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December 25, 2016

MERRY CHRISTMAS

December 25, 2016 | , 9 Comments


Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you have a fabulous day today!

I took the week off from blogging, as you may have seen, to catch up on a few things but I'll be back next week! 

There's lots coming but, until then, have a fabulous day/week/month/year. (Yes, that snowballed into a Friends reference very quickly)

Be safe and smile!

December 19, 2016

FESTIVE FACE OF THE DAY

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year. I love how everything's festive and everyone's got a bit more spring in their step (probably 'cos they've got a break from work over Christmas). Even though my Face of the Day posts aren't that popular (they don't do too well in terms of views), I wanted to show you this festive look that I came up with, especially for those who're stuck for what to wear Christmas Day.

I'm no make up artist but keep reading to see what I created with these products! 

December 17, 2016

REVLON X CHLOE MORELLO SCULPT AND HIGHLIGHT CONTOUR KIT

Although I really don't need another contour palette I couldn't resist picking up the Revlon x Chloe Morello Sculpt and Highlight Contour Kit after I saw her video on it. I really like supporting people of the internet and I wanted to try an affordable and readily available kit to see if it was any good and whether I'd recommend it. 

In the video Chloe explains that Revlon contacted her to get her feedback on a contour product they were creating, however it didn't become a fully blown collaboration until later in the production process. I'm not sure how and why it became a straight up collaboration but it's interesting to know that it wasn't the initial plan.


Anyway, enough about the backstory, let's get into it! 


December 15, 2016

SEPHORA, MAKE UP GEEK AND COLOURPOP HAUL w/ SWATCHES

I was going through my computer and I found these, a bunch of photos from some orders from a few months back. Although these orders were placed a while ago I still want to share the bits with you because I like sharing my purchases with you all; it makes me feel less naughty. 

These photos were some of the last taken in my old set up so sorry if they don't quite fit but I didn't want to delete them for that reason alone so here we are. Let's get into it! 

December 13, 2016

PUREOLOGY COLOUR FANATIC MULTI TASKING HAIR BEAUTIFIER

I am terrible to my hair. Honestly, I am truly awful to it. Between the bleaching, dyeing and heat styling it's a wonder that there's anything left on my head. You'd think I'd learn but I never do so it always needs all the TLC it can get. I was gifted the Pureology Colour Fanatic Multi Tasking Hair Beautifier* at last year's Bloggers United event and pulled it out earlier this year after deciding to go blonde, of course. 

The Pureology Colour Fanatic Multi Tasking Hair Beautifier* was actually the start of a beautiful love affair with the brand so I thought I'd take it back to where it all began and share my thoughts on it!

December 11, 2016

MARIE CLAIRE THE PARCEL | SUMMER 2016 EDIT

In my post about the Spring Marie Claire Edit I mentioned that I was probably going to cancel my subscription but, alas, I forgot and here we are with their Summer Edit! I won't tell you my thoughts on the box 'til the end so let's get cracking! 

December 05, 2016

CLARINS INSTANT CONCEALER

After hearing all sorts of wonderful reviews, I picked up the Clarins Instant Concealer quite a while ago when RY.com.au (Recreate Yourself) contacted me and asked me to take a look at their site and it's been a favourite of mine ever since. 

For some reason I never shared my thoughts on it with the blogosphere so that's what I'm here to do today.

December 03, 2016

THE OPEN MASCARA EDIT #5

The Open Mascara Edit series is my chance to talk you through the product I seem to go through the most, mascara! I try not to have too many open at once but my lack of self control always gets the better of me and, before I know it, I have 5+ on the go at any given time. Whoops

I've got a few to talk through today so let's just get into it, shall we? 



December 01, 2016

NEW OFFERINGS FROM REAL TECHNIQUES

Real Techniques is a brand that I really get behind. Sam and Nic Chapman, the Pixiwoo sisters, are the face of the brand and they've managed to create some great products at a relatively affordable price point. They've recently added some new products to their line up and I thought I'd share my thoughts on them with y'all because they're pretty damn good! 


