My favourite things of June:

Hello, it's that time again. June has almost left us.

It's the middle of winter - officially - which is somewhat saddening. This list of favourites will include a little more winter friendly things than normal.

Lips: Blistex

I cannot rave about this enough. I think I paid just under $6 for it from the supermarket. It's the product in the white tube (the other two are great also) and it's perfect for dry lips. I'm on skin pills at the moment and I find that my lips get very dry. Combine that with the awful winter weather and the wind and my lips are cracking like mad. This works miracles, I promise you.

Beauty: Cult Beauty

I couldn't put just one product in, mostly because I haven't really had anything dramatically stand out for me this month. That being, i did recently discover this amazing website. Some of you may have heard of it (I do feel like I am a bit out of the loop here) but it's called Cultbeauty.

Beauty Product: Avobath Bath Bomb from Lush

I posted about this bath bomb when I bought some things from Lush the other week. I finally used it the other day and it smells so citrus-like and gorgeous. It even turned my bath green! All lush bath bombs are amazing, except for the gold little flattish ball one. It quite literally turns your water pee coloured and leaves shimmer all over the sides of the bath. Not fun.

Website: Thought Catalog 

I stumbled upon this website a while ago - about a year ago i'd say. I have no clue how I found it, but it's very interesting. It has thoughts for each day - several thoughts - which are articles written on different subjects. It could be about politics, gardening, female troubles, marital crisis, wellbeing, work etc. It's got so many interesting things to read. So if you're wanting to waste your day reading little dribbles about random things, then this is the site.

Song: True Love

I was a fan of Lily Allen back when she released "Smile" and "Not Fair". I have also loved Pink since I was a very little girl and have followed her success closely. She is probably one of the few people that I would have to see if she ever came to New Zealand; she'd be amazing in concert. Their new song "True Love" is definitely growing on me. Anyone else ever felt like this with a partner? Drives you insane doesn't it?

Book: Mrs Queen Takes The Train

I was very skeptical of this book at the beginning. It grates on my nerves when there are a thousand characters introduced without any connection whatsoever. However, I pursued this book, and it is actually very good. It's quite sappy, and I do love a good romance so it fitted me well. The characters are wonderfully written and each is very different from the others, all are individuals. Overall, once you get past the confusion, the book is truly wonderful. Some parts he writes are a bit overdone, quite like he's being sarcastic almost, but that he's then not. It's cringe worthy almost. I don't enjoy writing that sounds like someone's brain has gone walk about. At times, I felt like this was the case. But everything links up and it ends fantastically. It's worth pursuing.

Purchase: Gumboots

About a week ago we got massive snow warnings for the whole south island and a storm warning for the lower north island along with nationwide flooding and hail. Snow never came. However, rain certainly did. The gumboots that I posted about here, proved very useful. It's a purchase that I definitely don't regret.

This was once a road. It was not a road that day.

Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo

I bought these a while ago and loved them. I've since gone back to by more because I find them so useful. It's hard to wash and dry your hair in an orderly time when it's as long as mine is. So I quite often go days on end without washing it. The Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo works wonders. It comes out quite white on your hair but it quickly soaks up all the oil and leaves it looking freshly washed.

I've not used the dehumidifier a lot, but it did prove useful when I went to Rarotonga a couple of months ago. It stops your hair from frizzing up too much when there's a lot of moisture in the air. Where I live it isn't very warm at the moment, but on nights where i've straightened my hair and it's raining, i'll probably find it useful.

Another brilliant thing about these is the smell! They smell delicious, not like aerosol or alcohol or any chemicals. A big thumbs up from me.

They're super easy to use for those who haven't. Just spray holding the can roughly fifteen centimetres away from your hair, avoiding eyes, and you're done! If it comes out white - like I mentioned - then just run your fingers through your hair.

Chanel Eyeshadow Palettes

Continuing on with the Chanel theme from yesterday - if you could even call it that - this is the Chanel palettes that I am blessed enough to own. They can be found on their website here, though the shape has changed of them slightly (mine are rounded and these are square shadows). These are both Les 4 Ombres. The one on the left is 37 Variation, and the one on the right is 08 Vanites. They are similar in colouring, both having darker purple shades and light cream or pink shades. My mum actually bought these, but I use them more than she does. We both have green eyes so purples go nicely. 

