Where to find affordable, good quality brushes

Affordable and quality brushes

Often some of the best things can be found in the last places we think to look. This can certainly said for make up brushes. Many sets and individual brushes, especially the likes of mac, stigma and bars brushes can be super pricey. However, I have found brush sets on eBay and Aliexpress that are amazingly soft, great quality and under $10NZD!

These brushes are great at applying product, don't hold too much loose powder, and are easy cleaning, I believe I grabbed all these above for $8NZD, which is an absolute bargain! And on top of all that-free shipping! Brushes of this type are available in all different sizes, brush types, set sizes and colours on the following sites :

Ebay

Aliexpress

Quick tips:

For the best of eBay make sure to pop the search into lowest price and shipping, select new items only and buy now rather than auction.

For Aliexpress make sure you are only buying on set off brushes, not 5!

I hope this has helped you out, and you no longer feel the stress of $60 per brush!

Thanks for reading,

Love Becca :)

xo

Sleek eyeshadow palettes-are they worth it?

Review: Sleek eyeshadow palettes

I was really excited to get my Sleek palette, in the Shangri-La collection supreme , but I have to say I'm am a little disappointed!While the colours look beautiful in the palette, the lighter shades are less impressive when I swatched them.

Never the less, I endured in an attempt to create a bold yellow look, with 

Grand Master Flash 

as a base colour and 

Delfonic and Shangrila's lemon to compliment Bronx black. 

 However, on applying the colour I had little pay off and had to apply the product several times, still with little result! The colour would fade pretty soon after application. The colour I will give credit to is Bronx Black, which has create colour pay off, and is silky smooth. 

The other colours were a bit of let down too. I was really excited for the beautiful Blue suede and La Belle Blue (the two on the far left), but found they settled into my creases, were streaky and again had little colour reward (P.S this was with a primer). However I do have to give credit to some of the darker shades, which had much more promising colour rewards.

Overall, whilst I did enjoy some of the darker shades of this palette I was really let down by the brighter colours, which had looked sunning at first glance. However,  I still find myself really wanting to like Sleek, because the colours that did pull through were beautiful.  Because of this I would say if you really want a palette, I would recommend one that focuses on darker shades.

Thanks for reading!

Love Becca :)

xo

Recent purchases

RECENT PURCHASES

xo Beauty lashes

Gerard Cosmetics, 1995 lipstick by Jaclyn Hill

"Help! I have money for another beauty product I must have, but I just don't know what to buy!" I here you say? 

Not to worry, I present to you the xo Beauty lashes and Gerard Cosmetics lipstick.

I recently purchased myself a pair of the "Romantic" false lashes for a bargain $6. 99NZD, along with the Duo false eyelash glue for $12. 00NZD, which is an investment, I assure you. To start with the glue, I purchased it in dark but I do recommend the clear for less of a mess, and less need for two- inch eyeliner ;) However, the tube comes with a very generous amount of glue that will last you awhile.

I also really love these lashes as they have a clear, comfortable band, and are lovely and soft, comfortable and are made of real hair. Now, if you are not after the dramatic and rather 'showy' looking eye, I would recommend another type of lash as I found the "romantic" a bit too much for  daytime time wear, but other than that I have no complaints. 

These lashes are designed by New Zealander, and you tuber Shannon Harris (Shaaanxo), so it's always good to support a local, plus it means cheaper shipping of $4NZD.

Purchase your own pair here :)

Another purchase which just arrived is my Gerard Cosmetics 1995 lipstick by Jaclyn Hill, which I picked up from whitening lightening for I believe $20USD. This lipstick is described as the 'Kylie Jenner' lip colour, and I have to say this is very true to form. While appearing a slightly darker shade of red than I imagined, i still love this colour and its perfect for winter/autumn and those colder months, or a dark berry summer lip (if thats what your feeling).  The formula for this lipstick is creamy smooth, and rather moisturising. It also comes in the most gorgeous gold tube, a total must have!

Get it here 

Once again, thanks for reading!

Love Becca :)

xo

Top beauty products of September :)

Here are some of the best beauty products of September, that I absolutely love!

Batiste Dry Hair Shampoo

Available in a range of types and scents, this is the best dry shampoo i have ever used. Having dark brown hair, dry shampoo previously drove me mad as it would leave a white, flaky reside coating my roots. Batiste, however have a dark brown range that blends perfectly and leaves no sign!

