COMPLETE SUMMER FAVOURITES

Summer is out and Autumn is here (doesn't feel like it though.. I'm craving some colder weather), in Australia! Summer was amazing, filled with good times with friends and family (and not a lot of studying), as well as some new beauty, hair and skincare finds:


NUDE BY NATURE 8 PIECE BRUSH SET: This brush set is absolutely amazing! The kit has 7 brushes and 1 sharpener, which are all great quality. The brushes are all super soft although for me, the eye brushes (there's a shader brush for all over the lid and one for blending) are a tad too big for my small eyes. My favourite brush is the kabuki brush (as pictured). It's great for applying powder and even after owning it for over a year, it hasn't shed! This kit is definitely a steal at only $29.95!

PROTANE MOROCCAN ARGAN OIL: Now, this is the first Argan Oil that I've tried and I'm usually put off by the expensive price tag, but I found this gem in Aldi for only $9.95! I considered trying the Moroccanoil Original because of its popularity, but I looked at the ingredients and they are basically the same (Moroccanoil Original actually has more ingredients, mostly fragrances). The actual Argan Oil portion of both products are third on the ingredients list (meaning that it's the third dominant ingredient if that makes any sense), so why would I pay 4 times more?! Anyway, the Protane Moroccan Argan Oil is a great product, making my hair super smooth and doesn't weigh it down. My go-to hair style in summer was just to sleep in plaits for nice waves to avoid more heat. By applying this to towel-dried hair, plaiting it and then sleeping, my hair was shiny and without frizz the next day! Perfect for those who are lazy when it comes to hair like me!

ST. IVES BLEMISH CONTROL SCRUB: I have combination/oily skin, so I am quite prone to breakouts. This is the second bottle of this scrub I've purchased and I still love it! The granules are pretty coarse so you don't need heaps of this product, but still gives a thorough clean. It is quite abrasive, so I only use this 2-3 times a week at most. This also contains 2% of salicylic acid which is a chemical exfoliator that is great for acne and also has anti-inflammatory properties. The smell is quite nice too (especially for summer) and this scrub is inexpensive too! 

RIMMEL STAY MATTE PRESSED POWDER: After seeing Tanya Burr using this in countless videos, I had to get one for myself to see for myself. I have it in 'Translucent' and it's great! In the summer, I don't like a full face of foundation, so I would just keep it minimal by covering blemishes with concealer and this powder over it. It kept my skin looking even, not cakey and best of all.. matte! Many powders tend to wear off after a couple of hours, but I've found that this can keep my makeup in place for about 5 hours. It also doesn't leave a white cast on my face like other translucent powders have done. The packaging isn't the best, but the cheap price makes up for it!

FACE OF AUSTRALIA GLOSSY LIP CRAYON in 'RASPBERRY COULIS': Lip crayons and stains have become super popular recently. Face of Australia had a sheer lip crayon (I think in 2012), which I love and when I saw these new lip crayons I had to get one! These aren't the same as the sheer lip crayons though, they are a lot more pigmented (obviously) but still have a lovely consistency that is glossy, yet not sticky. They glide onto the lips nicely however they do slightly sink into the cracks of your lips. In the range, I have heard that some are more sheer than others, however I love Raspberry Coulis! It is a bright pink (for me), though more on wearable side. They don't tend to last for a long time sadly before it needs to be re-applied, only for an hour or 2 (at most) before it leaves a nice sheer layer of colour. It's so cheap though at $4.95 and Raspberry Coulis is the perfect summer pink!

FoA Lip Crayon in Raspberry Coulis

BOURJOIS COLOUR BOOST LIP CRAYON in ORANGE PUNCH: Can you see a trend here? I really love lip crayons. In the summer, they are so easy to apply and you don't have to worry about them 'melting' off. The Bourjois lip crayon is no exception! I have it in Orange Punch which is a rosy coral shade rather than a bright orange shade. It feels a bit stickier than the Face of Australia lip crayon, however it does have SPF 15 and lasts a lot longer; usually about 2-2.5 hours though it loses its gloss after about an hour. These lip crayons claim to be waterproof, which it is true but it does slightly wear off like most lip products would. It doesn't live to the 10 hour claim of hydration, but nevertheless they are great! 

Bourjois Lip Crayon in Orange Punch

MAYBELLINE MASTER PRECISE LINER in 'BLACKEST BLACK': Liquid liners are perfect in summer! This Maybelline Master Precise Liner lasts all day and has a super thin tip. It can create a perfect wing or just define your eye with a thin line near the base of your lashes. This liner however does slightly fade when it is a super hot day after a good 3 hours or so (I do have oily eyelids too). It has great pigmentation and my holy grail liquid liner.

LUSH TEA TREE WATER: This Lush toner is my absolute favourite, especially in the sweltering summer heat. On my makeup free days (which is quite frequent in the summer), my skin gets oily and shiny due to the heat, but this toner can control my oily skin. I find that this product is gentle and doesn't sting when applied to your skin and it is 100% alcohol free! Rather than zapping your zits away overnight, this product controls your oil over time and therefore prevents breakouts over time. It also clears up your skin so you aren't left with makeup or cleanser on your skin. It's in a spray bottle, so you can spray directly onto your face or use a cotton ball and apply to your face. 

LUCAS' PAPAW OINTMENT: I feel like this a staple product for all Australians and probably many around the world. It has so many uses including using it for dry skin, cuts and grazes but I use it for my chapped lips. It provides a nice gloss to the lips and nourishes them so nicely. It's nice to use this product in the summer when you don't want to add a layer of colour, but still want your lips to be moisturised and look glossy. It's so cheap and I can never leave the house without this product! 

MAYBELLINE COLOUR TATTOO in 'BARELY BRANDED': I think everyone either has or knows about this product and how amazing it is, so I'll keep this short. Barely Branded is a lovely champagne colour which can be applied as an eyeshadow base, or just as a wash of colour all over your lid (like I did all through the summer). It brightens the eye and lasts for a long time, which can compliment most skin colours! I have heard that this creases but I haven't had it crease on me! It has a good pigmentation, that can be applied more sheer or very heavily. 

MAYBELLINE COLOUR SHOW NAIL COLOUR in 'PORCELAIN PARTY': This summer, I tried white nail polish. You either love it or hate it, but I love it! In the summer it makes you look tanner and something about it makes me feel somewhat.. edgy. Anyway, a lot of white nail polishes aren't opaque but this one by Maybelline is very pigmented! It does need two coats and can be streaky sometimes (a coat of a good top coat fixes this) but I still love it. 

AUSTRALIS NAIL COLOUR in 'CITRUS': This Australis product definitely impressed me. The formula is perfect; not streaky, great pigmentation, quick drying, perfect peachy orange (not Citrus like the name suggests)! You can seal this polish with a top coat, but it's not a must. It is a lovely colour for the summer and spring, especially for beach days and stays on for about 2-3 days with a top coat.

'Porcelain Party' on the top, 'Citrus' on the bottom

That's all! Thank you for putting up with me and my first ever post! Hopefully you enjoyed and got some inspiration! What are your favourite summer products? Tell me below!
Have a lovely day!
Iris :)