37 Variation looks slightly different in my picture, but can be viewed here. This one has a nice brownish shade, along with a pinky one and a highlighter silver. The one in the right bottom is useful for the crease or for lining the eye.

08 Vanites has much more purple tones (this is the one on the right) and again a nice brown for neutrality. The shades in the pictures look slightly different to mine, but I can assure that on the bottom of the cases these names are printed.

I still adore these palettes. Chanel makes beautiful everything as far as I'm concerned. If only it wasn't so expensive, because oh my god do I want a quilted Chanel shoulder bag desperately. Somebody please be kind and buy me one.

Chanel Blush

My mum bought me back this blush when she went through duty free a while ago. It's one that I use quite often too as it goes nicely with fair complexions. My mum also uses it and she's got olive skin with dark hair, so it is able to be worn by different skin tones and colourings.

This Chanel Joues Contraste Blush is the colour Pink Explosion. It's highly pigmented, so you don't need a lot - hence why mine still looks relatively unused. I quite like the look of Rose Petal too. I might have to purchase that one next.

The blushes are easiest to apply with a large brush. I don't know why my mum hasn't chucked it out, because it's not like we use it.

You can buy Chanel at any leading cosmetic store or department store. I'm not too sure of a place that will ship anywhere in the world for Chanel, but you can have a wee shop around online and purchase it there. It's $43 US dollars on their site, but I can tell you it's about $70 NZ, which is more than the exchange rate. Sigh.

TIGI S Factor Shampoo and Conditioner

After seeing Zoella rave about these products, I wanted to give them a go for myself. This is part of the TIGI S Factor range. I bought the smoothing shampoo and conditioner. I do buy salon haircare all the time anyway, so this wasn't a splurge that I couldn't afford for. I allocate money for my hair the same way that I allocate money for petrol for my car. That being said, I had to order it online from Feelunique as this range wasn't sold at my local salon.

I haven't yet tried them, but they smell amazing. The bottles I got were huge too, so they'll last ages. I'm currently using up the last of my shampoo and conditioner of another range - I had to actually go buy another shampoo because I didn't want to start using this one until bot shampoo and conditioner were used up. That being said, I can't wait to try them!

Current Perfumes I Love

Currently I have five perfumes that I love. Apparently I'm not allowed to buy Salvatore Ferragamo's Signorina until I've used these up. But isn't the bottle just so cute?

The perfume on the left (going clockwise) is Chanel Chance. Mine is just the ordinary EDP, but the Eau Fraiche is citrus-y which I also like. This one is florally, without being too overpowering - which is something I find often with Juicy Couture or Marc Jacobs. Of course being Chanel, this is insanely expensive. But it's worth it. It's one of those scents that people know what you're wearing, which is always a compliment in my opinion. Much like the Mademoiselle or the No.5, they're a classic that will suit every occasion - day or night. I absolutely adore this fragrance.

The one at the top of the left side is Viktor and Rolf's Flowerbomb - that's probably noticeable from the bottle. One thing about this is that the bottle is different from every other. The Chanel bottle is a classic, but this one has something different to it. I like Jasmine in my perfumes, which you will see as a theme throughout this post. This perfume is also floral, hence the name Flowerbomb, but it's more sweeter than Chanel. Mine again, is a EDP, because they just last so much longer. My mum currently wants the bodycream (this) which is just an absurd price to pay for lotion. I mean really. 

The one in the centre in the red bottle is Hypnotic Poison by Dior. One thing that grates me about this is that the bottle is not see through. You can't see the perfume diminishing so one day it'll just run out and poof, you weren't aware. I know it's a little thing, but it's just annoying. This one is actually and EDT, but I did use to have an EDP. I picked up this one free from work when we had a clear out of testers. This perfume is very vanilla-ry, and it also contains Jasmine. This is another perfume that's a staple from Dior (I'm noticing a trend here...) but it's perfect for night time as it's very sultry yet sweet. Along with their Addict 2, I think all their Poison perfumes are gorgeous.

