Friday, February 27, 2015

Summer Date Night Edit ||MaddyBeautyLove







Date nights are the perfect times to bring out the gorgeous products. Whether it's with your girlfriends or significant other, when the sun is out late and your awesome summer clothing comes out of hibernation. So here he have it, my favourite summertime date night edit. 

 
For the summer time, a matte bronzer is what I opt for. This year the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer is taking the front seat. Though it is in the shade "Medium-Dark"
 (and I am as pale as a ghost), I go in with a light hand. It blends nicely with a natural non-orange finish. It pairs perfectly with bright lips. Not to mention the chocolate-mellow scent is the delectable.



This blush trio by Covergirl (230 Defined Rose) has three of the nicest matte shades to suit any lip. 
The middle shade has definitely been my go-to. It doesn't accentuate my pale skin and instead works to make me look just that little more tan. Love!



Benefits Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in RSVP is the perfect base for any eye look. Whether it is elegant or casual look I'm going for, this pink champagne colour prolongs my shadows wear, no creasing creasing (no risks on a date!) or disappearing in to nothingness. Even in Melbourne's hot and humid weather.  


The perfect pair to my base is Revlon's Photo-ready Palette in 505 Impressionist. It provides my highlight, crease, and eye colour. It's currently my favourite palette. The shadow's are quite creamy and pigmented and they aren't packed with chunky pieces of shimmer - just the right amount. 
Just be wary of the fallout, though giving the brush a light tap will help remove any excess. 








For the summertime I like to bring out the shades that I couldn't at any other time of the year. When I'm feeling extra loud, I opt for Mac's Amplified Lipstick in 'Impassioned'. It's the perfect summertime lip colour. It's bright but not a neon highlighter-like colour. The longevity is amazing, the texture is creamy and applies nicely. Just be sure to exfoliate and moisturise those lips as this formula isn't kind to chapped lips.



To me shower gel is an important prepping stage for perfumes and lotions. Prince Charming was a delicious limited edition by Lush. Though any shower gel will do, I love this one for the hints of creaminess from the Fair Trade vanilla pod. Mixed with marshmallow root, grapefruit juice, organic pomegranate juice and almond oil, YUM! These ingredients create a sweet shower gel which also works as a fabulous humectant, cleanser toner and an anti inflammatory!

In summer your legs come out of hibernation, so it's important to keep them silky, smooth and glowing. Lush's Strawberry Feels Massage Bar is the winner out of the many contenders I own. As delectable as chocolate and as indulgent as real strawberries, this bar is just as good for your skin as eating the real fruit. With ingredients like fresh strawberries, extra virgin coconut oil, uplifting bergamot oil, Fair Trade organic cocoa butter, Fair Trade shea butter, you know you're in for a treat. Just melt the bar between your fingers and massage it in to your skin to leave it feeling soft while giving you that perfect, non-greasy shine.

The last item, and perhaps the most important is the perfume. Perfume works like a photograph expect by using another sense. It not only leaves a lasting memory on you, but an impression on the other person. Whether that is a good thing or not, well….The Miss Dior Eau de Parfum is a favourite of mine. It is sophistication while being age neutral. With citrus and floral notes (italian mandarin, arabian jasmine absolute. patchouli and musk) it is the perfect summer time perfume of choice for a date and set to leave an impression.

So that's it! I'd love to know what products you opt for, comment down below!

Happy dating!



Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx








Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Vegemite Endeavours || MaddyBeautyLove





I made no New Years Resolutions this year. I figured, that the list of yearly resolutions only have short term effects. So, you may be asking what does this have to do with Vegemite?

Last night I started to scour the internet for "Maddison-Friendly" recipes, which is one big challenge. (To put it shortly, I'm currently on a diet that excludes gluten, fructose and lactose). Turning 20 this year, I decided it was time to get my big girl apron on and finally learn how to create food and not settle for the boring packaged stuff…Sort of.

