high end, why not give in to all of these other reasons and splash out a little? 

3. The packaging is so darn cute! 
I know, I'm a shallow mess, it's true. But in my own defence, I am right. The packaging on Hourglass, Chanel and even Benefit is streets ahead of the Rimmel packaging. It is so luxurious that you feel your shoes and all of your other possessions are equally as extravagant, when they're really all from Target. 

4. It's all about the brands baby
Everything has a brand associated to it now and we can't all afford the real pricy brand name stuff. Sure, we can afford a couple more cents to get the brand name flour over home brand but we certainly can't afford an Audi. The makeup is about as fancy as I can get on my budget, so I relish my chance to have a brand name item that I can splash around (when I say 'splash around' I mean I keep it in a drawer in my bedroom and never show it to anyone other than people who read my blog). Again, shallow, I know. 

5. I can do whatever I want
People shouldn't feel obligated to use drugstore products just so that people don't call them snobby. Tenneil from the blog Like Neon Love (one of my blogging icons btw, so sleek and professional) wrote a post on a similar topic to this, addressing the fact that she uses solely high end products and I respect everything she had to say. Check it out HERE if you're interested. I agree that it is my money and if I choose to spend it on more expensive things, as long as I don't develop a serious issue with the whole thing, I can do what I please. No, I probably wont buy as many things because they cost me more money but if that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make there is no stopping me. 

Wow, that was a long ramble. I figured I would start Battles Week out with a post like this so that the rest of the week can be fairy floss about blusher and books. Get excited about that! On a more serious note, I would love to hear what you readers have to say on the whole topic. Leave a comment below or chat with me on Twitter if you want. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Beauty Interview with A Winter Daze

Welcome to the first monthly Beauty Interview! This month I've spoken to Tasha who runs the blog A Winter Daze. She's a lovely girl with an awesome blog, her layout is out of this world. Lets get into it and find out a bit about this New Zealand (and originally English) Beauty. 

1. What is the first piece of makeup you remember owning?

Lipglosses growing up. Mum and dad bought my a pink lipgloss and a purple lipgloss in tiny little screw lid containers and i used to wear them all the time. I used to think I was so cool.

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

Right now, it's Mac All that Glitters. Which I plan on buying next week. Next on the list though is probably Naked 2.

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

Two foundations and one BB cream. One of those foundations I never even wear! The only foundation I use is Match Perfection by Rimmel. I find it super easy to blend in, and it's not too heavy coverage either.

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

Nail polishes. By far. I have far to many, yet I just keep buying them.

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

In the morning I keep it super simple. A face wipe (usually Nivea) to get rid of any 'stuff' that's accumulated overnight, and then my Kiehls moisturiser, and then make up. In the evenings, I use a wipe to get rid of my make up. I then use a tiny tiny bit of St Ive's apricot scrub in the shower, followed by Lush Tea Tree Toner ahnd my Khiels moisturiser again. Then I spot treat with Lush's Grease Lightening.

Now onto a few quick fire this or that questions... 

1. MAC or Nars? I don't own either. But I do lust over more MAC at the moment.

2. Rimmel or Revlon? Rimmel. I own so much Rimmel, and only a few revlon nail polishes.

3. Mascara or Concealer? Concealer. To be honest most days I forget to put mascara on before work, but I always have concealer on.

4. Skincare or Haircare?  I'm more likely to focus on skin care and dry shampoo rather than do nothing to my face and sort out my hair.

5. Purifying mask or hydrating mask? Hydrating mask. My skin is very dry in some places.

6. High end or Drugstore? Can I say mix and match? I definitely believe in buying the cheaper alternative of a high end product.

7. Blog or Vlog? Blog. We don't have heaps of data at home so i prefer to read blogs as i can't watch vlogs too often.

8. Hair up or hair down? Hair up. My hair is so unbelievably long it gets in the way if i have it down.

9. Red or Pink Lipstick? Red. I feel like snow white with red lipstick.

10. Highlight or Contour? Highlight. Being super pale, Ive struggled to find the right shade or bronzer to contour well, and i love the healthy glow that highlighting adds.

