Empties #1

One of my goals of 2015 is to minimise the clutter and make do with what I already have. To achieve this, I have set myself the task of using up my current boatload of beauty and makeup products to clear out my overstuffed draws, and eventually lead a more minimalistic routine. So far I’ve made my way a though products and I thought I would share my thoughts on a few things that have recently made their way to my recycling bin.

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January Favourites

The end of January sure has come around quickly, and now we have entered the second month of the year! How has this happened so fast? With January going by in a blink of an eye I feel as though I haven’t had the opportunity to collect so many favourites for the month, but I have noticed a few products that I have been loving over the month which I have been inseparable from.

Three Minute Makeup

Some morning I just don’t have the time or energy to fuss around with elaborate makeup looks, but I still want to look as though I have my life together and haven’t just rolled out of bed. For those days, my go-to east makeup look usually consists of the follow foolproof products. I have chosen these products for their versatility and ease of application.

Evening Skincare Routine

To compliment my recent post where I discussed my easy morning skincare routine, I thought I would let you in on my evening routine. In the evening my focus is quite a bit different: I’m not in a rush to run out the door so I like to take care and use the process as part of my evening wind-down and relaxation process.

Morning Skincare Routine

Although I would call myself a morning person, I am usually in a rush to get ready and get out the door for work. So, for me, a fuss free skincare routine is exactly what I aim for.

Healthy Mango Muffins

I’m still on the healthy eating bandwagon and have loved experimenting in the kitchen with healthy snacks full of sweet summer fruit, but low in the bad stuff. I had a few mangoes hanging around the house that were slowly getting soft, and I wanted to make the most of the summer-y goodness and put together a healthy snack at the same time.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of butter, melted
• 3/4 cup of Splenda or Stevia (or sugar)
• 2 mangoes (if mangoes aren’t in season you can use 2 cups of frozen mango pieces instead)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of wholemeal flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius and prepare your muffin casings. Peel the mangoes and dice into pieces. Process 2/3 of the diced mango in a food processor to make a puree.
2. Mix together the melted butter and sugar. Add the pureed mango, egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add in the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and combine.
4. Once combined, add the remaining 1/3 of the mango pieces and mix together.
5. Fill the muffin cups with batter. For extra something special, I like to add one extra dice on top of the muffin for decoration.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, then devour!

A Fresh and Clean Start to 2015

Many people make New Years resolutions, and yes, I’m no different. I have set myself the task of eating better, cutting out the rubbish, and getting fit. The usual stuff. Along my travels, I came across a Perth company called the Pure Glow Cleanse, which offers juices and detox programs to cleanser the mind and body. But I wasn’t too quick to jump on the juice detox bandwagon, so I decided to do my homework.

Liebster and Versatile Blogger Awards

I was recently nominated by justanotheranimefan for a Liebster Award and by Becca from beckinablog for a Versatile Blogger Award, which I am very excited and humbled to receive. Both of these awards provide an opportunity for small blogs and newcomers to blogging to link up with similar blogs. It fosters a sense of community between bloggers and is a way to recognise great blogs in the making. For the Liebster Award, if you are nominated, you have the option to respond to the award by answering the 11 questions provided by the nominator, provide 11 facts about yourself, then nominate other bloggers with less and 1,000 follows by giving them 11 questions to answer. The Versatile Blogger Award has a similar requirement, where you share 7 facts about yourself, then nominate others for the award too. As both awards are quite similar, I thought I would roll my responses into one.

Hourglass Opaque Rogue Liquid Lipstick

 

(From top to bottom: Canvas, Rose, Ballet)

I took a gamble the other day at Mecca when I picked up the Hourglass Opaque Rogue Liquid Lipstick in Rose. This was my first liquid lipstick experience, and to be honest, I was a little skeptical – I didn’t see any difference between a liquid lipstick and a lipgloss, and to be honest I hadn’t had many good experiences with the latter. My entire lip product experience has been revolutionised as a result of this product. It changed my life so quickly that I promptly went back to the stores to pick up two more colours: Canvas and Ballet. So why the sudden change? 

Post-Party Season Beauty Rescue

As party season finally wraps it, it’s time to pause and assess the damage. There’s no doubt that the many cocktail evenings and lavish dinners with friends and family are great, but the toll it can take on our bodies can be extreme. If you, like me, are looking a little worse for wear after the Christmas and New Year, try some of these quick fixes.