The next perfume up is the one in the oblongish bottle that has the letter M on the front. This one is from a brand called Mor. This is from their Marshmallow range. My parents bought me an entire set of the Marshmallow range for Christmas just been. It was a lovely wrapped up box with their perfume, soap, body wash, body milk, two sized handcreams, and the tub of body butter. My mum and I LOVE this range - as you may well be able to tell from how many products I have from it. The perfume is sweet and powdery. It's got Pink Musk and Cotton Candy base notes - delicious! Again, and surprise surprise, it features Jasmine and Vanilla. 

The final perfume, and one that I obsessed over for months on end, is Alien by Thierry Mugler. This first came into my store over a year ago now and along with the products displayed in prime shelving, came with it two large dispensers that refill the bottles. I was amazed! How clever is that? Nobody else has thought to refill bottles, but this guy did and it's a fantastic idea. The bottle almost takes shape of an Alien too. Everything about this fragrance is different, and every time I wear it I get asked what I'm wearing. It's woody and amber, which I don't normally like, but it's still a sweet fragrance and once I smelt it I was hooked. This is possibly my favourite of the moment.

Music I Love: JUNE

Harry Styles: Don't Let Me Go

I have a slight obsession with a minor boyband. You may have heard of them, their name is One Direction? (Sarcasm intended here.) Thus, when Harry's new song got leaked onto the internet, I fell in love. Not only is this boy blessed with the genes of a walking Sex god - he may as well be the son of Zeus - he has an incredibly sexy voice that he most definitely knows how to use. It's much different to One Direction's sound, which is a blessing too I suppose. It's more calm, more soulful than the pop-sugar-bubblegum-stuff they do. Not that I don't love all the pop-sugar-bubblegum-stuff, because I do. It's just nice to have Harry singing a stripped back version where his voice is the main focus of a song, and not the instruments and the glitz and how many girls can sing along at an ear piercing degree. (Believe me, i've been to their concert, and it is LOUD)

Don't Let Me Go, Harry Styles

MIKA: Popular feat. Ariana Grande

This is odd for me to actually like this, primarily because I hate anything that gains more popularity than the original deserving version. The deserving version in this would be the musical Wicked's song Popular. I'm a big fan of Wicked. I'm a big fan of any musical really. This song however is very cool. I love love love the chord progressions. I love Mika and Ariana's voices and how they blend. And to top it all off the video is just hilarious! An awesome take on an older song. They've definitely made it their own.

Popular by MIKA featuring Ariana Grande

Kodaline: High Hopes

I can't quite remember when I first heard Kodaline, whether it was with their other song "All That I Want", or if it were in fact this one. But I was looking through soundcloud on my phone and i'd asked the app to tell me this song over a month ago but i'd clearly forgotten when i'd got out of the car and let it be. However, I did take the time to look it up the other day and god am I pleased I did. I absolutely adore this song. I cried the first time I watched the video. Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. That being said, it's positively beautiful and the lead singer's voice is spine chillingly fantastic. The way he graces notes rather than punching them out gives me goosebumps. I'm officially a huge fan of Kodaline.

Kodaline High Hopes

Charlie Brown: On My Way

Again, the same goes for this dude as does Kodaline; I found him on my soundcloud after a months neglection. I tried to wikipedia him to find out more information, but other than he's recently signed and he's got another single coming out, there isn't really anything on him. He's from the UK, but that's all I know. The lyrics are inspiring and incredibly catchy. I already find myself humming along and it's one that I think will grow on people.

Charlie Brown's On My Way

The 1975: Sex

This band are currently featuring quite a bit in the UK charts. Their song "Chocolate" and "The City" have been played quite a bit. I however am a fan of anything that blatantly talks about sex; call me crude all you like, it's both hilarious and sexy. This song is just great. I'm mildly obsessed. The acoustic version is great too, possibly better because it's just the lead singer and a guitar. Anything is better stripped down, including the lead singer I bet.

