MY 20TH BIRTHDAY

                                      

So as of August 18th 2016 (5:03pm) I officially entered my 20's, and while I didn't think it would mean much to me, it really did, it almost feels different. Knowing that my teenage years are completely behind me and that i'll never be a teenager again is comforting yet terrifying at the same time, comforting because I'm moving on in life, bigger things are now closer, yet terrifying because I'll never be a teen again...bittersweet when you think about it!

None the less I had an amazing birthday! 99.9% of the credit goes to my parents! They always manage to make me feel the most special on my birthday each and every year!

So I thought I'd share my fabulous 4 day birthday celebration with you guys!

For my actual birthday my mum was actually out of town so it was all up to my dad! We started the night out at Cartier in Brisbane (who conveniently had an event on that night that we were invited to) And we had an amazing time, the food severed was incredible and the new product releases were stunning. I also met Kerrie Hess who did a live completion of one of her illustrations at the event  (if you don't know who that is then you should! She does illustrations for Laduree, Louis Vuitton, Lancome, Cartier, Etc.)

The event was then followed by dinner for 4 at Tartufo (my favourite) which is an Italian restaurant at the Emporium Hotel in the valley! I had the most amazing mixed seafood pasta followed by Panna Cotta with 'Happy Birthday' written in chocolate!

This was by far one of the best nights of my life! I enjoyed every second!

Friday the 19th my mum got home and was taking us out to a surprise dinner! And where did we end up you ask? Terraces @ The Sheraton Mirage! Honestly one of my favourite restaurants (if not the best seafood buffet on the Gold Coast!)

Saturday night (20th) was amazing! This night was a joint birthday party, Connor (my boyfriend) also turned 20 however he turned 20 Sunday morning (21st) So We decided we would take our friends to Brisbane for the night, we stayed at the Pullman king George square, a beautiful hotel, and went clubbing in the Valley (Brisbane) for the first time ever for all of us! We tried and failed to get into Cloudland as Connor had slightly ripped jeans on, so we ended up at the Met, which actually gave us both $50 drink cards! And it was incredible, we danced the night away and at 12 o'clock on the dot we wished Connor a very happy birthday! Certainly one way to finish your teens and enter your twenties!

Brisbane clubs are incredibly different to Gold Coast clubs so it was a really good experience for us all!

Because of our hotel being ridiculously close to Queens Street (thank god!) we were able to walk into the city to get a nice Sunday Breakfast! I opted for some waffles because I love fruit in the morning!

We then were picked up after check-out from my mum, went to lunch and visited my brothers new puppy all before heading back to the Gold Coast!

To then finish of the week/weekend we went out to a casual dinner with Connors birthday to celebrate his 20th!

All in all I had the most wonderful entrance into my 20's! Hopefully it is reflective of the time i'll have as a 20 year old!

JULY 2016 FAVOURITES!

   

Although I'm beyond shocked that it's already August (albeit that August is my BIRTHDAY MONTH!) - I don't know where the year has gone?? But with the end of a new month means a brand new monthly favourites! & with the opening of the first Sephora in Queensland I've been trying and buying this month for sure!


Sephora Buys:

Kat Von D lock it Foundation

I'm a huge fan of full coverage foundation and I heard that this was one of the best so when I saw it at the opening of Sephora, in my shade I thought, it must be fait, I better buy it.
I got colour matched to Light 44 and let me tell you, it's amazing. No doubt in my mind, I'll recommend this foundation 1000 times over! It's incredible, super full coverage, long lasting, blends super well (both with brush and beauty blenders) and the colour rang is really good!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz "Taupe"

After recently trying and loving the brow pomade from Chi Chi, I was rather tempted to try out the forever raved about Anastasia Beverly Hills dip brow pomade, however I thought I should try something new and I went with the brow wiz! I originally wanted the blonde shade as I have very very light brows, but unfortunately they were already sold out and only had taupe, so I grabbed that up!
The colour is good, although maybe a little too ashy for me, I'd love to try the blonde when this one runs out, but the pigmentation is grea,t it creates really nice clean edges to outline the brows, and honestly my brows haven't looked back since!

Beauty Blender

Not much I can say about the beauty blender apart from that the real deal really is the best! It doesn't absorb much makeup at all, quick to dampen and blends anything and everything! Although my previous experience with sponges is that the cleaning is a little hard, however I recently picked up my next favourite.....

DIASO:

Puff / Sponge Detergent - Diaso

... Which makes cleaning the beauty blender a 1 minute dream, just put some of the cleaner on the tip of the sponge, rub it in a little and run it under water, and it's seriously that easy! My tip, if you see it, buy it in bulk!!

Mecca Maxima:

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer "Chantilly"

After finishing and loving my Naked skin concealer (UD) I thought I would try out a new concealer so when I saw the Nars concealer in my shade, I decided I would try it out due to the amazing things people had to say about it.
My favourite thing about it, is the colour is fantastic, wouldn't really use it for actually concealing as it doesn't have the greatest coverage, but it's amazing for highlight!
My biggest con's however is it seemed to run out very very very quickly (way quicker than most) it applied very sparsely and creased quite a bit under my eyes, other than that it stayed on for a long time, although I have thoroughly enjoyed using this concealer i'm unsure whether I'll re-purchase.

Too Faced Melted Long Wear Lipstick "Chihuahua"

After getting my beauty loop box I was pleasantly surprised to see that I received a mini Melted lipstick, and of course I had to try it out immediately! And it's truely is a good as everyone says it is! It lasts a really long time, very moisturising, and it doesn't go patchy !!!!

Priceline

Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation "105"

Recently picked up a new Ready Set Gorgeous whilst it was (and still is) 50% off at Priceline!! And it's truely my FAVOURITE drugstore foundation, amazing coverage, the light shades are waaaaaay more neutral than pink, and it lasts forever!! Would absolutely recommend this foundation!

Giant Chemist Harbour Town

L.A Girl Pro Conceal "Porcelain" "Green" "Fawn"

Overall I love these products, the consistency is a little on the thicker side of things but with this product, it really works in their favour.

The Porcelain concealer is an amazing colour if you're fair, it works for not only concealing but it makes a great under-eye highlighter.

I honestly don't know what I'd do without this Green neutraliser or what I did before it?? It neutralises any redness I may have and it makes a huge difference in concealing acne / acne scars.

Although Fawn is a concealer it is far too dark for me so I use it to cream contour! and It works a charm! I love it!



And thats all for my current monthly favourites!!
hope you enjoyed this post!!

Much Love,

Tobie x

Overcast OOTD

What to wear when it's hot a humid but windy overcast and cold at the same time? Winter up the top, summer down the bottom.

Black lace top -> Supre

Black shorts -> Boutique

Lacey ballet flats -> Rubi Shoes

Bag -> Celine

January drugstore favourites!

Hey lovelies! Today I'm going to be showing you my top drugstore picks for the month of January!!

(1) All about roses eyeshadow palette from Essence

This palette is amazing! It blends flawlessly and creates some stunning looks, particularly smokey eyes. But the best part about this palette is the pigmentation! It's out of this world! The pearl shade on the top left also doubles as a face highlight, which is more pigmented then my Mac MSF!  

(2) Australis velour lips matte lip cream "hon-oo-looloo"

Bought my first set of velour lips in a travel pack featuring 5 minis and haven't looked back since! The colour range is amazing however I can't stop wearing this shade! Great as an everyday nude, and works well on my fair skin. An added bouns? This matte lip cream doesn't dry your lips out!!

(3) elf ton adjusting face primer!

Having fair skin means that my face can get red fast! This primer evens out my skin tone whilst filling in fine lines and creating a perfect base for my foundation!

(4) elf makeup mist & set

Can't get enough of elf at the moment! This makeup mist sets my makeup truely in place! I also spray this on my makeup brushes to bring out pigmentation in my eye shadows! This is the biggest dupe for MAC's fix +!

(5) NYX eyebrow pencil in taupe

Retractable eyebrow pencil that is super precise and does a great job at making some eyebrow goals!

(6) essence waterproof eyeliner

THE BEST EYELINER I HAVE EVER USED! Super pigmented and long lasting, need I say more?

(7) Australis metalix eyeshadow in "gold Gaga"

Amazing pigmentation and I can't get past the formula, super creamy making it easy to apply with either a brush or your finger!!

FIRST AUSTRALIAN Costco Experience!

So at the beginning of this year I had re-lived a one of my favourite American stores whilst in the U.K, while there I wondered if Australia had any Costco and much to my surprise there was not only multiple Costco's in Australia, but there was one in a city nearby!!

However, it took me all the way to October to finally convince my dad to come with me as no one else was keen on driving an hour to what is pretty much a giant grocery store...

However, Costco was amazing! And again, to my surprise, exactly like the American Costco's! Everything was drastically reduced, there where things i'd never seen sold in Australia before, there were things I didn't even think of, there was just a whole lot of discount for some amazing products! And definitely worth the drive!!

Anyway, even though I didn't buy a whole cart full of food, etc I did pick up two things that I love!

I bought a x5 pack of EOS lip balms, which, at other stores in Brisbane, retails for around $30-$45, however at Costco, they were only $17 which was a HUGE savings not only in Australia, but whilst I was in the U.K they were £6...EACH which is $12, meaning 5 would be a grand total of $60!!

The next thing I purchased was a 3 pack of Batiste dry shampoo (my favourite) which was $13 and also a great savings as the two larger ones are normally $11 (each) at priceline and the small one is usually $4, so again, a hugeeeeee savings!!

Overal I LOVE Costco! 100% worth the $55 membership (which is valid at ANY Costco around the world) and I will definitely be visiting again soon!!

-Tobie xx

HOW I CLEAN MY MAKEUP BRUSHES

So like many girls I'm obsessed with makeup! And with a  makeup obsession comes brushes, a lot of them, and because they're being used constantly it's important that you keep them clean, because, the longer you leave them un-cleaned the more you're letting things such as bacteria, oil, dead skin, etc, build up inside your brushes, which your'e then transferring onto your clean face! And while I can admit that cleaning your brushes can be a very long process which I sometimes dread doing or keep putting it off....

But since purchasing the Brushegg (which if you're in Australia is available at the Cube stores and is only $5) it's become a lot quicker and easier!

The brushegg has definitely reduced the time it takes to clean all my brushes and has made sure that ever brush has been thoroughly cleaned and is completely makeup free!

So now onto how I use the brushegg + my detol no touch soap dispenser to clean my brushes through and through!!

So first I take my brush and just saturate it with some water just so it's damp, then I put some detol soap (you can use whichever soap/ shampoo, etc you like, but detol seems to work the best for me and I find using the no touch dispenser minimises the mess I make and the spread of water around my bathroom!) onto my brushegg and then take my brush and swirl it around the egg quite thoroughly and then I also swirl it around whilst it's under a running tap and then I just repeat these steps until i'm satisfied with how clean the brush is!

In other cleaning tips, make to only saturate/ clean the actual brush, not the handle, etc, also make sure to let the brushes dry completely prior to using them again, I find that cleaning them after I've used them and giving them the full 24 hours until I need to use them again to dry or cleaning them around dinner time also seems to let them dry completely until the next use.

Also make sure you're cleaning your foundation, powder, bronzer and blush brush at least every week, your eyeshadow brushes 1/2 times a week, depending on use and makes sure that you're cleaning your eyeliner brush (if using a brush to apply your eyeliner from a pot, etc..) after every use!

You can purchase a Brushegg directly through their website thebrushegg.com

or you can also purchase the brushegg from sites such as eBay & amazon!

So that's it for this blog post, thanks for reading and I hope you found this post helpful!

