Cruelty-Free Beauty Favorites This Autumn (AD)

It's that time of the year again — the rain has arrived, and so has the wind and 4:30pm sunsets. I love the autumn and winter but despise the way it affects my skin and hair. Everything dries out and I end up having to moisturize my face three times a day. Here are a few of my favorite beauty/haircare products that I have been loving as the weather cools down.

Maple Holistics Tea Tree Shampoo
I'm not going to lie, I was hesitant about a Tea Tree shampoo purely because it reminds me of the Tea Tree solution that my mum used to lather all over my hair when I came home with head lice as a kid. But the lovely folks at Maple Holistics offered to send me their Tea Tree shampoo and oh my! It's so great. The smell doesn't conjure up my head lice days at all. It's spicy and invigorating and works up such a good lather. I've been trying it out for a couple of weeks and love the way my hair has looked. It's kept its volume but is much softer and more manageable. Big thumbs up, I'll be repurchasing!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray
I picked this up on a whim at Urban Outfitters this summer, and boy am I glad that I did. I use it morning and night, just a light spritz all over my face/neck/chest. It wakes me up in the morning and soothes at night. It's also great under or over makeup, and smells so herbal and fresh. Plus, it's a bargain at only $7 for the travel size (I have the full size, which is still only $12)!

Liz Earle Signature Foundation
I bought this when I was living in Scotland, and now it's almost empty and I'm really sad because I don't think they ship it outside of the UK. I must find a way! I've never actually enjoyed wearing foundation but did it just because my face was red and spotty. After trying this, though, I love wearing it most days! I only use the tiniest bit on my nose and chin, and it is super buildable so on any given day I can step it up if I'm feeling extra red. It's not matte but feels really hydrating without looking like I'm wearing anything. Ahhh I just can't explain my love for it enough. Need more. ASAP.

Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Mask
I have grown up seeing this brand in most drugstores, but I never tried it out. Last month, though, I was having a really bad breakout and saw this bad boy at the drugstore for only $5, so I picked it up. It's vegan/cruelty-free and uses natural ingredients. It smells amazing, and helped zap away a lot of my spots. I've been using it 2-3 times a week for about a month, and I have to say it has really evened out the redness and splotchiness on my face. It's highly-rated everywhere so definitely worth giving it a try!

Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub
My beautiful friends bought me a Lush package for my birthday in August, and when I opened it up and saw it included Rub Rub Rub, I was overjoyed. I have loved this product ever since I tried it out a few years ago. It's bright blue, smells AMAZING, and really works at scrubbing away dead skin. I feel like a fruity cocktail every time I use it, and am already dreading the day I finish this tub.

If you've tried any of these products, what did you think? What are your go-to items to make the winter weather more bearable?

x B

A Few Favourite Things

So it's been a while since I've posted here, and I won't apologize -- I've just been happily living my life for the last month or so. My New Year's resolution this year was to spend less time documenting and planning my life, and more time living it. So just take my absence from this space as an indication that I'm succeeding in that.

It's been a big month. I've been making lots of plans, figuring things out for next semester at school, and enjoying my summer as much as possible. On top of the usual daily routine, I've fostered the most beautiful dog from the RSPCA (but their policy prohibits me from sharing photos until he's ready for adoption). However, I have found some time to slow down and enjoy the everyday, and I wanted to share some of that with you here. I thought I might share my 'favourites,' but instead of material possessions, focus instead on events/activities/recipes (although there are a couple new things I want to share!)

Lazy afternoons reading

I've been reading a lot lately, which has been lovely and much-needed. There's something delightfully comforting about reading on the couch while it rains down on the windows. I recently finished The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion and loved it just as much as the first Rosie novel. Don's narration is so refreshing and not frustrating, as I find many narrators to be. Right now I'm reading Diana Gabaldon's Dragonfly in Amber, the second in her Outlander series. I've absolutely been swept up in Claire and Jamie's story, and love DG's writing and Claire's narration. I'm up to date with the TV show so I can't wait to finish this novel and get on to the next one.

And watching some television

A couple of great shows I've been watching lately have kept me entertained in the evenings. Master of None, Aziz Ansari's show, was a seriously entertaining but light-hearted watch. Well cast and with clever humour, it was the perfect kind of show to watch over a couple of rainy days in bed. Then I started Please Like Me, created by Australian comedian Josh Thomas. It is a wonderfully optimistic show that deals with complicated issues in a tasteful way. I really liked that the main character, Josh, didn't seem to have any idea what he was doing as he entered adulthood, which I found very relatable and realistic. Finally, I've just finished the the first season of Jane the Virgin. I had watched a few episodes a while back but never got into the story, but recently I rented the season from the library and found myself totally invested in the storyline. While the premise is a little ridiculous, the characters are complex and interesting, and I love it now!

Planning for the next few months

I'm such a planner that I've been busy making lists and calendars and checklists to get ready for the next semester. Without even trying, I find myself with five jobs/roles on top of classes, so I'm in for a very busy few months on campus. I bought a new diary from Kikki.K (that has lots of little illustrations to colour in) and I've been using Apple Calendars and Google docs to make plans and lists so I'm all ready to go. It just makes me so happy to colour code and highlight things so I've really been enjoying that.

New additions to the wardrobe

While I didn't set out to shop too much this summer, I have picked up a few nice new pieces that I adore. I bought a pair of Blundestone 585 boots recently and have practically been living in them, they're so comfortable! They go with just about anything and I love love love them to bits. I also stopped in Chapel St. the other day and bought a lovely pair of cotton pants at Sussan, as well as a tunic dress and jacket in the Ishka sale (honestly I don't know of a better sale than an Ishka sale!) I love the colours of these pieces and they are all soft and made of cotton, which is just awesome.

Delicious breakfasts

I recently picked up the PB2 powdered peanut butter in chocolate flavour, and have been loving that so far! My favourite breakfast lately has been oats with chia and flax seeds, some chopped banana and the PB2 chocolate drizzled on top. So good! I'm also pretty obsessed with overnight oats- basically just oats and chia left to soak in coconut/almond milk and coconut yoghurt overnight. Top with some fresh fruit and it's a quick and delicious breakfast on the go.

x B

Life Lately: December

As I sit down to write this I'm in Los Angeles Airport, waiting for my flight to Auckland. I feel like that's just my life lately, so busy I can hardly keep track of what I'm doing. Thanksgiving and Finals flew by. I spent the last weekend in Seattle with my brother, and now I'm heading home to Melbourne for some relaxation, hopefully! Anyways, here are some snaps from the last few weeks, which have gone by so quickly!

Clockwise from top left: this weekend, exploring Seattle; the view I had during Finals week; a walk on a crisp day; a rainy afternoon spent in bed (watching Skyfall, I think). Hope all is well, wherever in the world you are and whatever you are doing.x B