Thank you so much to Tasha for participating in this interview. If you haven't heard of her or don't read her blog, make sure to head over HERE to give it a read and also follow her on Twitter HERE for hilarious updates about her life (I wouldn't want to get on her bad side at work, that's all I'm sayin'). 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Top 5 Spring Lip Products

Here in Australia, it is heading into Spring and that means breaking out the vibrant lip products. I've been going through my collection and I have found the five lip products I'm most excited to wear this spring. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti 
The lip butters are some of my favourites, they're subtle and moisturising while still injecting a bit of colour into a look. While most of these colours fall into a shade of pink, this one is a light orange colour. I don't really know how I feel about orange lip shades just yet, I feel that I may be a bit too pale and they might make my teeth look really yellow, but I'm still excited to give it a go and see how I can make it work. I know orange lips are on trend and I think this might be a good entry level product. 

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic 
I've spoken about this before and it's back now that the weather is picking up. This product is insane, it's super duper fluorescent and the colour pay off is fantastic. You can lightly pat it on for a more muted look but I love to pile it on and give it it's full effect. It is a pink with orange undertones, so it comes off really bright and in your face. Though this shade probably wouldn't be for everyone, I personally love it and think I will get a lot of wear out of it. 

Milani Lipstick in Fruit Punch 
There is nothing much to say about this lipstick really, it's just the perfect pink for spring. It has a very classic lipstick finish, not glossy but not 100% matte either. The shade is not too vibrant, instead it just adds a tiny kick of colour to your normal lips. 

Maybelline Color Elixir in Fuchsia Flourish 
The Elixir Glosses are my absolute favourite and this pink shade is absolutely amazing for spring. They're so opaque that you don't need to wear any products underneath if you don't want to, for this particular shade I think it is best to let the gloss do all of the talking. The shade of pink is slightly more purple undertoned than the others in this post, which I think is really flattering on my skin tone. 

MAC Lipstick in Pink Pearl Pop
This is a creamsheen finish, so it applies well and doesn't feel at all heavy on the lips. Pink Pearl Pop is nice and subtle, much like the Revlon Lip Butters, so it is perfect for everyday wear. It adds a slight brightness to your lips without being overpowering. I love to simply pat this onto my lips and then apply a lip balm over the top to make my lips look naturally pink. You can also build it up for a more intense colour, which is really pretty as well. 

These are some of my favourite products to put on for a day out in the spring-time sun. What are yours? I'd love to know the types of colours other people like to wear during the warmer months. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon  

Best. Top. Coat. Ever.

Recently I noticed that all of my nail polish has been staying on for a whole week with VERY minimal chipping. This certainly wasn't the case a few months back, but I put it down to my growing knowledge of what brands are good and bad. After a quick manicure that consisted of a single coat of my favourite (previously thought to be long lasting) nail polish and almost instant chipping, I had a bit of an epiphany. It's the top coat! How could I have been so blind? 

I have been using Sally Hansen Diamond Flash Top Coat for a good few months now and it really does wonders. Not only does it prevent chipping for up to a week, oh no, it has other talents too. It is a really fast drying formula that you can actually feel working itself through the polish. That might sound a bit weird, but I can actually feel a cooling effect when I apply this to my nails and that is the top coat working its way in for maximum hold. It can smooth and blur any inperfections in the polish (we can't all be manicurists...) and will help decrease the look of any streaks. Plus it's not too expensive either, which is a massive bonus. 

My only bone to pick with this is that because of the black bottle you can't see when it is about to run out, I'm only complaining because I know I'm going to run out at some point and I don't want to have to live without it. 

This is my holy grail nail polish top coat, what's yours? Is there possibly any better than this? 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Beauty Interview with Anna Blush

The beauty pictured above is Anna from the blog Anna Blush and she is this weeks participant in my beauty interviews. As per usual, Anna runs an amazing blog, I wouldn't choose someone with a crappy blog would I? She does some great some beauty reviews and some other fabulous things as well. As a fellow Aussie, I understand her frequent Priceline hauls (sometimes it's hard to restrain yourself) and excitement when The Body Shop lowered it's prices (score!). Lets jump into some cool answers from a cool person: 

1. What is the first piece of makeup you remember owning?

I’m fairly sure this was one of those all in one palettes (not sure of the brand), complete with waxy, sticky lipgloss and chalky eye shadows. Oh, and I remember a fairly bright red blush.. What taste!

