SPRING FLING: KATY'S SPRING ESSENTIALS

Spring has most definitely sprung and I'm ready for a bit of a change up in my makeup routine as the months get warmer.

Here are a few of my essential items for spring, and heading into summer:

Number one, hands down, and without a doubt is sunscreen. I have very fair, sun-sensitive skin. Having now traveled overseas as an adult, I can definitely say that the sunshine we get here is so much harsher than other places, even in Texas, where it's like an oven 9 months of the year, I just didn't feel the sun beating down on me like I do at home. Dylan Moran famously jokes in his stand-up routine that Australia is three quarters of a mile away from the sun.
I like Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer dry touch sunblock. It's SPF 70, and it has one of the less-greasy feels. Every sunblock is going to feel like sunblock on your skin. There's just no getting around it. I think we just have to sacrifice a tiny bit in the warmer months especially, to have our skin protected.

Next is Red Velvet soap from The Soap Bakery (Vic). These guys are in the process of getting their website up and running, but can be found at local farmers markets around Melbourne. I highly recommend a trip out to one of the local markets to smell their awesome scents. My favourites right now are Red Velvet and Chai.


Super awesome for spring are these Lonvitalite cloth facial and hand masks. They allow you to take a 20 minute break to take care of your skin. Springtime is a really beautiful time of year, but there are so many allergens in the air! Take the time to give your skin a break and a bit of rehab with their awesome masks.



Every girl needs a really fantastic lip treatment, and I've found one of the best. Sukin's nourishing lip treatment is absolutely beautiful, and very reasonably priced. It keeps my lips soft and nourished, and I'm always happy about that.

Looking for a bit of extra oomph without wearing really heavy false lashes? I love Eylure naturalites. They are lightweight, natural-looking lashes that will give you just a touch of extra pizazz without weighing down your eyes. Perfect for warmer weather.






As it starts to heat up, I like to go for a less-heavy approach to makeup, and my lips are a great place to start. Switching heavy lipsticks for Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, or Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, are a couple of my perfect ways to finish a springtime look.






Keeping it light is something I'll also switch to for my eye makeup, so I switch up from my heavy mascaras to something a little lighter, and Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless mascara is a really good one for giving length and definition without weighing down the lashes.





Next up, for lightening the look on my face, Revlon's new Nearly Naked foundation is perfect for springtime wear. A gorgeous, lightweight coverage, which can be worn alone for a dewy look, or with the pressed powder for a more matte finish, it won't leave your skin feeling cakey at all, which is awesome when the heat increases.




Last of all, my nail polish picks for spring are mostly lighter colours, some neons and pastels, but definitely keeping it a bit lighter and brighter than your usual winter nails is the way to go. I love these colours from Sinful Colors, OPI and Sephora by OPI.

JULY FAVOURITES AND DOLLAR COSMETIC CLUB HAUL!

I finally got around to filming my July favourites video! I had a whole bunch of stuff to show you guys this month, so please bear with me while you watch this 16 minute video.

Also included as a favourite are all of the products that I got in the DCC July Bravehearts fundraiser, and there are some really great ones!

Check it out!

Katy's top products that are worth the hype.

Today I filmed a video response to anothe Youtuber, Ainsley, about top products that are worth the hype.

Here's the video!


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LIP PICKS!

I've had lots of people ask me about what my favourite products are, so I've decided to start with my lip products.

As you guys know, I've been trying to work on creating more content, more often for my YouTube channel, and so here is another video for you guys to watch!

(Let me know in the comments how you prefer to get your beauty secrets. Do you like videos, or do you like to read and look at pics? A mixture of the two?)


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March Favourites - with a twist!

This month I thought instead of posting favourite products, I'd shout out a few of my favourite brands of March 2013. I had quite a few favourites from a few different brands, so I figured it would be better to group them together for you.

So, without further ado, here they are, in no particular order:

Dove:

I particularly like their new pure antiperspirant, which they snet me to try out last week. As you all know, I've been working out like a maniac, trying to get in shape and build my stamina for Tough Mudder in September. A hard-training girl needs a hard working deodorant, and this one doesn't disappoint. I'm really pleased with its performance, and I'll continue to use it well into the future. It takes care of my skin at the same time! Multi-purpose products always get a really big thumbs up from me. Stay tuned for a proper review of this product next week.

Australis:

You guys know that I have a soft spot for Australis, because they were one of the first cosmetic brands I ever used, and because they are kind to animals, and they have really awesome products, all under $20 each. That's just a massive winning combination in my book, and the fact that their newest products dropped in March and are amongst my top picks EVER, meant that they HAD to be included in my favourites this month.First, we had the curve ink eyeliner, which is awesome. Then the bronzing primer, which is innovative and amazing, the pout pastes which rival most top end brands in colour payoff and stay-put-ness, and then there's their new perfume sprays, which I haven't reviewed yet, but are really lovely.

Australis are onto some really awesome new things. I'mm looking forward to seeing what's next for them.

 Lonvitalite:

So, about a year ago, I tried their 24K gold face mask, and I fell in love with it. At the time, they cost almost $60 for 5 masks, but I still thought that they were worth it.
Since then, more recently, they have reworked their entire business plan and not only are they far more easily available on their website, but they have more than halved the price (They are now less than $30 for 6 masks). They've also restructured everything and you can buy packs that have every eye, face and hand mask that they make for an unbelievable $20! I've bought so many of these masks in the last month, because I'm using them as a special reward when I have really good days in training.
I'm really pleased with the new Lonvitalite, and I really hope that the new plan is working for them, because I intend to continue purchasing their amazing products.



Essence:

I just discovered these guys when I was in Target the other day. I was surprised by the quality of their product for its amazingly inexpensive price tag (most of their products are in the$2-5 range).

I've tried out their concealer pen, eyeliners and eyeshadows, and I'm really impressed. I know you guys like a bargain, so get out there and have a look for essence products. You definitely won't be disappointed for the price.

 MAC:

My tried and trusted high-end brand. I've invested in a few more eyeshadows, some pencils, lipsticks and even a mascara, which MAC are not particularly praised for, but I really love my Plushlash mascara. It has an almost rubberised finish to it, and it lengthens, adds volume and generally fills out my lashes beautifully. It then doesn't run if I watch a chick flick and cry my eyes out, which is always a bonus.

My favourite day-to-day eyeshadow look right now consists of A wish come true from their "A tartan tale" collection, and Spectacle of yourself from their "Mega metals" collection.

I love MAC products and will continue to add to my collection as I'm able.

Last but definitely not least:

"What is this mix of brands?", you say? Well... this is my most favourite brand of all. Dollar Cosmetic Club!

Everything in this picture, brand name items, Lancome, Maybelline, L'Oreal, Rimmel, Revlon, all came from Dollar Cosmetic Club and they all cost me $1 each!
Yup, just a buck, for awesome brand name products. You've seen me review them before, so you know the deal and I've assured you of its legitimacy, so they definitely make my favourites list for March, because they had some really sweet deals that I took advantage of.

So, what was your favourite brand or product in March? Let me know in the comments section do that I can try it out too!

February favourites!

I know, I know, we're almost halfway through March, but my week off has pushed my schedule around a little bit.

Anyway, I finally got around to filming my February Favourites video, and here it is! You'll have to excuse my post-workout hair and sweaty forehead, it's been almost 3 weeks since we had a day under 30C, and it's so humid here. With my little daylight bulb up, it was really super warm in my room.

So here it is, my February favourites!

Youtube Saturday! January Favourites & Empties.

Now that the new year has started, I'm really going to try to stick to my new schedule, and get a good routine happening, so that you guys know what to expect on each day, and I can have a bit of a working routine that I can stick to and keep myself organized.

So. today is Saturday and that means that I owe you a youtube video! I didn't have a lot of products that were new in January, so this favourites video is a mix of favourites and empty products that I used up in January.

I think the video pretty much speaks for itself, so here goes:

Video: October Favourites!

My October favourites video is up on youtube now!

You can see it here:October favourites , or just hit the video in the sidebar on this blog page and watch it without going anywhere!