Winter Essentials

It's Winter and both our fashion and skin care regime tends to change in the colder months. Here are my winter essentials which get me through those long winter months. 

1. I like to switch up my nail polish quite frequently and tend to match it to what colours I'm wearing - which in winter, is usually black or darker colours. These two nail polishes from O.P.I are perfect to accompany a darker outfit in winter. The colours are: 'Got the blues for red' and 'OPI ink'

2. My lips get chapped very easily in winter and let's face it - dried, cracked up lips isn't a good look. To keep mine soft and moisturised I use the Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub, followed with Lucas Pawpaw Ointment. I cannot say enough good things about both these products! 

3. As I match my nails to my outfit, I also do with my lips. I love a bold coloured lip and these colours are perfect for a pop of colour.

~ Mac Rebel (Satin)

~ Mac Ruby Woo (Matte)

~ Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense No. 48 

4. A scarf is a great "in between" clothing item; where it either may not be cold enough for a jacket or you simply are not warm enough with your jacket alone. It's practical, yet stylish and can be the stand out pop of colour in your outfit. Since I do wear a lot of black, I always wear bright coloured scarves like these red and blue ones. 

5. My skin is usually very oily, but in winter it does get the odd dry patch which doesn't make applying makeup easy. I like to keep my face hydrated with Mac Strobe Cream and my body with O.P.I Avojuice Ginger Lily hand & body lotion. Even though it is winter, you need to keep your skin protected from the sun by wearing sunscreen everyday. I like to use Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle deep wrinkle daily moisturiser with SPF15. It doesn't leave my skin oily and is a great base for my makeup. 

6. A pair of black boots are a must in winter and are so versatile. I bought this heeled pair from Wittner Shoes last season and they're still going strong. They are so comfy and can be either dressed up or down. I also keep a good pair of black, flat boots on hand in winter for a great Sunday shopping outfit. 

I hope you've picked up a few winter tips from me and do let me know what your winter essentials are!

Packing for China - Part 1

Sorry for being MIA over the last two weeks ~ I've been visiting China! I was selected through my college for an outbound mobility tour to visit a school in China and work with the students. I just got back to Sydney today. I had such a fantastic time - met so many amazing people and had a lot of fun! 

I wanted to give a run down of the things I packed to take with me in two parts. This first one will be toiletries and the next, clothing and shoes. 

I didn't want to take a lot with me and only wanted minimal makeup selections; one, because we wouldn't have a lot of time and two, I wanted to give my face a break from a full face of makeup. 

As you can see, I packed my Oroton toiletries bag and triple plastic bagged my shower items, so that nothing leaked onto my clothes. I used plastic travel bottles for my face cleanser and conditioner so I could take a smaller portion. 

I took the following products with me:

Face cleanser ~ Perricone MD Gentle Cleaner

Shampoo ~ Herbal Essences Hello Hydration

Conditioner ~ Deep Muk 1 minute treatment

Toner ~ Dermalogica Multi Active toner 

Moisturiser ~ Clinique Moisture Surge for the face and Clinique body soothing cream

Face wipes ~ Neutrogena night calming makeup removing and cleansing towlettes 

Priceline round cotton pads and cotton tips

Lip balm ~ EOS lip ball

Concealer ~ Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser and Rimel wake me up concealer 

Foundation ~ Rimel Matte BB Cream in Light 

Primer ~ Rimel Stay Matte Primer 

Powder ~ Mac Prep and Prime translucent powder 

Bronzer ~ Bobbi Brown matte bronzer  

Setting Spray ~ Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray

Dry Shampoo ~ Batiste 

Deodorant ~ Rexona clinical protection

4ME Nail polish remover wipes 

Olive Shower Gel

Makeup Brushes ~ BH Cosmetics bronzer brush, Real Techniques deluxe crease and buffing brush, Sigma small contour F05 and flat kabuki F80

Woolworths Select SPF30+ sunscreen lotion

Bushman Plus insect repellent 

Toothpaste ~ Colgate Optic white 

Hairspray ~ Healthy Sexy Hair 

GHD hair straightner and hair dryer 

These were the basics that I like to take away with me when I'm going to be out mostly during the day and taking it easy. I think my skin enjoyed the break from a heavier face of makeup. 

Stay tuned for the second part which will be a quick run down of clothing and shoes items I took to China with me.