November 29, 2016

NOVEMBER BEAUTY FAVES, 2016

I give November a solid 10/10. So far this month I've seen my favourite musician of all time, Delta Goodrem, for the third time and four new movie length episodes of my all time favourite tv show, Gilmore Girls, have been released. Tonight I'm also seeing the band I grew up listening to, Garbage, and I'm sure they'll blow me out of the water. It's been a busy month and I've had a lot of feels, let me tell you! 


So yes, November has been a wild ride. In addition to all of those amazing moments, I've made some awesome beauty discoveries that I've got to tell you all about!


November 27, 2016

KORRES MILK PROTEINS FOAMING CREAM CLEANSER

After using the same facial cleanser for far too long, I went on an internet hunt to find something new (to me) and exciting that had good reviews and wouldn't break the bank. I stumbled across the Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser in my travels and, after reading so many positive reviews, I decided to pick it up on a trip to Mecca.

You've seen the Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser mentioned in my recent skin routine posts (here and here) but today I'm here to tell you all my thoughts! 

November 25, 2016

TV AND CHILL: MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE TV SHOWS

With Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life launching today, I thought I'd take the opportunity to upload a post I've wanted to do for ages and share some of my all time favourite shows with you all. There's a lot to talk about so let's just get into it! 

November 23, 2016

RIMMEL LONDON SCANDAL'EYES RELOADED MASCARA*

Rimmel London is one of my favourite make up brands, affordable or otherwise, and I'll take any opportunity to try more of their amazing products so, naturally, I was thrilled when their newest mascara offering, the Scandal'Eyes Reloaded*, arrived on my doorstep (or, rather, in my mailbox..). 

November 21, 2016

TOP FIVE FACE MASKS FOR ALL SKIN TYPES

Following on from my somewhat recent posts where I talked about my update skincare routines (here and here), I thought it would be a good idea to talk you through some of my go to face masks. These are the five face masks that are always in constant rotation and they're all masks that would work for a lot of different skin types!

November 02, 2016

IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Angled Radiance Brush #10* Review

As a beauty lover, nothing makes me geek out quite like brushes and it honestly blows my mind that I've not yet spoken about the IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Angled Radiance Brush #10*, one of the most used make up brushes in my collection this year! 


October 31, 2016

October Beauty Faves, 2016

October has been a great month! I spent the start of it in Margaret River (south of Perth, for anyone interstate) and, whilst it was nowhere near long enough, it was great to get away! In short, it was a few days of wine, cheese, chocolate and baby cuddles! I didn't take many photos but there are a few on my Instagram if you'd like to check them out. 

In terms of beauty, I have a few bits to talk to y'all about today! For some reason these products in this post a really eye heavy so please excuse that. Most of these products are somewhat recent additions to my collection but, as always, there's a few products that I've fallen back in love with that I wanted to give a shoutout to also.


October 13, 2016

SMASHBOX FULL EXPOSURE TRAVEL PALETTE

There were a lot of mixed reviews floating around when Smashbox released their Full Exposure Palette. Some people loved it, some people hated it and some sat nicely in between. The beauty addict in me wanted to test it out, of course, but the realist in me didn't want to fork out for a fourteen pan eyeshadow palette that, realistically, I might never reach for.

All of my prayers were answered when Australia got access to the Full Exposure Travel Palette at Mecca Maxima and a while ago I picked up both, Full Exposure and Double Exposure. I've not yet had much of a play with Double Exposure so I can't really comment on that, however I've been playing with Full Exposure for a while now and it's time to share my thoughts! 

October 11, 2016

FIVE MOST REPURCHASED BEAUTY PRODUCTS

When you try as many beauty products as I do, there's not a lot of time to be loyal to a specific product. Every now and then, however, there's a standout product that endures the test of time and those are the ones I'm talking about today. These are five products that I consistently use and consistently replace when they're running low, regardless of the fact that I have five alternatives to each within my beauty collection. 

