What's In My Bag?

I am a massive sticky beak. When asked what superpower I would possess if I had the chance, I always choose invisibility. Why? Because I would love to snoop through peoples houses and handbags, that’s why. Imagine just being able to breeze right through Lauren Conrad’s house and see her amazing decorating skills up close. Better yet, what about walking right into your neighbors’ house and smashing their stereo with a cricket bat. You know the one I’m talking about? They live on the corner and play ‘Anaconda’ by Nicki Minaj for hours on end. No? That must just be me.
I may not be as exciting as Lauren Conrad or my bogan loud talking neighbours on the corner but I’ll let you have a peek into my bright orange Kate Spade handbag to see what I carry around on a daily basis.

Wallet

This bright green Kate Spade New York wallet is a perfect fit for me, I can even fit my phone in there when I go out without being too bulky. It’s also pretty to look at, so it is a wallet winner.

MAC Fix+ Spray

This. Is. A. Lifesaver. I cannot NOT have this in my handbag. It refreshes makeup and locks it in place.  Oily? Fixes that. Dry? Fixes that. Dull? Fixes that. My cherry ripe addiction? Hell, it fixes that as well.  Fix+ is enriched with green tea, chamomile and cucumber to calm and soothe the skin. If you don’t have one of these in your handbag you are really missing out on it's makeup refreshing goodness.

Hand Sanitizer

I am one of those compulsive hand washers. Every time I touch something I have to scrub my hands. Unfortunately when I’m out in public I can’t carry around my bathroom sink and pomegranate Dettol hand wash, so hand sanitizer comes in a close second. I have one in every handbag as well as one in my glove box and another on the back seat of my car for a backup. I found that Purell is the best one that cleanses without being too drying or having a harsh scent.

Hand Cream

Because I’m a compulsive hand washer my hands get dry really easily.  This hand cream is cheap and absorbs instantly without leaving your hands too greasy which is all that anyone wants in a hand cream.

Keys

I hate having too many keys. I do not know how people have hundreds of keys when I only need two. One to my house and the other to my car, both of which sit on my Swarovski key ring my mum got me when I got my license.

Concealer

The Nars Radiant Creamy concealer is permanently homed in my handbag because it is the perfect touch up for foundation and is also thick enough to cover spots and dark circles. And because it is on a wand and not in a pot, it is a lot more hygienic. Boy do I wish they made this formula in big bottles of foundation.

Headphones and Case

Apple headphones are the worst to have floating around in your handbag. That is, until I found this little beaut on the gift table at Portmans for 50% off last year. It is the perfect size and keeps them wound nicely without getting tangled throughout your bag. The only downside is that I can’t remember the brand, but if I did I would buy so many more because they are so clever!

Compeeds
I’m a massive wuss when it comes to blisters, like a massive wuss, and these are the only blister plasters that have helped. I’ve tried all the other brands and none of them even come close. They are perfect for when I’m working a 9-hour straight nightclub shift at work to stop my shoes rubbing. I will always, always have a packet of these in my bag. Always, I’m that dedicated.

Perfume

I love perfume, but I do not love the fact that my everyday perfume is in a delicate glass bottle that Dior does not make in a travel size. So that is why I’ve got a separate perfume for when I’m out and about, See & Be Seen Sasha by Benefit Cosmetics. Perfect mini size, very lightweight and smells like a fresh field of flowers. Benefit also make lots of other beautiful handbag sized scents, my other favourite being Laugh With Me Lee Lee.

Lip Balm

The Laqa & Co. Lip Lube is perfect for carrying around in my handbag all day. It is the most perfect neutral pink colour, is hydrating, not sticky, comes in a wind up tube so it is not messy and also has a mint scent to keep your lips looking and smelling fresh.

Gum

Mint scented lip balm can’t always do the trick, especially if you have eaten a falafel wrap from that vegan café that has an aura of garlic. This little tub of mints is perfect for your handbag or car and not only freshens your breath but whitens your teeth. But beware; they are super minty, almost to a Fishermen’s Friends level of intensity.

Beauty Bag Basics: Priceline Edition

Like other confusing things, makeup is scary if you don't know what you're doing or how to start. And once in a blue moon you will stumble on to an amazing makeup tutorial only for all the products used to be only found in Europe or America or Narnia. Because come on, we are in Australia and America is essentially as far away as Narnia. So I have put together a basic makeup kit with everything in it being available at your local Priceline. Here is what you will need:

The Makeup Bag

For all my cosmetics that I reach for everyday, I use the Models Prefer Train Case. It is the perfect size for all your every day essentials and it can surprisingly fit quite a lot of products. The case also has a zip compartment in the top, so you can store all those little products without them getting lost under big bottles of foundation.

The Foundation

I'm all for long wear foundations, even if you are only popping out for a few hours, purely for the fact that long wear foundations have greater coverage and are non transferrable; which means when you hug your bestie that you haven't seen in a few weeks, you won't get foundation all over her adorable Portmans blazer. My favourite is the Revlon Colorstay Foundation Combination/Oily Skin SPF 15. I have the shade 110 Ivory and I have been dedicated to this foundation since I first started wearing makeup when I was 16. Because it is the wonderful combination of being long wearing and for combination/oily skin, this means that it will not only last all day but you won't get that shine on your T-Zone in the afternoon, which is when makeup generally begins to slide around. It also has a small amount of SPF which is great because YAY for extra sun protection. Only fools don’t wear sunscreen everyday, wrinkly fools.

The Concealers

Essentially for everyday makeup you really only need two different types of concealers, one for colour correcting (pimples, hooray) and another for brightening (darkness, hooray). Maybelline has you covered in both these departments with their Cover Stick Corrector Concealer in Green and the Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles. These are the cheapest concealers that I have found that can actually hold their ground in a battle with the pricier department store brands like Napoleon Perdis and MAC. I use both every time I do my makeup for every occasion whether it’s going to work or out with friends, these two little products cover all my bases. For more rambling on these two prodz check out my previous post Conceal Don’t Feel right here: http://aimeeandsugar.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/conceal-dont-feel.html

The Powder

The best makeup related rule I’ve learnt from makeup artists that paint my face for weddings and events is to never ever (like ever) use a coloured powder over foundation. It just looks cakey and gives you a ghastly looking face in photos; much like using SPF foundation when you know you will be having your photo taken with a camera flash (at night of course, always always use it during the day), it is a big no no. So when you are putting that dusting of powder over your base of liquid or cream foundation and concealer, always stick to a translucent powder. It is colourless but still does the job of setting your makeup. How clever! My favourite is the Face of Australia Translucent Loose Powder. It cost me $11.95 from Priceline and there is just so much of it. Because you only have to dust on the smallest amount, this tub of goodness will last you a very long time. Bonus: Face of Australia does not test on animals and they are a great Aussie owned company.

The Mascara

Like with my purchasing habits of heat protectant, I never like to buy the same mascara twice. There are just so many different types and price ranges of it that I think it is just better to try a new one each time the one I’m currently using dries up. Though in the past few months, I have broken this rule and kept on buying the same mascara. The one that stole my fluttery lashes is the Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Flared Mascara. It is cheap, especially when there is a sale at Chemist Warehouse and delivers the same type of results as ‘They’re Real’ by Benefit at a fraction of the cost.

The Brow Gel

I don't know about you, but my eyebrows, much like my hair, is out of control. All those follicles have a mind of their own and throughout the day they will just be all over the place unless I have brushed through a brow gel. Currently I’m using the Australis Extender Lash & Brow and it is doing a marvelous job. In the past I have previously used the pricey Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel and I can honestly not tell the difference between the two. So save some dollars and go for the Australis, a great company that is Australian owned and are 100% free of animal testing. They also offer a range of vegan friendly products free from ingredients such as beeswax. Though after a few uses the colour gets a bit ghastly but that doesn't matter at all as it still does the job!

The Balm

Lucas Papaw Ointment is a staple that is found in many bathrooms across Australia, but I only jumped on the bandwagon this year. At first I didn’t really like it and the first tube that I brought I actually threw in the bin. I found it oily and greasy and the smell reminded me of Cheetos Cheese and Bacon balls. Then a few months later I was at a friends house getting ready and needed to borrow some lip balm to pop underneath my lipstick to stop it from drying out and all she had was Lucas Paw Paw ointment. It kept my lips hydrated and stopped the product from sliding around and looking lackluster. I still think that it smells like cheese and bacon balls and I’m not the greatest fan, but it does wonders for prepping the lips and keeping them hydrated while wearing other lip products, so for that purpose I will always keep a tube in my everyday makeup bag.

The Brushes

As much as I love my brushes by Bobbi Brown and MAC, I am not so much of a fan of the individual price tags attached to them. And if I had brought all my brushes from EcoTools first, I probably would not have spent such a serious amount of coin in the siren like section of David Jones. Currently I have in my mitts the foundation, powder, tapered blush, full eyeshadow and angled eyeliner brushes. EcoTools pride themselves on earth friendly beauty and showing respect for the planet by using materials that have low impact on the earths resources; such as bamboo handles, 100% cruelty free taklon bristles and making the ferrules of the brushes out of recycled aluminum. The packaging the brushes come in is also made from natural cotton and hemp and are completely recyclable. The powder brush is the fluffiest and most divine powder brush I have ever used and distributes the Face of Australia translucent powder delicately on the face without disrupting the existing foundation. Also I do not use the angled eyeliner brush for eyeliner but to fill in my eyebrows, as it is the perfect shape and size to complete the job. Brushes using synthetic bristles also take much less time to dry, so you are more likely to wash them. It is positives all around!

I know there isn't that much variety with the brands I’ve featured but these are the ones I just keep coming back to because the quality they offer for the low price attached makes them hard to pass up on.

Perfectly Coloured Lids in a Pinch

Top Row: Bad to the Bronze and Too Cool
Bottom Row: Tough as Taupe and Silver Strike

Out of all the makeup tasks and routines, the eye area is my Achilles heel. I feel like I can never get my eyeliner even on both sides, I’m always scared that today is the day all my eyelashes will fall out when I curl them, blinking too soon after applying mascara and smearing it everywhere and forgetting to pop on eye primer. My least favourite though is the time it takes to blend out my eye shadow, otherwise known as forever. 

Unless you use the heaven in a pot that is cream eye shadows. Though finding the right one is tricky. Sometimes because they are so easy to apply, you will find sacrifices in its stay power or pigmentation. You will see it on the shelf while out shopping; go "Wow, I love that silver shadow! Look at the sparkle!" so you hand over your dollars, get it home to apply it only to find out you would have the same effect applying a combination of Vaseline and graphite pencil to your eyelids. 

Well you do not have to stress your pretty little head with all these issues if you would just pick up some of the Maybelline Color Tattoos! Yes I know colour is spelt incorrectly in that sentence, that is what happens Americans name products and all of the Australians and Canadians etc. are left in a spelling and grammatical limbo. 

These eye shadows glide on easily, are an absolute dream to blend out and take minimum time and effort to apply. So if you're rushing off to do important duties like heading off to your office to practice law or on your way to Donut King to grab the last banana custard donut you could apply these with ease on the train or in the car (just not while driving, save that future ticket for the donut eating).

My perfect day time eye (if I can't be bothered or don't have the coordination for my usual cat eye liquid liner) consists of using Tough as Taupe in the eye socket, Bad to the Bronze all over the lid and then too cool in the inner corners of my eyes to add a little brightness and sparkle. Also, because Too Cool is a cream shadow it can also be used as a nifty highlighter along the brow bone and lightly on top of the cheekbones for an angelic and ethereal look. 

They certainly have my rookie stamp of approval.

Lovely Locks

Padlocks are probably my favourite type of lock; I love the satisfying click when you close them. Combination locks are the absolute pits. You know the ones? You had to have on your locker in high school and at my school they were compulsory and it sometimes took a good seven minutes to get into my locker, not my strong point. As much as a could carry on about all the different types of locks and my urge to marry a locksmith because it's my favourite type of dinner conversation, this of course is a beauty blog. So I am going to move on to my second favourite types of locks.  

Locks of hair!

Though my dream locksmith husband is not Trevor from Broad City (Excellent Show #1)

My Hair - A Day Time Soap Opera

Like most of the characters on my favourite daytime soap opera 'Days Of Our Lives', my hair is a psychotic mess of a bitch who will never have its life together. I don't know what happened to me when I was in the womb to get stuck with such difficult hair but I did. Maybe it was all the KFC my mum ate when she was pregnant with me. Lets say it is that. Thanks Katrina. I got blessed with having a cowlick part at the front of my hair and a double crown part at the back. Which means my hair will never sit nicely without a bucket full of hair products or heat styling, hooray.

So, like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives here are the products I am currently using on my mop!

Shampoo and Conditioner




I use the EverEcents Organic Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner and I have never loved hair care products as much as this brand. Silicone, sulfate and paraben free. Safe for coloured hair. An accredited non animal testing brand. Australian made and owned. No artificial fragrance or perfumes. All products are biodegradable AND for every product you purchase 5c goes to the wonderful people at Camp Quality to help them continue to do the wonderful things they do for children and their families living with cancer. How darn wonderful is that?

All the products are so wonderful, gentle and nourishing on the scalp and deliver fantastical results. I got recommended this brand by my old hairdresser Jade; because along with being genetically blessed with unruly hair I also get dermatitis behind my left ear which gets inflamed mainly by stress but can also get really sensitive depending on which shampoo and conditioner I use. While using EverEcents I never have a problem with it, but if I run out and don't have time to make the 20-minute drive to stock up and have to resort to using something off the shelf at Woolies, oh boy do I notice a difference. I really do need to just stockpile it in my bathroom cupboard because this is a wonderful brand with fantastic products. I really could go on and on and on about it, but I will stop. Right now.

Hairdryer and Straightener

This year I took a big step in my life and finally brought a new hairdryer. I threw $200 down on a sweet as GHD Air. I wasn't settling because this was essentially the first hairdryer I had ever brought for myself, seeing as I had the same blue Conair one since I was eight years old. Whenever I need to buy something super expensive I always think of 'Cost Per Use'. Am I going to use that hairdryer constantly or will it just sit in my bathroom not getting used? I think there is some beauty and hair care products you should splurge on and some you should save on; and like foundation and primer, a hairdryer is definitely something you should splurge on. A great hairdryer can last you decades, my little blue Conair is a perfect example.

A great straightener is also something you should splurge on. And in the summer of 2010 after saving all my dollars working at a truck stop cafe on a highway where the cooks didn't wear shoes and sneezed on all the lettuce, I brought myself a GHD Gold Series straightener. Considering it is something I use at least once a week and I’ve had it for so many years I would say the quality is really worth the price. And if you buy a GHD you can do so many wonderful things with it like straighten (of course) and create lots of different types of curls. It is a nugget of multi tasking wonderfulness.

Curling Wand


As much as I love my GHD for creating delicious curls, sometimes its a bit too much effort to use a straightener. Which is why I was pleased as punch when I got a Babyliss Pro Conical Wand for my birthday. Because it's conical shaped you basically have to do nothing for fabulous curls, you just wrap a piece of hair around it and it does all the work for you. None of the twisting and turning you have to do with a straightener, it's great! Though it does look like something you would find at a Sexyland, but hey it gives you amazingly sexy hair, so I think that is a great compromise. Sexy hair. Sexy life.

