Affordable makeup picks that you should try!

I'm really liking this whole writing and blogging stuff, it's very inspiring and exciting, and I feel like I have lots of things to share!
Today, I came up with this post about the affordable makeup that I would recommend to a friend, or anyone, really. So I decided to go with as full a face of makeup as I can, without straying from drugstore/affordable products (can you actually get affordable makeup somewhere that is not a drugstore? lol). So let's get it started:


-Primer: First things first! Although I don't always wear it, it's definitely a must if you're going out at night, or plan on moving a lot, or you know your makeup is gonna move around a bit. My pick here is the NYX Pore Filler. It's meant to "reduce the appearance of your pores (...). The perfect pre-foundation basecoat, this talc-free oil-free formulation includes Vitamin E to smooth and enhance your skin". So yes, it's perfect for skin that is a bit oily or combination. In my case, I got it at a time when my skin was a lot more oily than it is now, so maybe it's not the most ideal primer if your skin has a dry tendency, because it has a bit of a siliconey feel, but it does the job at keeping makeup in place and giving you smooth and poreless skin. If your skin is a bit more on the dry side, I would probably go with something like the Angel Veil (NYX as well), because it apparently gives more of a glowy finish, but I can't really recommend it because I haven't tried it. 




-Foundation: This is probably one of the most important steps, because if you're anything like me, you want your foundation to have a decent amount of coverage and be very lightweight at the same time. There is nothing worse than the kind of foundation that makes you feel like you're wearing a mask, so my favourite of all time would have to be the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation (quite a long name haha). I love this one because it's SO affordable, it has an amazing coverage but it doesn't look like a mask, it has a nice shade match (trust me, I'm super pale and there's lots of foundations that look too orange on me), it lasts really well, and it has a nice finish that's not too glowy and not too matte. I've heard some people say that it's similar to the Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation, but I haven't tried it yet. So definitely, if you can give this a try, do it, because you won't regret it.




-Concealer: I'm definitely picky when it comes to this, because there is just SO many cheap concealers that crease and look cakey or some that oxidize and go orange or some that are one colour when you put them on, and then when you walk out the door, they are a completely different one. But definitely one that you can trust is Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer. It's a concealer that goes on very smoothly, it's easy to blend, and it covers what it needs to cover. It probably won't help if you didn't sleep at all the night before, but it is really good at covering eye circles and brightening the area, making you look more awake and happy! I think I've gone through at least three bottles of this, and I would definitely buy it again.







-Powder: It's difficult to find an affordable powder that doesn't look cakey or way too matte once you put it on, but one that you can trust is Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. This stuff really works, it sets your makeup in place, it doesn't leave you looking like a wax figure and it lasts. It's probably not recommendable for dry skin types, but for oily and combination, it gives you a matte finish that doesn't look fake at all. Its "natural minerals minimise the appearance of pores. Gives a smooth, shine free finish. Normal to oily skin types. Non chalky matte finish".









-Mascara: I seriously can't remember the last time I bought a high-end mascara. I just found out that high-street mascaras do an amazing job (sometimes even better than expensive ones) and the prices is definitely worth it. I usually pick waterproof formulas, because it holds the curl of my lashes all day long. My favourite at the moment is the Maybelline Rocket Volum' Express Mascara. This is awesome when it comes to lenghtening and giving volume to your lashes. My lashes are very fair, and this definitely makes them look like 3 times longer. It's been my favourite for maybe a couple of years, and it's definitely worth it.








-Blush/Eyeshadow: So I'm not a big eyeshadow person on a daily basis, which is why I put it together with blush. I used to think that you just couldn't get decent blush or eyeshadow for an affordable price, That was until I discovered Sleek Makeup. This is hands down a freaking amazing brand! They have an amazing dupe for the NARS Orgasm Blush, (it's the Rose Gold Blush) for half the price, or maybe even less. It is just amazing and I'm so glad I found it, because their eyeshadows are just as amazing. I have been using one of the i-Divine Palettes. They are super pigmented, super affordable, blend really well for the price, and come in beautiful, beautiful colours. If you haven't tried this brand yet, I would definitely recommend giving it a try.





-Liquid Eyeliner: This is just something else. Tell me how hard it is to find a good liquid eyeliner and not having to pay a fortune! But there is one that does an amazing job. It is waterproof, it is quite black, it doesn't go everywhere, it lasts really well and it is VERY precise. It is a good way of achieving a really good cat-eye (because there's so many eyeliners that just don't let you get a good one). The felt tip is good quality, it's not like others that just tend to split or get this kinda bend on the end that just forces you to throw them in the bin. So this wonder is the Essence Eyeliner Pen Waterproof. It's just amazing, like I've said. My sister did an awesome job at finding it and recommending it to me. Definitely give this a try, because even if you don't like it, it is so cheap that it won't break the bank.


Thank you for reading me! Hope you enjoy this entry as much as I did creating it.

Dry hair? This stuff works, and it won't leave you broke!

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I decided to do it, because I wish there was someone out there that had said this stuff to me - It would have made my hair a lot healthier a lot quicker.

So for some reason, my hair went throught a horrible phase a couple of months ago. And I was like, great, I guess that means it's time to trim it now, but deep inside, I obviously didn't want to, because even though everyone seems to look so cute with their lobs, I kinda hate short hair on me.