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

Ahh this is too hard to choose just one! I think I’d have to say Nars Sheer Glow Foundation- I’ve heard it’s absolutely amazing and have been craving a more dewy finish lately.

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

Now this question makes me feel bad about answering foundation for the previous question. I own.. 14 foundations! A completely unnecessary amount but my favourite has to be Esteé Lauder’s Double Wear. Provides all the coverage I need but doesn’t appear to cakey or unnatural.

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

I would have said skincare but recently I’ve managed to rain that in slightly, so it would have to be eye shadows. I have such an eye shadow weakness. In a palette? Even better!

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

My morning routine consists of cleanse, spritz hydrating toner and moisturise. Evening is a little lengthier; double cleanse, tone, treatment then moisturise. I also do a face mask 2-3 times a week.

  

1. MAC or Nars? Nars. I don’t own any of either (one day I will!), but I definitely find myself lusting after Nars the most! Those eye shadow palettes…

2. Rimmel or Revlon? Rimmel for sure! My favourite drugstore brand by far. Amazing nail polishes, foundations, blushers and my all time favourite Stay Matte Pressed Powder.

3. Mascara or Concealer? Mascara. Although my skin is far from perfect, I would rather build up coverage with foundation than go without anything on my lashes.

4. Skincare or Haircare? Skincare all the way, absolutely no question about it!

5. Purifying mask or hydrating mask? Purifying. I use a purifying mask every week for my acne prone skin.

6. High end or Drugstore? This is a tough one. I’d like to say high end, but I find it so difficult to part with that much cash so I’d have to say drugstore. There’s some total gems in the drugstore too.

7. Blog or Vlog? (both to watch and make) What a tough question! I love both reading and watching about beauty and obviously write my own blog but there may be some YouTube on the horizon! I’m going to say vlog.

8. Hair up or hair down? Hair down. If I was better at doing up-do’s I think I’d prefer them but I’m not really great when it comes to hair.

9. Red or Pink Lipstick? Pink. Not quite brave enough to rock a red lip yet.

10. Highlight or Contour? Contour. Highlighting isn’t too high on my priorities with such oily skin so definitely contour.

Thank you so much to Anna for doing this for me! I'm constantly surprised at how supportive and kind the blogging community is. Make sure to check out her BLOG and follow her on absolutely everything. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

The One With All The Moisturisers

While I was going through my weekly pamper session on Sunday evening, I realised just how many different types of moisturisers I use. After considering it for a while, I've decided to do a round up of everything I use to keep my skin soft and baby-like. 

Soap and Glory Hand Food 
This is the newest addition to my holy-grail moisturisers list. Previously I was using a really crappy hand cream that actually made my hands dry (I continued to use it because it was a HUGE tube and I felt it was a waste, but I eventually gave it up) and then I picked up a mini version of this for my handbag and fell in love. I would buy it solely for the smell, I have no idea what it smells like other than 'soap and glory' but it's amazing, fresh, fruity and scrumptious. It's just a bonus that it actually moisturises my hands really well without leaving a film or stickyness. 

Body Shop Body Butter in Brazil Nut 
I'm sure you've heard all about the Body Shop Body Butters already, so I won't waffle on too long about them. I use this on my legs a few nights a week (basically whenever I remember...) and on my arms about once a week. It's really thick and hydrating but it sinks into my dry skin easily without being too greasy or gross. This scent is deep and nutty, not my absolute favourite but nice for winter. As the warmer months are coming in Australia, I will move on to my favourite coconut scent. 

Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment 
This is my favourite lip balm, I have raved about it many many times on this blog. It also has many other uses, one of which is a really intense moisturiser for any problematic areas. It does leave a greasy feeling so you couldn't use it all over your body and definitely not during the day. I apply this to specific areas if they are peeling or scarring and it clears it all up nicely. I also apply it to scabs if I have any because it makes them come off clean. Magic stuff this is. 

Body Shop Shea Body Whip 
This is the moisturiser I use all over my body in the mornings. Once again, I don't do it everyday because I often forget. This is nice and light, it is super easy to apply and it disappears on the skin. A great one for after a morning shower. 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel
I've spoken about this before so I will keep it brief. This is a nice light moisturiser that keeps my skin hydrated, but I can't feel it on my skin once I've rubbed it in. Really simple. Really good. 

So there we go, all of my moisturisers have been reviewed in one handy place! 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon