Review of Sleek Makeup Solstice Highlight Palette

When I first heard about the this highlighting palette I knew I needed to try it
out for myself. The reviews I came across seemed almost too good for such an 
affordable palette ($15-40 AUD depending on the seller). They are pretty hard to
find in Australia so I ordered it from the UK and waited a little over 2 weeks to
receive it. The packaging is very nice, and almost reminds me of some Tarte Palettes
I’ve come across. The amount of product you get in this palette seems very generous 
I don’t think I’ll be using the type of brush provided as I have some decent highlight 
brushes to apply it with, but it is nice to have a brush provided either way.

With Flash                                                             Without Flash

As you can see from the swatches above and swipes with my finger below it is
fairly pigmented. Each shade is stunning and unique in its own way. I knew that
this little palette had good reviews, but it is incredible value for the price. I’ve
seen Too Faced highlighters with less pigmentation than this amazing little palette.
For 1,2 & 4 I swiped three times to get the swatch above. For 3 It is thicker and
more of a cream texture so it took between 1-2 swipes to the swatch above.

Any doubts about this product have certainly been put to rest as far as I am
concerned. I am still blown away by how amazing these four shades look after
being thoroughly swatched. I can’t argue with the overall quality in this product
in any way. I’d love to hear from anyone who has used this palette and what
your experience with it has been like.

Sunshine Blogger Award

 I want to start off by saying that being nominated for the Sunshine
Blogger Award is such an unexpected honour. It is flattering for Abby Clare
(who has such an amazing blog herself) to consider me as one of her
nominations. Click here to see how she answered the Q & A portion of
the SBA. 

For me, blogging didn’t start until after I began my Youtube Channel
over two years ago. It was a social experiment for me to grow, learn
and become a part of the beauty/lifestyle community. I’ve networked
with some of the loveliest people from all over the world, and share these interests
together. To me blogging and being a part of this amazing community isn’t
just about followers or views. It’s about supporting each others
endeavours, giving advice, and honest feedback in a positively
structured way. 

      Q & A

          1. What or who was your biggest inspiration for starting your blog?

               Originally, I wanted to create this blog to support my Youtube channel.

               To have a place where I could post more in-depth reviews than I was

               able to convey on my channel. Presently, I am even more committed to 

               blogging than I am to my channel. Inspiration comes from my need to

               give open and honest reviews of beauty products, as well as giving readers

               insight into my life experiences.

            2.  How long have you been blogging for?

      

                 I’ve been blogging for a little over two years.

        3. If you could be any animal, what would you be? And why?

                 I would be an American Eagle. They are graceful, rare and 

                 can fly free. 

      4. What is your go-to comfort food?

                 Hmmm, this is a hard one …probably a grilled cheese sand which.

      5. What is your favourite holiday or celebration during the year?

                 I would have to say New Years. It’s a fresh start and the 

                 fireworks don’t are not bad either.

                

            6. What is your main goal for the end of the year? (Socially or personally).

                 Focus on health and being the best version of myself possible.

      7. What is your earliest memory?

                 My 4th birthday party. My dad was holding me up on his shoulders at my 

                 party where all my family and friends were. There were heaps of balloons 

                 and I wore a pretty plum coloured dress.

           8. When you were younger what was your dream job?

                Being a Makeup artist for Mac or a Social Media Manager for one of my  

                favourite brands (Tarte, Urban Decay, Black Moon Cosmetics, Rimmel, Nars).

      9. What is your favourite holiday destination?

                Lorne, Australia. Has the most stunning little town and beach.

      10. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

                  I enjoy reviewing products, then seeing that my blogs and insight help others

                  find the right products for them.

       11. If you were stuck on an Island for 24 hours, what five things would you want 

                  with you?

                    Water, Sunscreen, Tent, Moisteriser, and two weeks worth of YouFoodz 

                    (health prepared meals). 

     

         Nominees

• Jasmine – Thoughts From Jasmine

• Cheryl – Cheryl Wong.com

• Dayna – Dayna Lynn.com

• Meggan – cardiganjezebel

• Kiya  – Life With Kiya

        Questions

1. Do you have any techniques to get in the mood for writing posts?
2. What inspired you to start blogging?
3. What is your favourite season?
4. Have you travelled internationally? If so, where?
5. What are your two holy grail beauty products?
6. Are you named after anyone?
7. What is your favourite YouTube Channel?
8. What is the last book you’ve read?
9. What is the last movie you’ve seen?
10. Coffee or Tea?
11. What would be your advice to new bloggers?      

        Rules

• Write a blog post thanking the person that nominated you, tag them in your post.
  and also link the questions they answered in their post.
• In your post answer the 11 questions that were given to you.
• Nominate blogs who you think deserve the award and come up with 11 questions
  for them to answer.
• Let them know that you nominated them by either social media or commenting on
  their blog.
• Make sure to list the rules on your blog and display a Sunshine Blogger Award
  Logo in your post.
• Have fun and get creative.

 

As you probably already know from this blog, I like to test products before fully
reviewing them. This palette was no different, and I wanted to give it the time

and respect it deserves by testing out a variety of colours. Coastal Scents put
out quality products that are also pretty damn affordable. So here some of my
favourite swatches from the 120 Five Palette.

The formulas vary from Matte shades that need building up. The foiled shades
are pigmented and go on so smoothly. Shimmery shades that have a buttery
formula which barely needs to be touched for a decent swatch. I did not apply
primer before swatching these shades. Each swatch took between 2-3 swipes,
but the matte shades needed to be blended more than the foiled and shimmery
shades. 

 

 

 

Number 3, 14 and 18 are comparable in quality to some of the shades/formulas
I have found in Urban Decay’s Naked 2 palette. Yes, that is a big claim and huge

price difference between these two products. You get quite a bit out of this
diverse Coastal Scents Palette. They give you quality eye shadows that can
almost be compared to larger premium brands for just 1/4 of the price tag. 
If you want a wide variety of colours to play with without having to commit 
to buying an $80 (AUD) eye shadow palette…I highly recommend this one or

any of Coastal Scents range of products. 


Note: All images above are property of this blog and the owner.
Please do not use without expressed permission.

Colourpop Matte Lip Gloss Tried and Tested

I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I bought Colourpop lip products
having never used them in the past. There are so many beauty gurus who
have used their products, and I wanted to test them out thoroughly myself.
I picked two colours that I wanted to add to my collection.

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip In Lumiere 2

This was the first colour I picked to try from Colourpop’s Ultra Matte
Lip range. One of the reasons I chose it was because it is also
recommended as a dupe for Kylie Cosmetics Dolce K liquid lipstick.

This colour took a few minutes to fully dry and become matte without

transferring or smudging. The image above is a bit lighter than the
actual shade as you can see from my photos below. 

Wearing Lumiere 2

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip In Teeny Tiny

A helpful tip on spotting fake Colourpop lip gloss would be the lack of

bright lime green on the inside of the packing (not pictured). There are

so many fakes online I encourage you to do your research like I did to

be able to weed out which ones are not the real thing. 

Wearing Teeny Tiny

The second colour I wanted to try is Colourpop’s Teeny Tiny. This
was a suggested dupe of Kylie Cosmetics Dolce K liquid lipstick.

This colour dried fairly quicker than Lumiere 2, not sure exactly why

that would be. This colour is so bold and deep. I was worried it would
be too dark for me when it arrived but after drying I was happy to pair
it with cool-toned earthy colours.  

Immediately after swatching

24 hours after swatching

I wanted to put this swatch through a 24 hour wear test on my hand

to see how much it faded. As you can see above, even after washing
my hands several times and sleeping with it on it it’s staying power is
impressive. The only problem I ran into is when you eat oily foods  it
will remove the lip gloss fairly easily. All in all these have become my
favourite long-lasting lip glosses. 

Lululemon Clothing Haul

I recently got a bunch of new clothes from Lululemon Athletica. Some of
you will probably be unfamiliar with the brand,which in its last year earned
between 2 and 2.4 Billion dollars in revenue worldwide. They have just
recently tapped in to social media advertising and are pushing their brand
more. Hard to believe based on their previous earnings. Especially given
most sales were inspired by word-of-mouth or brand ambassadors in the
fitness community.

The quality of their clothing is amazing, and they have a great policies in
place if your item’s quality is not up to par (such as: piling, running seams,
broken zipper, ect). These are a few of the reasons on why I highly
recommend their clothing/sportswear.

The first item I picked up I *believe* is the…

Lululemon Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve Shirt. I wanted something loose fitting
and fresh looking for winter. This shirt is perfect for layering with tank tops or
sports bras. It is very sheer as you can see in the close-up.I love the little lace
pattern on the sides near the sheer portion of the shirt. It adds a bit of femininity
to the shirt itself.Thumb holes are handy for keeping your hands warm while
adding functionality.

Lululemon Yogini 5 Year Long Sleeve Striped Tee has to become
my current favourite shirt. It is incredibly soft and stretchy. Another
good shirt for layering underneath as it is fairly sheer, but if you wear
a nude bra you could probably get away with not wearing one. 

Credit: Lululemon.com

Wunder Under Pant Hi-Rise (Full Luon) is something one of favourite
pieces from Lululemon.  Luon is Lululemon’s signature four-way stretch
fabric is sweat-wicking and cottony soft with performance fabric for its
serious stretch and recovery. It’s so comfortable and quite breathable.

Scuba Hoodie Terry III in Heathered Space Dye has become my new
favourite light zip hoodie. Normally, I don’t get heaps of grey clothing, but
this jacket goes with almost any colour. It’s very soft as well as light weight.

Goose Down Hooded Vest  (I didn’t catch the name on this one)

This is such a unique piece, and best of all it is reversible! The 

outside is a deep green with a scale pattern which is emphasised
by light, while the inside is in black. It hangs loosely on my frame
and is so comfortable to wear with many layers on. 

The sides of this jacket have two buttons on each side that detach, making this a very expensive poncho 🙂

Large zip pockets on the inside that can hold almost any mobile phone

Love the brand badges that are always put somewhere visibly on the clothing

Even buttons have Lululemon on them

Moving Tips

 

Everyone does this at least once in their lives, and that is moving house.
It’s expensive as well as extremely time consuming. In my life, so far I have
moved a grand total of 18 times. That number may seem staggering to most,
and it is. The one benefit of moving this many times is all the little tips and
tricks I have picked up through each move. 

 

Even the smallest things can really help you when you are short of time and energy.Energy that I am just now recouping after our stressful move. Not only
did things go terribly wrong in the middle of this move, but it was storming as well.
Some of our things were stolen during the first day. On the second day there was a gas leaknear our new place; causing the roads to be closed to the area. This of course
caused us to stay an extra night at our old house. This was definitely one of the
hardest moves I’ve ever done. I will lost a few tips below that have helped me get
through.

  Tips:

• Always pre-plan what to pack first
• Get heaps of boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap 
• What items you are not currently using? Pack them first
• Hire movers for larger items to minimise chance of injury
• When one room is finished move items/boxes to one area
  so you can clean as you go
• Schedule Utilities to be turned on at your new house before
  you arrive (up to 2 weeks ahead of the move)
•  Write labels legibly for each box with a brief 
• description of what is inside
• Have a one day buffer to move in case something comes up
• Keep a suitcase or gym bag with clothes/items you will need for
  the next 1-3 days while you’re moving
• Stay positive and don’t let the stress of moving get to you

 

 These are all things I have found to be helpful. I hope this will help

those of you who have not moved before put together a plan on 

where to start. It is so important to stay organised! If you have any

questions or have a story about your move that you would like to share 

please comment below. 

Makeup Journey Of a Soon-To-Be MUA

If you’ve been following my content from the very beginning
you would’ve probably heard me mentioning wanting to study
to become a professional MUA (Make Up Artist). It wasn’t a crazy
spur-of-the-moment decision, or anything like that. I’ve been
looking into doing this for about three years, and I still have the
same passion I did in the beginning.

In one of my very first videos, I briefly discuss my early experiences
with makeup. Growing up in an abusive home environment, and not
knowing how truly wrong it was. It isn’t easy for me to discuss,
but I want to help someone who may be going through what I did.
To have it make such an impact on you and your aspirations so much
so that you give up on it.

Whenever I would experiment with makeup; My then step-father
would get so mad he demanded I remove my any makeup and say
I looked like a ‘whore’. My mother would sit there stone-faced next
to him, even when it made me cry. This happened from age thirteen
on-wards to the point that I never wore makeup in front of him.

I wasn’t wearing any crazy colours, and I didn’t cake anything
on. I had on pink lipstick, and some shimmery silver eye shadow.
I didn’t know how to do makeup yet, and my mother never tried
to teach me. She had mountains of beauty products, but was pretty
basic when it came to applying makeup. She has expensive taste,
and would get angry if I touched her products. I don’t think I’ll
ever truly understand her, or their combined treatment of me.

So, I stopped wearing makeup, for years until the end of year 12
(Senior year). Even then I only wore tinted lip balm, and liquid
eyeliner (if I had time to do so in the morning). This was ages ago,
literally right before Youtube was around. So I couldn’t find makeup
tutorials, or how-to-style videos. These girls are doing so many women
of all ages a service, and I am forever grateful to the many I follow.
This is where I want to take the next step. It no longer makes me
sad/upset when I think of makeup. Not only have I come so far in my
makeup skills, but I am also confident I can do this with flying colours.

If you are going through anything like this, and need someone to
talk to feel free to email me. You’re not alone.

Tartelette In Bloom Palette Review (Swatches)

Firstly, let me just say how impressed I was upon first opened this packaging.
It is stunning and has a high-end feel the whole way through. The second thing
I noticed was a lovely smell, that was sort of sweet with a hint of flower. The
palette is scented. I had no idea it would be, and fully expected it to be similar to
other clay based products (such as Naturals). I have also received a bonus
deluxe ‘Gifted’ Mascara sample having spent a certain amount on Tarte
products which was a nice little surprise.

(No Flash)

If you keep up with me on social media, you will have seen my ‘Unhaul’ video on
YouTube where I throw out toxic out-of-date makeup from my own collection. In it,
I throw out most of my mascara. For the past five days I’ve had swelling on my
eyelids and my eyes are very sore after using out-of-date makeup as a test. For this
reason only I will not be applying any makeup to my eyes and show you look I can
create with this palette. Instead, I will swatch it and give an in-depth review. As
much as it sucks to wait to use this palette on my eyes, I am too excited to not
swatch it for my lovely readers.

Note: Click to view larger image

(No Flash)

(Flash)

(No Flash)

(Flash)

As you can see there is a variety of Matte Shades and foiled ones as well.
I picked this palette because of the deep matte shades it has. Even though
a couple of the deeper colours go on slightly patchy such as Smokeshow,
Activist and Leader.  Be ready to blend with these three shades. If you apply
it quickly it will look uneven and patchy as you can see in my swatches which
were done using my fingers not a brush. Perhaps this has something to do
with the product being clay based? The formula of these eye shadows
feels silky and almost a bit buttery in texture. As I mentioned above some
of these shades need heaps of blending, and the swatches below were not
done in one swipe.

A stand out shade for me would be Funny Girl. Not only is this a stunning
pale golden shimmery eye shadow, but can double as a highlighter if you
have a fairly light touch. I had to take a couple photos (below) with and
without a flash to show the beauty of this shade in either conditions.

(No Flash)

(Flash)

I do recommend this palette for someone who loves earthy-warm tones.
This is also for anyone who wants a palette that is more compact than
Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes range, but still has a good selection of
shades.


NOTE: All images in this post are property of Samantha Marie and this Blog,
and are not to be used without obtained permission.

This is not a sponsored post, and I am not currently sponsored.
As always my opinions and views are my own.

Holy Grail Men’s Products

If you have a boyfriend or husband that is picky and not as
experienced in trying different products until finding one that works.
I have put together a list of products that are definite hits and simple
reviews that go with each one. Each of these product’s are affordable
and easy to find online. These are products have been personally tested
by my partner, and I trust in buying them on a reoccurring basis.

1. Calvin Klein – Euphoria  for Men Eau de Toilette

This is one the best smelling Colognes and can be used
everyday. This is probably the most appealing cologne
I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling on my man. The
best part is it is priced under $60 (AUD) or $45 USD
in most places online.

 

 

2. Diesel Only The Brave by Diesel for Men Eau de Toilette Spray

 

 

My husband was really surprised at how great this scent
not only smelled appealing but had long-lasting wear.
You can find it online for under $70 (AUD) or $50 USD.

3.  Nivea Men Moisturising Shave Gel

If your guy is a bit lazy when it comes to moisturising after
shaving or just in general. This product is great at reducing
nicks and soothing sensitive skin.Nivea is a brand I personally
trust, having used their products for years without any
noticeable issues.

4.  PhysioGel Hypoallergenic Daily Moisture Therapy Intensive Cream

 

I received this product in a beauty box about 6 months
ago. It is for sensitive skin and I have heaps of moisturisers,
so I had my husband try it out for me. This was an actual
product test, that he did for my blog.

His skin type is mostly oily with a one dry area, and his skin is
even more sensitive than mine. If he uses any product that has
an oil base it will cause him to break out dramatically. I’m always
on the lookout for holy grail products that can help even out his
complexion and any skin irritation.

After a couple of weeks of incorporating this product into his daily
routine he told me he immediately felt a difference in his skin. He
reported that his skin stayed moisturised all day and that PhysioGel
didn’t irritate his skin at all.

What I noticed was his complexion became more even after about
one week of using it daily. This is a holy grail men’s product for sensitive
skin dry or oily (despite what the label says).

I really hope this helps someone who is in need of a reliable product 
that their partner simply has no time or patience to figure out. 

All images of products used are from Ebay