So I decided that I would try some things to repair my hair. I thought about trying Olaplex, because I heard awesome things about it, but I decided it was a bit out of my reach.

Here is what worked for me and has made my hair not 100% perfect (but let's face it, whose hair is...), but a LOT more soft, shiny and healthy:


- Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner Repair & Protect.
What it says: 
RECOMMENDED FOR: Weak damaged hair due to frequent styling & colouring.
YOUR IDEAL HAIR: Strong, shiny hair.

- Moisturises and helps repair damaged hair, insulates and hydrates every strand to give your hair a healthy, vibrant look and feel.
- Penetrates into the hair's core, nourishes your hair.
- Helps repair 3 months of damage in 3 minutes.
- Pantene's system features micro-nourishers that moisturise, help seal cuticles and repair damage from root to tip. Your once dry, damaged hair becomes moisture-rich, soft and shiny.

PANTENE PRO-V FORMULA INNOVATION: Pantene's unique shampoo and 3 Minute Miracle conditioner with 

Pro-V Formula penetrates into the core, moisturizes, and helps repair damage from root to tip, so you have stronger, shinier hair inside out.

My experience: I feel like I have tried this before, but back when there was only one version of it (now there's 3), and I felt like it didn't really do anything for my hair. I decided to give it a try now, about a week ago, and I've been LOVING it. It has made my hair a lot healthier, smoother, softer, shinier and it seriously is a visible difference. I would seriously recommend it if you're looking for something that has a reasonable price and does the job.

What I don't like: It's TINY. Like, seriously, the bottle is 180 mL. My hair is thick and long, and I need a lot of product in one go, so 180 mL is not exactly a lot for me. Also, the texture of the product is a bit runny, and I don't know if it's just me or what, but I feel like the thicker, the more nourishing and moisturising and repairing it is. I might be wrong, but I would appreciate it even more if the formula was a bit less liquidy and thicker.

My rating: 8/10 - It's not absolutely perfect, but it's affordable and it will do a lot of what it claims to.

- Coconut Oil.

This is seriously good stuff. The funny thing is, I tried it about a year ago, and it left my hair looking and feeling even worse than it was, and so I couldn't understand why everyone was going so crazy about it. But somebody once told me that it was the same for her, until she decided to actually apply it on damp hair, rather than dry, which is what I had been doing, and this definitely changed it all.

The basics: 

- So first of all, you want to make your hair damp, because I'm hoping this will work as well as it did on me on everyone else.
- Be VERY careful when you heat it up. I wouldn't recommend using the microwave. The way I did it, was putting hot water (not boiling, just hot water from the tap) in a bowl, and then putting the coconut oil in a smaller bowl or cup on top of the other one. Coconut oil melts really easily, even with your body temperature, which is why you wanna be careful of not burning it or making the properties go away with temperatures that are too high.
- Put it on your hair. As much as you need. I can't really tell you how much you would need, because I don't know how thick, long or dry your hair is, but make sure all the ends are well covered.
- Roots? Well, if you have oily hair, I definitely wouldn't recommend putting it on your roots. I've heard lots of people say that it's good for your roots as well because it helps with hair growth. My hair is normal -not dry, not oily- but I avoid my roots anyway, because there was a time when it was kinda oily, and I get this fear of attracting the oiliness again if I put the oil too high up haha.
- When you've covered your hair, ideally you would want to put a shower cap on, or just plastic wrap. Put it in a bun, and then cover your hair with one of the two. You could even use your blow dryer to give it a bit more heat so the oil can penetrate better, but there have been times when I have skipped this step and it has worked just as well.
- How long do I leave it on? The longer the better! If you can go to sleep with it on, it'll work wonders, but if you can't, then I would do it for at least 30 minutes. I try having it on for a minimum of 1 hour, but again, it depends on how dry your hair is.
-Now, when it comes to finally taking it off (I know, it feels gross on your hair, but it'll be worth it) you will most likely need to actually shampoo your ends. So what I do is, I jump in the shower, make my hair wet, and putting shampoo on my ends so it can get rid of the oil, and then I wash my hair normally with shampoo and conditioner.
- I would suggest not styling your hair this time, and wait for the next time you wash your hair, as a way of making you hair have a rest, but it's entirely up to you anyway.

I would suggest using the most natural type of oil you can find. I normally use Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (the last one I got from Aldi). You can also use Olive Oil, and it'll give you amazing hair as well (make sure it's Extra Virgin as well), or even a mix of the two!


-Elixir Ultime from Kerastase

This one is a bit more pricey, but it's really good. (I think you can probably get it for a bit less at Chemist Warehouse in AU)
So what's interesting about this one is its versatility. You can use it whenever you want.
I've used it the night before I wash my hair, sort of the way you would use Coconut or Olive Oil. You can use it as a protector before you dry your hair, you can use it as a finishing product, etc. It protects from heat, it smooths your hair, it fights frizz and humidity, it repairs, it moisturises, it does pretty much everything you can think of.
So even though it's one of the most expensive alternatives, it's worth it because it's a bit of an all-in-one.



So, to finish up and as a bit of a disclaimer, my hair has never been dyed, so I'm not 100% of how well these would work on dyed hair.

Thanks for reading! <3