October 09, 2016

Rimmel London x Kate Moss 15 Year Anniversary Collection Lipsticks*

To celebrate 15 years of collaboration, Rimmel London and Kate Moss have once again teamed up to bring us an amazing collection of six Lasting Finish lipsticks and three new Super Gel Nail Polishes, all of which I believe are limited edition.


I've never been disappointed by a Rimmel London lip offering and this is no exception so let's get into it! 

October 07, 2016

FOTD // Eyes Shimmering like a Deserted Island

A few weeks ago I was at work wearing a gold glittery eye when my colleague told me my eyeshadow was sparkling like the sand on a deserted island in the Whitsundays. Needless to say, I was suitably stoked with the compliment and decided to recreate the look to share here on the blog!


To see the look I created with these products, keep reading! 

October 05, 2016

Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing Nail Paint Review and Swatches

Barry M is a well known British cosmetics company that seems to be well regarded within their beauty community. Their nail polishes are always spoken of very highly so I was beyond excited when they started being sold in Big W stores and finally became available in Australia. Unfortunately my local store doesn't carry the line, however over the past six or so months I've built up quite a collection of two of their ranges, Sunset Daylight Curing and Gelly Hi Shine.


My favourite of the two is the Sunset Daylight Curing range (although Gelly Hi Shine is lovely also), so that's what I'm going to talk about today! 

October 03, 2016

Skincare Routine: Make Up Removal and Evening

Like I said in my Morning Routine, my skin is temperamental; It's oily, blemish prone and very sensitive. It's a challenge but lately I've found a skincare routine that's been working so I wanted to share that with you all. I didn't want my skincare routine post to be super long so I've split it into two; a morning routine and an evening routine. 



It's time for my evening routine so let's get into it!

October 01, 2016

EcoTools Makeup Brush Shampoo* Review

Washing my make up brushes is one of those tasks I love to hate. Although I adore using the Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge to wash my brushes, there's no Daiso here in Perth so I'm always looking for more accessible options! A few months ago I was given the opportunity to put the EcoTools Makeup Brush Shampoo* to the test and I'm finally ready to share my thoughts! 


September 29, 2016

A Few of my Favourite Things | September Beauty Faves, 2016

It's funny. Every time I decide it's time to start thinking about my monthly favourites post I'm clutching at straws to think of enough products to make a whole post out of it and then, completely out of nowhere, I suddenly remember a million different products that I am completely smitten by and cannot live with out. 

The result? A relatively large favourites post so let's get into it!


September 27, 2016

Marie Claire The Parcel | Spring Edit, 2016

My Marie Claire box arrived last week and, although I skipped uploading posts on my Autumn and Winter boxes, I thought I'd share what I received in this box, the Spring 2016 Edit. If I'm honest, I've been a bit disappointed in my last few Marie Claire boxes so let's see if this edit treats me any better, shall we?

September 25, 2016

Mini Getaway: My Beauty Essentials for a Few Days Away!

In a couple of days I'm heading down south for a much needed mini vacay, a break from work and, even more exciting, my alarm clock! With that in mindI thought I'd take the opportunity to show you what made the cut and what I'm taking with me! 


I'm letting the photos do the talking in this post because you can see what I've packed. I don't need to tell you. Most of my powder products are in my Inglot Freedom Palette. I actually have a Make Up Geek order coming with a Travel Vault Palette in it so I could just take a few shadows but it hasn't arrived in time so I thought I'd take advantage of the extra space and loaded it with a combination of Inglot, Benefit andMake Up Geek products! The purple bag also has a few decanted products in it (including my shampoo, conditioner and body wash) but I didn't bother show you them as you can't see labels anyway. 

Bag storing my make up - Boe Beauty Canvas Cosmetics Bag (link)
Bag storing brushes and haircare - Zoella range from Target Au
Bag storing skincare - From Sephora US a few years ago

If you have questions about anything I've packed, let me know and I'll be sure to get back to you!

September 23, 2016

Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous Oil Free Foundation Review

I picked up the Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous Oil Free Foundation on a whim after seeing so many people rave about it and, given that it's been a staple in my everyday make up routine for quite some time now, I cannot believe I've not reviewed it sooner! 

Now that I've let you in on a secret and you already know I'm a fan, let's get into the actual review! 




September 21, 2016

Updated Skincare Routine: Morning Routine

From what I could find, it's been over three years since I did my last skincare routine so I think it's definitely time for an update. I want to start by saying that my skin is temperamental; It's oily, blemish prone and very sensitive. It's a challenge but lately I've found a skincare routine that's been working so I wanted to share that with you all. 

I didn't want this post to be super long so I'm splitting it into two; a morning routine and an evening routine. This is the morning routine, obviously, so check back soon to see what I do in the evenings, including how I remove my make up! 



September 19, 2016

Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipstick Review* and Swatches

Rimmel London lipsticks are some of my favourites and they feature heavily in my make up collection, so I was really interested when I heard about their new collection, the Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipsticks*. I'm already a big fan of the original Moisture Renew lipsticks (if you haven't tried the shade As You Want Victoria, you must!) so  naturally I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to test the whole collection! 

Whether it be foundations or powders, eye products or lipsticks, Rimmel London doesn't often disappoint me so let's see whether these live up to that! 



The Rimmel London Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipsticks* are marketed as a moisturising lipstick with translucent, luminous and vitamin-enrich colour. They're not offering much, are they?

For me, The Rimmel London Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipsticks* are a winner. On an everyday basic I love a good sheer lipstick and this whole range does not disappoint. Although the colour pay off isn't fantastic, you can't expect anything too intense from a lipstick that has sheer in the name and the pay off they do have is lovely and totally wearable. They're extremely comfortable to wear and have a hydrating feel that's a really nice change to all the matte lip offerings on the market at the moment. Whilst they don't wear incredibly well, I don't expect that a sheer lipstick will be long lasting and the colours are all so wearable that they're certainly the type of product that I can throw on without a mirror.  


#100 Woke Up Like This, #200 Glow-Rious Pink, #300 Pink Rules, #500 Red-y Set Go, #600 Spin All Spring and #700 Better & Brighter 


As you can see from the pretty terrible photos above, the colour range of Rimmel London Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipsticks* is really great, though I'm not sure how many people will be able to get away with #100 Woke Up Like This and I would've loved to see the addition of a berry tone. Whilst I think they're all winners, my favourite is probably #700 Better & Brighter because it's just so wearable for work! 

If you're looking for a wearable, comfortable and easy to throw on product, don't look past the Rimmel London Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine* collection! I'm really impressed with them and I know I'll be giving them even more love in the warmer months when I was something that doesn't feel like it's going to melt off! 


Rimmel London's Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine* lipsticks are available now. They retail for $13.95 and be purchased anywhere that stocks Rimmel! 


*PR Sample

Rimmel London claims to be cruelty free, however they test on animal when required by law 

September 09, 2016

FOTD // Everyday Look ft. BH Cosmetics' Shaaanxo Palette

I'm so enveloped in the beauty community that, even though I was a little indifferent, I had to pick up the BH Cosmetics Shaaanxo Palette and I'm pleased to report that I've been pleasantly surprised by it. I've found myself reaching for the palette a bunch lately, especially for a quick and easy go to look, so I thought I'd share how I create it. 

I know this isn't a particularly exciting look but I think it's a simple and pretty one which is why I chose to share it anyway. 

To see how I used the products below, keep reading! 

September 07, 2016

LUSH Cosmetics Rosy Cheeks Fresh Face Mask

In mid June I, along with Sam from That Little Beauty Blog, organised and attended Bloggers United's 1st birthday celebration at the newly relocated (well, newly at the time) LUSH on Murray St in Perth. The event was fab, of course, as was the opportunity to shop after the store closed with many knowledgable bloggers and LUSH employees all around me. Under the guidance of a friend who'd been raving about it for weeks, I grabbed a pot of the Rosy Cheeks Fresh Face Mask and, let's just say, this is a love story for the ages. 


September 05, 2016

My Tips for Asking for Beauty Samples

Today's post is a quickie but I just wanted to talk about asking for samples; in particular, beauty samples. Quite often I'll be talking to someone who's thinking of picking up a high end beauty product but is scared that it won't suit them and they're shocked and sometimes horrified when I suggest that they, dare I say, ask for a sample.

Samples come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the product is decanted into pots, sometimes it's a sachet or damn foil packet and, best of all, sometimes it's packaged as a mini version of the full sized product. However it's packaged, samples are an opportunity for us, the consumer, to try before we buy and give a product a shot before we fork out a chunk of our hard earned money!


September 03, 2016

Dermalogica Hydrablur Primer Review*

Some say that diamonds are a girls best friend but, for me, primers are where it's at. As someone who struggles with all sorts of skin issues (redness and pigmentation, oily zones, breakouts, texture issues and more!) and primer/one stop product to use before my up application is music to my ears! I've been using the Dermalogica Hydrablur Primer for a while now so I thought it was time to share my thoughts with y'all!

September 01, 2016

Top 5 Current Make Up Faves

Beauty favourites used to be a regular thing on Born to Buy Blog. They were an opportunity for me to rave about my beauty loves and, truth be told, they were some of my favourite posts to write. The fact that I've been a bit slack on the blog this year is no secret to anyone so, as my first post back, I thought I'd share some of my current favourites with y'all. This time I have been strong and limited myself to talking about five products, purely because I'm sure that all the other loves will pop up in future posts over the next little while.

July 01, 2016

Top 10 Cruelty Free Make Up Brands


Although it seems like it was a few lifetimes ago, in my last blog post I talked about wanting to make more better choices when it comes to make up purchases and swap out products in my collection for cruelty free alternatives. Making conscious choices has been difficult. I've done research directly through brands themselves, as well as on websites like Cruelty Free Kitty so I thought I'd put together a list of my Top 10 Cruelty Free Make Up Brands to try and make things a bit easier for anyone wanting to take the plunge!

March 11, 2016

UPDATES?! || Cruelty Free? Cleaning out?


I feel like every couple of months I am back to do another one of these damned update and apology blog posts and, for goodness sakes, I am sick of them. The sooner I get better at juggling work, blogging and my personal life, the better! I've been low key avoiding getting back into things because I don't know how to apologise for being MIA without saying the things I've said a million times before but, realistically, I don't have to.

Everything I said in my Heart to Heart in November is true; Life is busy, family comes first and friends are more important that you'll realise.

All that aside, I miss the blogosphere and I'm back. I've had a few ideas about a few changes I want to make so now is as good a time as any to talk about them, don't you think?

Firstly, let's talk cruelty free. Animal testing etc. is something that I chose to be naive about for a very long time. I definitely took the what I don't know won't hurt me approach for far too long and, in the meantime, innocent animals were being harmed and/or *gulp* killed. How is that fair? It's not. My best friend has been asking me to write about cruelty free products on the blog for a while now but I haven't ever done it. Why? Because it meant acknowledging that I consciously purchase products that are tested on animals. I've been thinking a lot about it lately and I've decided that I want to try and make the transition to using more cruelty free products, be that make up, haircare or skincare etc. I'm not saying I'm 100% living the cruelty free life now, nor am I saying that is it a permanent life choice, but I'll be giving it a shot and I home you can support that. 

With that in mind, if there is any cruelty free brands that you'd recommend, please let me know! Help a sister out.

Along somewhat similar lines, I'm trying to use shit stuff up. I have so many back ups and spares of products and I want to start using them up. They're all stored well so, in theory, they should be fine but nothing last forever and what's the point of keeping things when they're just going to collect dust? Many of the products I have in back up aren't necessarily cruelty free but I will be using them up, I just won't replace them. There's no point in throwing something out that I've already purchase/received. Instead, I'll be making a conscious choice not to replace it.  

Another way of de-cluttering is the fact that I have, once again, updated my blog sale. There are a lot of new products on there so if you're interested in picking up some great cosmetics, hair and skincare bits, check out this link. Everything I am selling is described in as much detail as possible and, remember, I am only selling the items because I want them to go to a loving home where they'll be appreciated and used. 


Lastly, I want to get a bit more personal on here. Talking about make up and beauty etc. is all well and good but there's so much more to me than that and I don't think that's necessarily reflected on the blog as much as it could be. I don't quite know what this will look like yet as, let's be real, I'm not that exciting but we'll see. Maybe I'll talk about 'stuff' that's a little more personal to me or maybe every now and then I'll just talk you through my day. 

I love blogging and I miss it a lot so, once I find the balance I'm still searching for, we'll be back onto something really good. 

Peace out.

January 12, 2016

FOTD // Getting Through a Hot Perth Day!

January 12, 2016 | , , , , , , , 4 Comments
The heat in Perth, Western Australia, has been insane lately. It's averaging mid thirties/high forties almost every day and, if you're anything like me, you just cannot cope with that weather. I try to hibernate in the heat, however sometimes you've just got to get on with you life and actually leave the air-conditioned sanctuary that is your home.

On days when I am out and about I try to keep my make up to a minimum. It's not about looking glam, it's about putting the least amount of products on my face and keeping things quite natural whilst trying to absorb as much heat induced oil as possible.

To see what I create with these products on the hottest of hot days, keep reading! 


January 10, 2016

TWO MILLION PAGE VIEWS

January 10, 2016 | , , , 2 Comments

In September of 2014 Born to Buy reached one million page views and I couldn't contain my excitement. My blog had been going for a little over three years at the time, and I felt like one million views was the biggest number in the world.

Here I am, however, less than a year and a half later, celebrating another milestone, a bigger milestone; TWO MILLION PAGE VIEWS.

Numbers aren't everything. They don't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, I'd still be here either way, but it is so nice to know that people read my posts and value the hard work I put into it. Blogging is something I really enjoy and I am so grateful that hopefully you guys are enjoying my content.

Thank you for everything you've done for me. 

Thanks for the kind words. Thanks for keeping up with me while I've been erratically posting with no proper schedule and thank you to everyone who's been here from the beginning.

I can only really say thank you the one way I know how, with epic giveaways, so stay tuned! 

BRAND FOCUS & GIVEAWAY: MAC

If you asked me what my ride or die make up brand was, I'd confidently say MAC every single time. MAC continues to impress me with their vast product range and a significant numbers of staples in my make up routine are from them. I have a lot to talk about in today's post, including the details on a giveaway, so let's just get into it! 

January 08, 2016

Rimmel London Brow This Way Eyebrow Sculpting Kit and Styling Gel* Review

Rimmel London upped their brow game last year with the launch of their Brow This Way collection, a two piece collection featuring a Brow Sculpting Kit* and a Brow Shaping Gel*. I've had this collection in my possession for almost six months now and I only recently realised I never blogged about it, so it's definitely time to share my thoughts on both products in the range.


January 06, 2016

Monthly Beauty Favourites | December, 2015

December had some real highs and lows for me so, I gotta say, I'm pretty glad that it's over. I launched Blogmas in mid December and intended on uploading every day until Christmas but my body had other ideas and I ended up with two small fractures in my back ribs which put a dampener on that idea. I also got a cold so constantly coughing has really helped with that pain - not! I'm so disappointed that I couldn't get the posts up for you, especially as I was proud with the photos we took, but the content is coming either way so it wasn't a complete fail! My pain is improving every day but and I'll be back to normal soon!

Christmas at my place was great. I absolutely adore Christmas. I love giving gifts and it was amazing to watch people open presents I'd bought for them, especially my nephews. There's something great about spending Christmas with little ones, isn't there? 

That's probably enough for the life update portion of today's post, don't you think? Let's talk beauty!

January 04, 2016

MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara Review

Over the past year or so I've seen many beauty gurus/vloggers (Pixiwoo sisters and Jaclyn Hill, I'm looking at you) reach for the MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara, especially for their lower lashes. They all raved about how great it was  at preventing smudging on the lower lashline and, as someone with long lower lashes who's often a victim of smudging, I decided to give it a try!

Tiny Hand With Heart