 It also has a pleasant scent, easy application spray nozzle and is available in a wide variety including scented , volumising 'big oomph', tinted, and the revitalising range.

Useful links:

Batiste website

Where to purchase in New Zealand:

Farmers

The Warehouse

  Internationally:

Asos

Whitening Lightening Brow Bar

I have previously mentioned Whitening Lightening, and how much I love their products, and of course the brow bar to go. This wee cutie is compact and great for travel and also gives my brows an amazing finish with a powder that clings to my brow hair, rather than coating the skin underneath them. With two shades in each bar and a gel to hold the brow hair in place through out the day, the brow bar is a must have!

 P.S It's also cruelty free :)

 Where to find it: Whitening Lightening

Olay Regenerist Skin Care brush

The Olay Regenerist skin care brush has been an absolute life-saver for my skin lately! It's great for cleansing my skin, leaves my face feeling soft and refreshed and even comes with a cleanser and batteries, score! I grabbed this for $21NZD on special, but it usually retails for around $35NZD. I love this so much I would call it a much cheaper dupe for the clarisonic.

New Zealand stockers: The Warehouse

Australia: 

Chemist Warehouse

Priceline

Find out more:Olay webpage

Real Techniques Brushes,

By Samantha Chapman

Now, I was slow to jump on the bandwagon with these ones, but once my brush kit arrived I was amazed. These brushes are super soft, have great application and handle length and they also disperse product really well. After an even application, i find that my blush or powder does not stay on the bristles (unlike some of my other brushes), nor has it lodged it self down in the base of the brush. It is instead, miraculously, on my face! For this reason, and the fact that they are very well priced, I absolutely recommend these brushes. 

International purchase:

IHerb, 6 piece set

IHerb, all brushes

Global Soaps

This local Nelson, New Zealand soap maker is one of my favourites for really great prices, great smelling soaps, bath fizzes and massage bars that make my skin feel wonderful. They offer a range of bath and skin amenities and are worth checking out, and unlike lush, their scents are not overwhelming. They also have reasonable shipping and ship internationally.

           Find them here: Global Soap

Here we have it, my best beauty products for September

Thanks for reading!

Love Becca :)

xo


Say hello!
Instagram: beccamay19

Review on Chi Chi Cosmetics

This is one review I am happy to make!

Quite a few New Zealand you tubers have raved about the amazingness of Chi Chi and I felt I had to try it for myself. My two favourites I have tried so far are the Fabulous and flawless foundation and the 'bronze wall of shimmer', facial highlighter. 

The fabulous and flawless foundation comes in a soft polish, solid glass bottle, with a handy dispenser pump. Made in Italy, the consistency of the formula is to die for. Not only does it provide a flawless finish (as promised!), but also has a really lovely fresh smell, and feel to it that is super hydrating on the face. The coverage is medium to full, with the ability to build it up, and as far as I have found, it doesn't build up around the pores/nose area, or leave my skin feeling oily or dry (I have  normal to dry skin).  

I did purchase this for I believe $45-$50NZD from Farmers department store (steep I know!), but it can be purchased from their website for $29.95 (much better!) In short this the foundation that makes me feel as though I'm wearing no foundation, but still gives great coverage, totally recommend!

 I also love this facial highlighter, which comes in adorable packaging, and an easy handling, pop open front. With shades that range from a shimmery white through golden tones, this highlighter reflects beautifully, and also has a subtle hint or glimmer to it (nothing to extreme, don't worry). I also purchased this from farmers for $25NZD, but it is available for $20 on their website. Another fact I love about Chi Chi is that they don't test on animals.

All in all I have found the quality of Chi Chi's products to be amazing, and I can' t wait to try out more from them!

Find them here: Chi Chi cosmetics

You can also purchase Chi Chi from Farmers: Farmers: Chi Chi

Side Note: I promise this is not a sponsored post, or shameless promotion, rather I just want to spread my love and recommendation!

Thanks for reading,

Becca :)

xo

P.S Come see me 

Instagram: Beccamay19

Review of Hello hair and Frank Coffee Scrub :)

REVIEW:

Frank Coffee scrub:

This cheeky wee coffee scrub has been doing the rounds on Instagram lately, and of course I found myself curious to see if it really worked. I am pleased to tell you that it lived up to my expectations!  This 200g of coffee scrub comes in three flavours: sweet almond orange, cacao coffee, and coconut and grape seed. The resealable brown, waterproof bag is also super handy!

