Easter Treats!

Hi lovelies!

I hope you're having an amazing Easter long weekend so far! Now, I'm a big chocolate lover, but I've been noticing an abundance of chocolate everywhere, so I thought it might be fun to come up with a post that outlines some non-edible chocolate related treats...just in case you're a little tired of chocolate (or just want to cut down on the calories), but still want to treat yourself to something along those lines!

Un-edible Easter Chocolate Treats!

1) Try a scented soy candle like Chocolate Cookies from Buddha Bum Soy Candles to help you feel some Easter vibes, and it will make your home smell beautiful, too. Soy candles burn cleaner than other waxes as they don't have as many nasties in them, which means they're less likely to trigger allergies. Soy wax burns at a lower temperature, too, which means that a soy candle will last longer than a paraffin candle, bonus!

2) Indulge in a chocolate infused eyeshadow palette like the Chocolate Bar palettes (either the original or the Semi-Sweet, pictured above, or the new Bon Bons palette) from Too Faced Cosmetics, or any of the chocolate themed palettes (there are five in total!) from Makeup Revolution (the white one above is I ♥ Makeup Naked Chocolate)! They smell beautiful and they'll make you feel gorgeous when you look in the mirror!

3) Try a chocolate coloured polish, the one pictured in the photo above is Wooden Shoe Like To Know by OPI, and it's gorgeous! I feel like I've dipped my nails in milk chocolate every time I wear this.

4) The one food item on my list; it isn't technically edible in itself so I figured it passed...a chocolate infused tea! I'm obsessed with Lamington from T2 teas, but there are stacks of other delicious sounding teas, including a curated box containing several different types of chocolate teas called T2 Choc Selfies!

5) A signature fashion item like a pair of shoes or a bag in chocolate tones will also help you fit right in. Pictured above is my little tote bag from Colette Hayman.

There you have it, lovelies, some cute little ideas that will help you celebrate Easter in a slightly out-of-the-box way!

Now, how will you be celebrating Easter? Are you a big chocolate fan?

Much love,
MM.
x

Salon Melbourne 2016 Haul!

Hi lovelies,

I'm a little late with this post, which is all about what I picked up at Salon Melbourne a couple of weekends ago! If you're wondering what Salon Melbourne is, it's basically an industry event for professionals like hairdressers, makeup artists etc, but luckily, bloggers are also allowed in. I've already reviewed the event the last couple of times I went (wayyy back in 2012 and 2013, which you can read here and here). It hasn't changed overly much in the years so I won't review it again, but will just jump straight to what I purchased, though of course, some of the brands that were exhibiting have changed.

Salon Melbourne 2016
(image courtesy of Salon Melbourne)

I was a lot more restrained with my purchases this year, so here's what I ended up getting.

Haul from Salon Melbourne 2016.

I picked up 5 brushes from Crown Brushes, to fill gaps in my brush collection. Pictured from left to right, as detailed in the photo below, these are:

Fan brush SS023 ($19) - I'd been wanting a dense, fluffy fan brush for applying highlighter, and this was the softest out of all the choices that the Crown Brush stand had. I've already used this and I'm loving the result I get from this!
Dense powder brush 443 ($35) - This was the most expensive brush I picked up. This is a little like a kabuki, but it's a lot denser than all the brushes I own. I wanted something to really buff powder into the skin after the application of liquid foundation, so I can't wait to give this a good try. I've just washed this and there was a fair bit of dye leaking from it, but this should hopefully peter off after the first wash.
Contour brush C473 ($20) - I own a Zoeva contour brush but wanted something that had a bit more bulk to it. I've also just washed this but have yet to try it out properly. There was no dye leaking out which is good!
Eye smudger SS028 ($7) - The eye smudger brush caught my eye immediately! I've got one from Sigma which I love, but I wanted a dupe as a backup. I've washed this but have yet to use it.
Spoolie brushes x 2 C115 ($3 each) - I had to bin my last spoolie, so I really needed a soft spoolie to help brush product through my brows. Both of these felt quite soft, and as they were $3 each, I figured it didn't hurt to pick up two different ones!

Let me know in the comments if you want to see reviews once I've tried them all.

Keep reading after the jump!

Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque (Mango and Avocado) Review!

Hi lovelies,

I have another quick review today as part of the Beauty Directory Expert Panel...the soon-to-be released Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque (Mango and Avocado)! That's a bit of a mouthful, phew!

Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque

This hydrating mask sounded quite interesting as I love anything with mango in it. There are also quite a few other lovely ingredients in it, with the main ones listed below:

Mango extract - source of antioxidants such as Vitamins A, B and C, phenolic acids and caratenoids to help protect the skin against skin damage, boost the immune system and be astringent to prevent acne.

Mango butter - softens the skin with its rich content of C18 fatty acids and triglycerides.

Olive oil - moisturising and softening properties due to the high concentration of fatty acids. It's nutritious for the skin, absorbs and penetrates easily and reduces the appearance of scars.

Papaya extract - loaded with vitamins A, B and C, and nutrients like magnesium and potassium to nourish the skin. Papain, an extract within papaya, also possesses anti inflammatory properties to help reduce redness and puffiness.

Pineapple extract - contains Vitamin B to improve the skin barrier function and reduce redness and irritation.

Avocado oil - moisturising and nourishing, it's a rich emollient with superior skin penetration and valuable vitamins, proteins and fatty acids.

Jojoba oil - similar to avocado oil, it is a very moisturising emollient which helps restore the skin's regular pH levels and is excellent at soothing inflamed skin.

Keep reading after the jump!

V-Day Nails 2016!

Happy V-Day, lovelies!

How did/ are you going to celebrate?

I decided to celebrate by doing some themed nails! Here's what I came up with. I used Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Pink Tank for my base, then stamped on top with Konad black, before adding a few gold studs as a finishing touch!

There you go, lovelies! My simple Valentine's Day nails. I'd love to know what you think, and let me know if you've done any V-day looks/nails, I'd love to see! 

Much love,

MM.

x

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Mattes Review & Swatches!

Hi lovelies!

How's your week off to so far?

I must say that mine has been going quite well, because I've been busy playing road-testing all the new release lippies that Maybelline launched this month! You can read my review of the Color Blur Matte Pencils here, if you missed it earlier. As much as I loved those pencils, I have to say that the new Color Sensational Creamy Mattes had my heart beating just that tiny bit faster!

I have a love-hate relationship with matte lipsticks, because as much as I love the way they look on the lips and how long-lasting most mattes are, I hate how dry they can feel. As a result, I couldn't wait to see if these really lived up to the 'creamy' promise! Let's take a look, shall we?

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte lipsticks.

I received three of the lipsticks in my little care package, but I believe there's a total of eight shades that will be available here. The colours I got were:

655 Daringly Nude - soft brown nude
670 Ravishing Rose - blue based pink
680 Mesmerizing Magenta - bright berry pink

Keep reading after the jump!

January 2016 Lust Have It Review!

Hi lovelies!

It's been some time since I've been able to share a LHI review, what with being away and everything, so I'm actually happy to be getting back to it! It's quite the little treat to have a mystery bag of beauty goodies arriving every month, and I've fallen in love with some new favourites this way.

The January box arrived in a pretty pink mesh travel bag, as always. Here's what I received:

UNANI Micellar Water (full sized)

HIKARI lip crayon in Amour (full sized)

HIKARI blush in Sunkissed (full sized)

SKINYOGA Almond Orange face scrub (deluxe sample)

SKINYOGA Sandalwood Saffron face mask (deluxe sample)

There was also an ORCHID from Paradise Cherry Blossom hand cream, which was supposed to have been in the December box but was sent in this box instead.

January 2016 Lust Have It Box.

Keep reading after the jump!