Sex by The 1975

Little Mix: Turn Your Face

It was fantastic when this girl group won XFactor UK. However, it pains me that they've become a walking commercial for anything that'll sell; just in the same way that One Direction have. Their most recent song "How ya doin" with Missy Elliot may as well be called Topshop Summer Catalogue because they are blatantly promoting it. I'm not saying that this isn't their entire purpose, except that perhaps I am and that it possibly greatly annoys me. Regardless of that, I did purchase their album, and I do enjoy "Turn Your Face".

Turn Your Face by Little Mix

Lorde: Royals

This girl is the talk of the town here in New Zealand. There is nobody bigger and more secretive than her at the moment. She currently has four songs in the Top 40, something that no other New Zealand artist has achieved. She has come out of nowhere and everyone is obsessed. Have a listen for yourself. She also has a song called "Tennis Court" and another called "The Love Club". See if you can track them down and have a listen. I think she's going to be the next big thing. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Royals by Lorde

Cute Bird Gumboots

I was out with my friend the other day getting a coffee and it was late in the afternoon and it'd been quite a cold day - I was rugged up in a jacket with a hoody underneath. We'd just gone into Starbucks and had a look around the mall and then we walked out the front, along the boulevard-type-thingy and sitting right there is this shop called Bed Bath and Beyond. They mostly sell things for your home like towels, sheets, canvas's, ornaments etc. But in the shop window they had this big display of gumboots. And I immediately fell in love with this pair.

They're pale blue with little birds on wires on them. They cost me $20 NZ dollars. And considering that I desperately want Hunter Wellingtons, this is a much cheaper alternative.

Aren't they just the cutest?

Lipbalm obsession

These are the current lipbalms that i'm using. The small white tube is Blistex ointment, which I have found fabulous for very dry lips. I got a coldsore a couple of months ago and just piled this on and it healed it all up. (Mine looks different to the link but I think it's the same product...)

The lipbalm with the yellow lid is from Badger. Badger is an all natural brand that does lip products and healing products. I've got quite a few of their products; healing balm, sleep balm, cheerful mind balm, headache balm. And possibly more! This flavour is Ginger and Lime. I do have another one in a mint flavour somewhere but I can't find it - it's probably in the pocket of a jacket somewhere.

The round tub is from Elizabeth Arden. It's part of their Eight Hour range - which I love and highly recommend. This is a lip protectant and works similarly to their Skin Protectant that I also own. It's designed to protect your skin from harsh weathers such as windburn, sunburn etc. It also heals your skin and works as a kind of bandage when you slick it on. It's good stuff! (Again, mine is quite old and the packaging is different to the US website i've provided)

I have these three on rotation all the time and use whichever one is most closest to me. Currently next to my laptop is the Blistex one!

What are your favourite go to lipbalms to keep your lips hydrated?

A walk in the park

Today my friend and I took my two dogs for a walk in the park. It was such a lovely day for winter so we thought we'd make the most of it because it rains so often and I'm super lazy and don't like walking them when it rains. Sorry puppies!

Here's some lovely photos that I took whilst I was out. The park was pretty today.

Asos Magazine

I had never read Asos Magazine until today. Not only is it interesting, it has the latest products that haven't yet reached the store yet. When you click on them it asks if you would like to be emailed when they come into stock. How cool is that?

So after flipping through all pages, i have now increased my Asos saved list by a very large amount. Oh how I wish I had more money to spend.

Just a few things I currently love from their Magazine:

This ASOS Denim Western Jacket in Bleach and Dip Dye Wash

These ASOS Shorts in Statement Fluro Jacquard

This ASOS T-Shirt in Mesh with Paris Print

This Stila After Glow Glow-In-The-Dark Lip Colour

This ASOS T-Shirt with Foil Number 10

All these bikini's make me wish it was summer here and not winter! Sad!

This page here is just in general amazing looking. I love the idea of glow in the dark lipsticks from Stila and the opposite page has loads of amazing products. As a Media and Communications major, I just love the set out of advertising on this page. Props to the marketing team.

Everything has changed

I'm not a particularly HUGE Taylor Swift fan. I was more so when I was fifteen and she was writing things that I felt. Now i'm older and I just don't feel the same way anymore. I've grown up and moved on.