This scrub is great for smooth, baby soft skin and also reducing the appearance of stretch marks, cellulite and skin problems such as eczema, acne and varicose veins. I would recommend when using it in the shower that you prepare for a wee bit of a mess with the coffee grounds easily spreading. However, this is easily solved if you have a detachable shower head.  

If you use this in reasonable amounts, it can also be spread quite a way, and as such is good value for money ranging between $15-$18 AUD, with free shipping to Australia and New Zealand (Hooray!) 

To Frank's website: http://au.frankbody.com

However, if you prefer the homemade in terms of body scrubs, here is an easy scrub recipe :)

You will need:

-Sugar (White) or salt (dependant on how fine you would like the scrub to be)

- Food colouring (I recommend a pink or light red)

-Natural plant based oil (olive oil or sunflower are best) 

-Jar for storing

-Mixing bowl and spoon that food colouring will not seep into

Instructions:

Mix together a fair amount of sugar/salt (go by how much you feel you need), enough oil to hold the sugar/salt together and a few drops of food colouring, stirring until you reach a nice consistency. 

Tip: add only small amounts of food colouring at a time, its easy to over-do it. 

For more recipes, click below :)

body scrub recipes

Hello Hair:

This Hello Hair hydrating treatment is another beauty product doing the rounds on social media, but I'm sad to say I am not as excited about this as I am with Frank. A mix of coconut, argan and almond oil, it's pleasing to see this product is also 100% natural and vegan. It also smells great, and has a nice consistency. However, I found that when I applied the product to my hair, massaging in at both roots and my dry ends as recommended, my hair became greasy, even after a few washes in an attempt to reduce this grease. While the product was reasonable at treating my damaged hair, the greasy outcome was very off-putting, especially for $15.

If  you still wish to purchase this product find it here: http://hellohair.com.au

Thanks for reading 

Love Becca :)

xo

Find me here: 

Instagram: Beccamay19

Top 5 perfume recommendations

Hi blog-arinoes!

Welcome to my top 5 perfume recommendations!
Out of all of my perfumes, these are my absolute favourites, and have proven popular with many other people too.

1. Daisy, Eau so Fresh
 by Marc Jacobs

This perfume not only smells amazing, but the bottle is beautiful! The oversized gold cap is adorned by 6 rubberised daises, with a sneaky pop of yellow. This sweet fruity floral scent is perfect for spring, or during the day.

2. Viva La Juicy,
 by Juicy Couture

This wonderful bottle has a quality appeal with its solid glass, golden crest and large pink bow. With its sweet, floral smell and undertones of vanilla and caramel, it makes great wearing in summer, and as both a day and night scent.



3. Reb'l Fleur,
By Rihanna

I do have to admit, this bottle is not one of my favourites, but the combination of floral tones, crisp powder, coconut and slight musk are huge redeeming factors.  Reb'l Fleur has a certain warmth to it that makes it perfect for a night out or autumn/winter months.










4. Wonderstruck,
By Taylor Swift

The bottle is very cute, with an opalescent purple colour and a golden chain with small figurines attached. The scent also stays true to the bottle, with a very, very sweet honeysuckle, fruit and vanilla mixture. While I love this smell, I would not recommend it for those who are looking for a more mature signature scent! Great as a playful spring or summer perfume.




5. Midnight Fantasy,
By Britney Spears




Now, as I'm sure many of you know Britney makes great perfumes, and this is absolutely one of them! Fruity, sweet and a little bit nutty (seems like a good description of Britney, actually) this perfume comes in a rhinestone bottle with a plastic, light purple bottle collar to match. I love how playful and versatile this scent is!

Of course, this is only my opinion, and I would love to hear what your favourite perfumes are in the comments!

If your looking for any further reviews on these perfumes, or any others you have been eyeing up, I recommend this website:

 Fragrantica

Just pop in the search bar the name of the perfume your interested in!

Also, here are some perfume retailers I recommend :)

Farmers Department store: Farmers perfume department

Perfume NZ:Perfume NZ (also have reasonable shipping)

Thanks for reading!

Love Becca :)

xo

P.S Come find me

Instagram: Beccamay19