Armed with Vegemite, cheese and gluten free puffed pastry, I decided I'd start small with a recipe for Vegemite-cheese swirls. It was so simple and quick that even a child could do it, plus it was all things we had in our cupboard. So naturally, it was a success! I'm unsure whether my parents would brave a tasting though. But I couldn't resist. As soon as they were out of the oven I couldn't wait to take the first bite and ignoring all rules to let them sit to cool I ate one. Delish! Though they tasted much better when I dipped them generously in to some Guacamole dip. Naughty!




 Is there any amateur recepies that you can recommend? Happy cooking! 

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx




Friday, February 6, 2015

Cupid Love Soap ||MaddyBeautyLove





Cupid Love Soap Review



To add to my building collection of soaps, I couldn't resist picking up just one more. Cupid Love is a soap that Lush has released in time for Valentines Day. I've read some not quite so rave reviews about this soap when surfing the net, and it got me interested since soap is something that Lush has never faulted with for me. 

Price: 

$6.95/100g

Palm Oil Free, Vegan, Animal Cruelty Free.

My Thoughts:

This soap has the look and the consistency of sparkly, raspberry jelly. I still can't pin point what makes it so, but the texture is extremely squishy. At least it made it a dream to cut up in to smaller pieces.

The ingredients in this soap like the passion fruit juice, figs and soya yoghurt are meant to have vitamin B properties and super nourishing for your skin while the rosewood oil and cinnamon leaf oil is supposed to create a kind of spicy, woody aroma. Super weirdly, there is something about this soap that reminds me of pasta. Being ethically and economically conscience, they have also made this soap palm oil free by instead using coconut oil and rapseed oil, and of course there's no packaging. Making this soap completely guilt free! 

Because of the texture I doubted how well it would later up in the shower and it turns out I was right. Even with the aid of a loofah it didn't create the suds that I adore from Lush's other soaps. As an extension of this, I didn't find that the scent lingered on the skin at all when I left the shower. A positive of this is that it won't mix at all with any perfumes you might use for Valentines Day. 

Overall I find that this is one thing from Lush that I neither absolutely adore, nor dislike. The lack of nourishing lather and the fact that the scent doesn't linger on the skin (something I get from other Lush soaps is a little disappointing), but I like their choice of ingredients and the sweet scent. But of course the scent of something is always up to personal preference, so I definitely recommend popping in to a store and checking it out for yourself!



What are your thoughts on the Cupid Love soap?

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Finding My Prince Charming ||MaddyBeautyLove

"Oh Prince Charming, will you be my Valentine?"

 Prince Charming Shower-Gel

Review 

As you might have guessed, I've done a little bit crazy for the limited edition Lush range on my instagram (nice_n_spiffy). Well, today I'm back for yet another review following videos, instagram posts and blog posts coming from me left right and centre. 


"Prince Charming" certainly lives up to its name. It's sweet, but not candy like, its romantic while being fun. Pretty much what I look for in my Prince Charming…this is just a shower-gel version! 

The colour of this shower gel is a gorgeous dark pink that is more sensual than the pink you'll find in the Snow Fairy bottle. In fact, scent wise, I think that lovers and non-lovers of Snow Fairy will adore this Jaffa lolly like scent. Does anyone else smell Jaffa lollies when they smell this too? 

I must admit with ingredients like marshmallow root and vanilla pod, I was thinking something extremely creamy-yet sweet. However with the inclusion of the grapefruit and pomegranate oil, it's certainly more tangy. But, I won't complain. When you look at the benefits of the ingredients, it far out weighs what little disappointment I had. 

The vanilla pod that is used in this product is fair trade - a creamy scent that is also used in some other of my favourite products like American Cream hair conditioner. the vanilla pod mixes well with the marshmallow root to give it that sweet strong fragrance and what is great is that it's a humectant so it brings moisture in to your skin AND an anti-inflammatory! I love my vitamins in any form, so I was happy to find out that the grapefruit oil will not only clear my mind but tone my skin and add a little more vitamin C in to my day. The fresh organic pomegranate juice also works to cleanse and brighten your skin while the deliciousness that is almond oil, will work to soften your skin and add's some of that vitamin E goodness. 

Sounds great right? There's one more thing that I love. The sandalwood oil is sourced right here in Australia!

Another thing about this Shower Gel is that it's a great multi-tasker. Use it for the bath to create delicious bubbles and you can also use it to wash your hair! It's the ultimate scent enhancer and so delicious. 

I didn't find my skin as soft as if I had used The Olive Branch Shower Gel on my skin, but my arms and legs felt more toned and softer than when I stepped in to the shower. But the soft texture was such a pleasure to use. Needing no more than the amount of a 5cent piece, it created a gorgeous soft later. I know that this bottle will last me for months. 

I definitely recommend using the opportunity in store to try this soap on your skin for two reasons. What you smell in the bottle will not be how the product smells in the shower. I've heard a lot of people mention how much nicer it smells in the shower. For me, it was an extremely light smell in the shower. Secondly, you'll be able to suss out how moisturising it is on your skin and how/if it lingers after you've used it. As there are some people like me who love to have a shower gel linger on the skin, while others opt for ones which don't in fear it will overpower a perfume. Have no fear to the latter group of people. I found that this scent was almost undetectable when I left the shower. Even after softly patting my skin dry.

I purchased the 250g bottle for $16.50 knowing full well that I was likely going to fall in love with it too much for a small bottle to last me for the year. Don't be surprised if you see it a few times throughout the year in favourites! 

Have you thought about picking up Prince Charming? 
I'd love to know what you think of the scent! 

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx

Lush Valentines Day Collection ||MaddyBeautyLove


Lush Valentines Day Collection



It’s no secret that I am a Lush addict and as an extension an avid Bath user.
So it should be no surprise that weeks ago when pictures and Hauls were appearing from left, right and centre from bloggers in the UK – I started going a little crazy. So look what I have in my hot little hands!

Prince Charming Shower Gel:

I picked up the 250g bottle for $16.50 because the small bottle would not be enough. Like other Lush showergels, you won’t need an amount bigger than a 5 cent piece to create a nice lather over your skin. To me this showergel smells exactly like a jaffa lolly and it quite sweet in the bottle and the colour is the most gorgeous pink.


Cupid Love Soap:

I purchased a lovely chunk of this soap for $10.98 ($6.95/100g), not that I needed more soap! The soap looks like a beautiful piece of sparkly jelly. It feels like it too. You can almost mould the shape of it! There is something about this scent that somehow reminds me of pasta – I have no idea why. With passion fruit juice and soya yoghurt and figs this soap is ultra moisturising for your skin while also containing vitamin B and antioxidant properties. The rosewood oil is an essential oil that gives it it’s spicy wood aroma. Delish!
 What I love about Lush is that not only have they stopped using animal tallow in their soaps – they have also found an alternative for palm oil – coconut and rapeseed oil.


Floating Flower Bath Bomb:

Did you know that bath bombs like Floating Flower and Love Locket are actually made over several day? Think about the effort and time! Floating Flower is given the title of a slow fizzer and it goes for $6.75 which is a common price for the BB’s with lustre and colourful insides.  It shares the same scent as products like Flying Fox, Godiva Shapoo and Conditioner Bar, Lust perfume and Lustre Dusting Powder. This bath bomb is extremely strong in Jasmine Absolute, for me its almost off putting as I'm not a floral kind of gal. Jasmine Absolute is also believed  to have aphrodisiac and stress aid properties and mixed with ylang ylang and cypress oil it will a fun way to tone and calm the skin.



Love Locket Bath Bomb:

For this Bath Bomb you'll be forking out a whooping $8.95. It does contain a surprise bath bomb inside it’s gigantic body and I’ve seen people break this one up and split it in to a bath or two, which would give it a worth of around $4.45 per bath (cheaper than one use bath bombs). I picked up two of these because hey, it's a locket shaped bath bomb! I am still contemplating about what I'll decide – experience a whole one and separate the other in to a few bath? People have also noticed that with this bath bomb it’s an extremely fast fizzier. One thing is for sure it will give you a show. This baby is full of lusters, confetti, hearts and contains fair trade vanilla, jasmine absolute and neroli oil – all the products to tone your skin and give your mind a lift. In Tanya Burr's recent haul she named it her favourite!




Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar: They do exist!

You may have seen these once mythical items everywhere on social media recently (check mine out here) and that’s because they’re so darn cute! You can pick one of these up for $6.95 which is actually the cheapest price range of bubble bar available. Unicorn Horn is much smaller than what pictures from other countries have shown (it's a little smaller than Candy Mountain Bubble Bar), and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed, but it’s still beauteous. Like Floating Flower, this bubble bar is strong in Jasmine Absolute however it is much, much nicer. With ylang, ylang and neroli I am expecting one very relaxing bath. 



Heart Throb Bubble Bar:

If you love the scent of Lush's new in-shower body conditioner African Paradise, then the $7.50 to bathe in delicious African Paradise bubbles will be truly…paradise. Though it's not my favourite scent, the organic shea butter will do wonders to soften skin while the sicilian lemon oil will work on rejuvenating my outlook. It also contains the toning sweet floral scent of geranium oil and fair trade vanilla absolute. 




Lonely Heart Bubble Bar:

The least floral product from the collection, the ingredients of this one definitely caught my eye. For $6.95 you will be enveloped in gorgeous red, shimmery waters infused with bergamot oil, rose absolute, jasmine absolute and most deliciously, lemongrass! I picked up two of these! 


Are you looking to pick anything up from the Valentines Day range? 

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx 

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Lonely Heart Bubble Bar (Lush Limited Edition) ||MaddyBeautyLove

Lonely Heart Bubble Bar Review




When I think 'Lonely Heart', I can’t think of anything but Marina and the Diamonds’ song Lonely Hearts Club
Though the design is nothing special, it's the essential oils that grabbed my attention. I didn't even smell it before deciding on two for $6.95 each. It is unlike the rest of the range as it is not dominated by tangy floral scents. 

It’s refreshing and uplifting with bergamont oil, rose absolute (thought by many to be an aphrodisiac), jasmine absolute and most importantly, lemongrass oil. Which gives it a lemon like aroma and is used in armotherapy as a kind of stress reliever. So I left the bath in high spirits. It is also toning on the skin, which is something I noticed.

I like using bubble bars alongside other bath bombs as I feel like they don’t give my bath enough excitement and the majority of them don't contain the ingredients to give your skin ultra nourishment.

The size of this one is actually quite small – and for last nights bath I couldn’t decided on which bath bomb, so I went without and used the whole bubble bar instead of the usual half.

I was happy with the bubbles that it created, though I notched it didn't take long for them to disappear. But I didn’t use the best method – I always forget to cruble the bubble bar in to the water and then run the water over the top of it.

The bath turned a nice red and with a smaller bath – it would become a nice, deep rich, romantic red. Not a deep purple red, more like red cordial or raspberry jelly. What I loved was the light reflecting on the lustre it was super pretty and absolutely mesmarising. I felt like a kitten chasing a string.


Now to address the lustre. This bubble bar, like the rest of the Valentines Day range contains lustre. I found that this lustre was just an overspray – so if you’re desperate to use it, just rinse it off first right down the sink and your bath will be lustre free. 

The scent of Lonely Heart does follow you when you leave the bath and when you softly pat-dry your skin, the scent and the lustre should linger for a good while. Though I always follow my baths with Moisturiser – but there is a slight tanginess that still shines through.

I didn’t find this bubble bar extremely nourishing – something I didn't expect when you study the ingredients, but I still enjoyed the soft water and my skin felt toned when I got out. I didn't find my skin irritated, even the severely dry skin along my shoulders. 

I can imagine sharing a romantic bath with a significant other using this bubble bar complete with some wine, dark chocolate and rose petals scattered around – I promise the red colour won't make a man shake in his boots.

Now for bath care! People might be afraid to touch such a bright coloured product from fear that it will turn their bath red.  I can happily say that it does no such thing. Besides the lustre, the bath leaves no trace of a red bubble bar having been in there. Though i have heard of people leaving their bath water in the tub over night and I highly discourage this. What I do is wipe the bath down with a face towel when I let the water out – no fuss!

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx