Hi All,

So August has been an interesting month for me. I have had a lot of troubles with my sensitive skin which resulted in me completely retreating into a ball of insecurity but its getting better (with help, thank goodness) and slowly things are returning back to normal. Because of my skin being a pain in the … makeup has basically taken a back seat whilst I tried to avoid using anything that could irritate my skin. Nevertheless I have a few beauty related favourites and then a few other random things as well.

1. EOS lip balm in Summer Fruits. Mum brought this back from the US for me (YAY!) and it has been my main lip product all month. The scent/taste of this is my favourite so far, tropical and delicious, and I do find these moisturize and hydrate really well. In my opinion they are better that baby lips for actual hydration, I only wish these were more readily available here in New Zealand

2. Australis Go Longwear Lipstick in Diva: Probably the only lipstick I have reached for this month on the odd occasion I wanted something more than a balm was this beauty from the new long wearing range by Australis. I have a full review of the three shades in this range coming up in the future but this is a beautiful, bright, true red matte that is flattering and doesn’t dry out my lips. Also lasts well which is a big plus for me.

3. Thin Lizzy Mineral Foundation in … So I avoided most makeup this month but there was the odd occasionytg where I wanted to look presentable and needed some sort of coverage for my red, angry, dry skin. I would have thought this powder wouldn’t have worked that great, just because my skin was so dry, but somehow it worked better than any cream foundation to give me a natural, even colour without any irritation at all or any flaking. It is now my default foundation just because I love the finish and I can trust it won’t set my skin off. Around $40 from farmers I think but a little goes a long way and I feel like this will last me a  while.

4. Nivea sensitive foaming wash: Okay, so I am sure you are sick of hearing about my skin issues but it has basically defined my month and this body wash was kind of a life saver. This thing is JUMBO and was only $8 or so from the Supermarket. I love it not just because it is cheap but because it is so gentle that my skin doesn’t react at all and yet it still does an awesome job of lathering and cleaning (which I guess is the main point). Will definitely repurchase this if I ever run out.

5. Essie Merino Cool: This has just been the perfect nail colour for the season. A dusty purple taupe that is sophisticated and appropriate for work. A cream formula but sometimes I do pair this with a rose pink glitter (see below)…I just can’t resist an accent nail. Speaking of nail polish who else is excited for Spring colours?? ALL THE PASTELS.

6. Essie A Cut Above: This is one of my all time favourite glitters that I add to pretty much any manicure but I especially enjoyed this in combination with Merino Cool. This has such a nice even formula for a glitter that I don’t feel like I have to mess around with it. And it’s gorgeous.

That’s it for beauty! But moving on….

TV show: The Mentalist – Edd and I have been powering our way through every season and I may die when we run out. I just love Patrick so much.

Tea: Peppermint leaves with Ceylon Cinnamon by Dilmah (read more here – this tea is perfection for only $4, I’m in love)

Accessory: My burgundy circle scarf from Cotton On. I think I got this cheap with other purchases but I wear this almost every day. Perfect colour for winter and super snuggly.

Food: Haloumi cheese. We bought some from the Auckland Food Show and I have been craving it every day ever since. This with hummus on crackers makes for a perfect post gym snack.

Random Buy: Our new DSLR camera!! Edd is already a pro whilst I still forget to remove the cap and then wonder why I can’t see anything… 

What have you been loving in the past month?

Xx