- Tobie xx

**This post is not sponsored and all opinions stated are my own**

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What's in my makeup bag? / my current beauty favourites!

the all important makeup items i've been loving for my daily makeup!

**excluding eyeshadow palettes & eyeliners as they change daily!!**

inside my makeup bag you will find the following;

Models Prefer Contour Collection Palette 

I use this to brighten and set my under-eye concealer, contour and sometimes bronze my face!

Essence blush duo in 'Heat wave' 

This blush is amazing because you can take colour from either side depending on the look, you can go for a more golden/orange or a more romantic blushing pink, or as I do more often is take it right from the centre to get the perfect mixture of both colours! This is an amazing duo as both shades are very pigmented and can be used for eyeshadows too!

MAC Mineralised Skin Finish in 'Soft & Gentle'

this is the first proper highlighter i've ever owned and it's incredible! Using different brushes can completely change the intensity and application of this highlighter depending on what your using it for  but it's perfectly pigmented and shimmery.

Face of Australia translucent setting powder

This setting powder is great for setting your makeup in place, matting your lipsticks and reducing oil throughout the day!

Ardell brow pomade in 'blonde'

Love this brow pomade it works perfectly and comes with a application brush and spooly and it keeps my eyebrows in place throughout the day so I don't need to apply any gel when using this!

Maybeline Fit Me Foundation (Matte & Pourless)

I LOVE this foundation! it's amazing, it's full coverage very matte and it stays on all day!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

Best concealer i've ever had! The coverage is incredible and the application is flawless and easy and it doesn't feel like i've ever got any on! This is a perfect combination with my Fit Me foundation!

They're Real Mascara

I'm sure you've heard endless things about this mascara but it really is the best, it separates your lashes perfectly and distributes the product evenly without it clumping together!

Maybeline 14hr Super Stay Lipstick in 'Never Ending Nude'

This lipstick is a little too glossy for me so I do like to mattify it using my setting powder but the colour is perfect! it's super subtle but it brings the look together completely!

BRUSHES:
**All brushes are from Real Techniques**
Face Brush
Blush Brush
Buffing Brush
Contour Brush
Setting Brush

MY top 10 drugstore MUST HAVES

Hey Guys!! I'm so happy to start posting on here again!! And thought that a top 10 post would suit the occasion well!

So in todays post I'm going to be sharing with you my top 10 drugstore (holy grail) must haves that I use religiously!

1. Essence Stay all day 16hr foundation
THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE MOST AMAZING FOUNDATION I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT IT MORE
Lets just talk about this amaaaaaaaaazing foundation, first things first, it's $7... $7! Secondly the coverage is the arguably the best i've ever had in a drugstore (maybe even high-end) foundation.
It stays on all day and it rarely gets shiny which is very helpful for me (even though I have combination skin thats completely 50/50 I can get more on the oily side sometimes).
I can't get enough of this foundation and no matter what foundation I try, I always come back to this one, I could talk about it for days!

2. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
This is one of the best concealers i've ever tried, it's super light, good coverage and most importantly has YELLOW UNDERTONES YAY! I love using this concealer and the consistency is great, i've heard it's an amazing dupe for the naked skin concealer and I'm not surprised. It's high-end quality at a drugstore price!

3. Maybelline Super stay 14hr lipstick & Megawatt 16hr
Okkkkkkkkay so the first maybelline lipstick I ever purchased was the super stay 16hr megawatt and it was the best lipstick I'd ever worn, I got the shade 'Coral' (which isn't coral at all, it's bright pink, but none-the-less AMAZING) and it stayed on ALL DAY, it didn't budge through anything, it stayed on throguh kisses, food (x3 times), drinks, me constantly rubbing my lips together, etc, etc, it stayed on, the WHOLE DAY and was just as bright! impressed I went back the second day and got the megawatt in 'Red Rays" (and it's seriously my favourite lipstick that I own, drugstore and high-end)! ALSO I know what you're thinking because so many people say the same thing when I talk about this lipstick, everyone seems to assume that because it lasts so so so long, that it must be suppeeeerrrr drying! And I know where you're all coming from,  I have a long-wear lipstick from Nars that after about 10 minutes it dries my lips up so badly that I have to put lip balm over it, but not this lipstick!! The megawatt (and the super stay 14hr) don't dry my lips at all! So I 1000000000%%% recommend this lipstick! Then moving on to the super stay 14hr, I think the difference is that the megawatt is all the bright / vibrant colors (I could be wrong) however I wanted to try the super stay 14hr anyway, and it's completely the same, it stays on though everything I just purchased another in the shade 'Never Ending Nude' and even though the shade is very natural and not far off from my actual lip shade, it's amazing, it's not drying and it stays on all day!!!

4. Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer
I'm seeing a serious Maybelline trend going on here.. But this concealer does the job!! This is what I was using before I tried out the Fit Me Concealer and this concealer is awesome! It's great coverage and the applicator is a sponge that helps blend the concealer out, which saves a lot of time, however I find that at times it can have more of a pink undertone, however I'd definitely repurchase this!

5. Real Techniques Brushes
SO this is something that I can't help to check out whenever i'm in a drugstore!! I adore the real techniques brushes, they come in super handy packs and individuals, and they are the most amazing quality brushes at the most affordable price!! (and not to mention that it applies makeup beyond flawlessly)

6. Essence Superfine Eyeliner
I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS! So this is a liquid eyeliner with almost a felt tip but it's suppppeeeeerrrr long and perfect for making wings! This eyeliner is beyond black, super pigmented, flows nicely, dries instantly and doesn't smudge or transfer, it's incredible!! And for $5 It's beyond worth it, it lasts a long time and makes liquid eyeliner (and more importantly winged eyeliner) soooooo easy!

7. Maybelline 'The Falsies' Mascara
So this is really the first mascara i've ever tried with a 'fat' brush, I have very teeny tiny, blonde eyelashes that never look long or black and 90% of the time if they are black the root of them is almost always blonde and it looks totally ratty, but this mascara is incredible, I actually feel like it adds a lot of volume and length to my lashes and it actually stays on all day whereas most that i've tried come off during the day and by 6 my eyelashes have no mascara on them. I'm definitely loving this mascara!!

8. Australis Tint My Brow - Brow Tint
This is my secret to perfect brows!!! This brow tint finishes off everything, not only does it add some colour and perfect it, but it completely sets my eyebrows in place and no matter if i'm using powder or gel to fill my brows in, it sets it completely and they don't move throughout the day and they just look flawless!!

9. Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder
So a lot of powders claim to keep you matte throughout the day, but I honestly feel like this one does the job best, and I even think it does a better job than the Mac Mineralised Skin Finish!! It goes on matte and stays completely matte during the day! I could't imagine setting my foundation with anything else, it just finishes your makeup off and makes it look flawless through the day!

10. Maybelline Baby Lips
So I have very dry lips almost all year round, and because of that I go through and try a lot of lip balm, but this seems to do the job so well, it's not sticky or tacky and it actually takes a lot of the dryness and the cracking feeling away whereas some lip balms just mask the problem. Also this range comes in a tinted version which actually applies the lip balm with colour and it looks a lot like lip gloss, but the amazing part is, it still does the job, so it looks like your wearing lip stick but really you're wearing tinted lip balm! It's certainly a winter must have!!

So that is it for my first lot of top 10 must haves! Don't worry there is definitely more to come (beauty and fashion!!) So if you have a top 10 that you'd like to see or a drugstore product that you think is worthy of being a top 10, leave a comment down below and I'd love to check it out!!

Tobie xx

Maybelline lip treatment
maybelline.com

Beauty product
33 AUD - thehut.com

Maybelline concealer
target.com.au

Maybelline mascara
21 AUD - thehut.com

Rimmel face powder
9.52 AUD - asos.com

Maybelline lipstick
15 AUD - asos.com