Big Sunscreen News for Australians

During a visit to my dermatologist late last year, she gave me some good news about sunscreens in Australia. I have always been big on sunscreens I wear them every single day, whether rain, hail or sunshine. I use them during winter and summer. But I had to always buy my sunscreens from overseas because in Australia the highest sunscreen available was 30+. I have freckles on my nose when I first came to Australia and the dermatologist said they were cause from the sun so the only thing I could do to stop them from getting darker was to wear sunscreen.

So now Australia have a new higher SPF range available locally. I have so far seen ads from both Neutrogena and Nivea. But I sure that more brands will be available soon. I have gone to a few shops around my area but I have still not seen these new sunscreens on the shelves. 

Etude House Vitamin C O2 White - REVIEW

"Whitening" skincare is all the rage in Asia, and it seems that all brands have a "whitening" skincare line. I know that most westerns love the idea of tanning but it's just not for me. When I buy "whitening" skincare, I'm noting wanting to lighten my face, but more to brighten it. For experience most whitening skincare doesn't work or if they do it's not major or long term. Which is why I think they should be looked at for their brightening effect rather than their whitening. 

A long time ago I brought this kit from Etude House, during a 30% off sale on G-market, but I seemed to have forgotten about it. Until recently when I opened a box of my unused skincare products and found it.       

SK-II Skin Signature Cream - REVIEW

Being a full time student with a part-time job, it's really hard to just walk up to a high end makeup/skincare counter and just buy what you need. This becomes even harder if you live in Australia, for some reason the prices are just insanely more expensive. Which is why I love shopping online the prices are better and I don't have to deal with pushy assistants, and long queues. Which brings me to how I came to buy one of the most expensive face creams that I have ever brought.

Which is why when a good deal comes along it's very hard for me to say no. I could never have paid full price for this cream, but when Cosme-de.com were having a sale I couldn't pass it up. Cosme-de.com were selling a $30 off coupon for $3, all you had to do was spend over $100. I think I brought 3 or 4 during the time.

SaSa.com Haul

SaSa.com is my weakness, I just seem to find my self browsing the site and checking out the new stock and the clearance sections all the time. Recently, they were having free shipping if you purchase $19 or more. Which is great considering that shipping to Australia costs $6, if you spend more than $75 you get free shipping.

I was running low on haircare products so I thought I should buy some back ups. So this haul is basically just haircare products. I love to try out different shampoos and conditioners all the time, some people say that is bad and that we should stick to just one product. While others say that we should switch them to avoid product build up. I don't know which one to go by but I get bored of a product by the end, so I'm always trying new products.

 

Make Up Academy - HAUL

A while ago MUA had a 35% off sale with free international shipping. The whole line is already affordable but, come on who doesn't love a sale. However, there were some difficulties with the site while they were having this sale. The whole site crashed and then it closed down, a few days later MUA posted on their Facebook page that they will be extending the sale and told everyone to not go onto the site just yet so that they can  get it fixed.

Thankful they got it fixed and everything was still in stock, while the site was still slow I managed to grab the two eyeshadow pallets that everyone on YouTube was talking about, Undressed and Heaven & Earth. I have also heard great things about their single eye-shadows so I got some too. I quickly checked out. I then got an e-mail confirming my order was successful. I knew that Great Britain has slow shipping, so I wasn't expecting it to come within 20 days.

WotNot Face Wipes

I don't know how I came to find this brand but I did and at the right time too. WotNot are having a little promotion right now. You can try out their facial wipes for free all you have to do is send them your empty packet of facial wipes and they will send you a pack of WotNot wipes. You can also walk into and of the participating WotNot stockist and hand them in personally.   

I don't live close to any of the participating stores so I sent my in the mail. I sent them my empty  Australis 3 in 1 wipes, which were really crappy, in late November and I waited and waited. Until last week when I got an e-mail from a WotNot representative telling me that I have registered but they have still not received my package, so I informed her that I did send them. She was so kind and told to to just e-mail her my name and address and she will send them to me. I think that is great customer service. I got them on Friday and was so happy.  

This brand is all natural and when it comes to facial wipes most others just contain loads of chemicals, so to find a more natural kind is really refreshing.

        "Australian certified organic aloe vera, rosehip and sweet almond oils gently remove     
         impurities, make-up even waterproof mascara. Free from harsh drying chemicals."  

The promotion is still going on so go check it out at, www.aboutfacecampaign.com.au

Love,
Sakura

E.L.F Eye Enhancing Eyeshadow - REVIEW

I have a review and swatches for you guys about the E.L.F Eye Enhancing Eyeshadows. They are designed for different eye colours, so they come in blue eyes, brown eyes and hazel/green eyes. While shopping at E.L.F, I picked up a three, one from each eye collection.  They come in a sturdy plastic case with a decent sized mirror. They cost $6.00 each, but I got them during a 50% off sale.

 I have to say that I'm not too pleased with them, they do not have good pigmentation and they do not blend the best. I would recommend the single eye shadows from E.L.F to these. I have swatched them below, I used the Etude House Eye Primer.

 

Blue Eyes 2

This is a really good pallet to take you from day to night. From left to right:
1- a navy with huge blue glitter, without eye primer the pigmentation is bad, but with primer it pops.
2- a pearly sea foam blue, soft good pigmentation, minimal fallout.
3- pearly light grey, very soft bad pigmentation without primer, massive fallout.
4- pearly cream very soft good pigmentation, massive fallout.
5- pearly gold. soft, great pigmentation, massive fallout.
6- pearly rose gold, great pigmentation, minimal fallout.

 

Brown Eyes 2

From left to right:
1- pearly chocolaty brown, it's very smooth to the touch, good payoff, no fallout.
2- a purplish taupe with chunks of green glitter that does not stay put. Good payoff, with minimal fallout.
3- frosty peach, OK pigmentation, minimal fallout.
4- matte cream, very chalky, bad pigmentation.
5- matte lavender with chunks of gold and blue glitter that do not stay. It's very chalky, bad pigmentation.
6-  matte plum, very chalky, bad pigmentation, minimal fallout.

  

Hazel/Green Eyes 2

From left to right.

1- a green/grey with chunks of gold, blue and green glitter that do not stay put. Very dry to the touch but once you layer it, its not that bad. 

2- a pearly green olive, very soft and good pigmentation once it is built up.

3- a pearly taupe, great pigmentation, very soft but has massive fallout.

4- a pearl white good pigmentation but massive fallout.

5- a duo chrome matte pink, pigmented but tend to create loads of fallout.

6- a pearly plum with chunky gold glitter, very dry, OK pigmentation.

Love,

Sakura