However, I am a massive Ed Sheeran fan. I've actually seen him twice in concert - the only two times that he's come to New Zealand. I flew to see him and stayed in hotels and once I even lined up for hours just to get in the front of the standing section (which I successfully did).

So, it would be strange for me to not be in love with their song Everything Has Changed. I just think it's such an amazingly written song. And I saw the video for the first time today, when it was released. And I have to say that i've not seen anything more adorable in a video.

If you haven't watched it already, you have to. It's the epitome of cuteness.

Need Sunglasses?

Yesterday I went shopping with my lovely cousin's girlfriend. She is just adorable and wanted to look at the OPI counter for a nail polish. She wanted one of the new sand ones, and well, I ended up buying a nail colour too.

I do realise that it is the middle of winter. Yes. I do also realise that this is a bright sunshine yellow. Yes. BUT, I feel that in the midst of all this dull weather, we need a little bit of a pick me up. 

This colour is called Need Sunglasses?

Doesn't it just make you happy by looking at it?

Tinted Moisturisers I Love

Tinted moisturisers were cool before BB Creams became all the rage. I've used a fair few of them because I do love the lightweight feel of a tinted moisturiser. That's not to say that I don't like BB Creams, because I do, but Tinted Moisturisers were here first and I feel like they need to stand up and say something. Perhaps I'm alone in this, but god I hope not.

I have owned Estee Lauder's Daywear Sheer Tint Release moisturiser for a while now. It smells so fresh and organic which I love. Estee Lauder has a thing about making their products smell green. You either love it or you hate it, and I love it. This is a cult product among Estee Lauder users, and one that I used to regularly sell when I worked on their counter for a little while.

Another that I've used and found good is the Nivea tinted moisturiser. This is ten times cheaper, and covers more like a BB cream than a tint. I have their standard Daily Essentials one, but they do have one for youthful skin called Be Beautiful and one for mature skin in their Q10 Plus Anti-aging range.

One that I would use quite a bit, a few years ago now though, is the Clarins Hydraquench moisturiser. I don't actually have a picture of it because I no longer own it (sad!) but i did love it when I did. I actually ended up buying the Ester Lauder one as a replacement, which is wonderful too.

The Clinique counter opened at the department store I worked at a couple of years ago now. When It did I went mental. I bought several Chubby Sticks, I bought their Perfectly Real Makeup as well as an Allover Colour. I bought their Toner and their tinted moisturiser too. I literally went crazy. I got the Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturiser in Shade 2. It's just heavy enough to wear it as a foundation with light coverage. I highly recommend it.

I do have an obsession with BB Creams too. So I will post about them another time as I feel that they are a different product to a tinted moisturiser. When you compare them, they just aren't the same. Hopefully you've enjoyed this post. :)

Estee Lauder tinted moisturiser.

Lush Purchases

I went into Lush yesterday. I'm a big fan for several reasons; 

1. Their products are all natural. 

2. They don't test on animals. 

3. They're vegan.

4. They smell delicious.

That being, I purchased three products - which is a very little amount for how much I usually buy. I bought a Lush Bath Bomb in the flavour Avobath. Usually I get Dragons Egg, but I like the citrus smell of Avobath just as much. So this time I opted for that. I'll be using it tonight! The second thing I bought and in that little wee square was a Toner Tab. The final product I bought was a soap which I bought in Rock Star. I haven't used this one - I'm obsessed with Porridge - but it smells delicious and very sweet. The website says: "The creamy vanilla sweetie. Here's a soap for all of us who know we ought to be attracted to sophisticated beiges and navy blues, but can't help grabbing everything pink! The Rock Star soap smells just like Creamy Candy Bath, and so all you budding starlets can shower and bathe with our sweet vanilla perfume."

I'm already sold. Vanilla? Yes! Someone who loves pink? Yes! It's me, this soap is just me entirely to the core. I can't wait to use it. I purchased a tin a few years ago and it's well worth it. Every time I go in I just get them to cut me up some soap so that it fits in my tin. :) 

Avobath Bath Bomb.

Rock Star soap and metal tin.