It's no 5000 Candles In The Wind though (Excellent Show #2)

Heat Protectant 


I used to be one of those naughty people who would never use heat protectant. Then my hairdresser yelled at me when I kept coming in whining about my split ends and made me buy a heat protectant. I never use the same one twice because there are so many and I haven't really found one that has wowed me enough to come back. At the moment I am using the Cedal Blow Dry Faster, which I received in my June Bellabox. So far I have no complaints, I’m pretty sure it's protecting my hair, but how can you ever really tell? I haven't noticed an excessive split ends so I guess it's working. The smell isn't the greatest and it does leave your hair feeling a bit strange and the only way I can describe it is like Barbie hair. It leaves your hair with a nice shine but feeling a bit plastic like, but it does an alright job and I’m always determined to finish products.

I'm also using the Treseme Thermal Styling Heat Spray and this is probably my favourite heat protectant I’ve used so far. Smells as good as you can probably get, priced fantastically and leaves your hair feelings somehow hydrated even after you've essentially ironed it. I will probably always go back to this one!

Hair Spray

I always use the Cedal hairspray because I think it is just the absolute best. Love the smell. Love the magic it works on my hair. It is just great. But after working and attending Melbourne fashion week this year I have bathroom cupboards overflowing with everything L’Oreal. I basically got given bags upon bags of the stuff. Shampoos, conditioners, nail polish, primer and hairspray. SO. MUCH. HAIRSPRAY. L’Oreal is a legend in hairspray and you will find it everywhere from Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Week all the way to the big guns at New York Fashion Week and I am gradually making my way through my hairspray supply.

The L’Oreal hairspray in question is the Elnett Satin Very Volume Supreme Hold and having difficult hair I always use a pretty strong hairspray. Well I thought I was, until I started using this one. They should really start selling this product in Bunnings next to the industrial strength glues. Once you've got your hair do all sorted, spray some of this in your hair and it will not move. I'm talking some serious Fran Fine-esque hold. It is amazing. But the smell. Oh god the smell. It is absolutely terrible. If you are willing to sacrifice the smell of your bathroom towels, this is the product for you!

Tangle Teezer

I love my Tangle Teezer so much, probably as much as you love yours right? Wait, what? You don't have a Tangle Teezer? That is absolutely ridiculous because these babies do wonderful magical tricks on your hair. The detangling brushes are designed with sharp little teeth to get through knots and assisting in gently brushing through your strands without pulling or grabbing and causing breaks. So you end up with beautifully healthy and shiny hair.  
I was a tad apprehensive at first because they reminded me of the curry combs that i used on my horses, Sugar and Mischa, when I was growing up, but as someone whose hair gets knotty at the breeze from an inside door shutting, it is now the only brush I use and I could not live without it. Awesome tip, BeautyBay sell them for $14.60 with free shipping, while Priceline has a retail price of over $29. Which is a tad ridiculous, so pick one up on BeautyBay!

Dry Shampoo

2013 was the year I first used dry shampoo. I know right, for something that has been out for so long and has been so popular it took me a while to get there. But I’m glad I did. Whatever the reason I had for not washing my hair (working late nights/studying late at night/late night possum catching) dry shampoo is my little miracle in a can. I even use it if my hair isn't dirty because it gives such AMAHZING volume. Pair it with the L’Oreal Very Volume hairspray and no one will be able to see through your hair do if you sit in front of them at the movies. They will have to peek through your hair.

I use the Batiste Dry Shampoo in Floral & Flirty Blush. Smells divine. Works miracles. Could basically be Beyoncé. To get extra volume I spray it all through my roots and then tip my hair upside down and massage it in. That way you get heaps of sexy volume and you also don't get little bits of dry shampoo all over your clothes. Win win. I'm also of the personal belief that you should have a can of dry shampoo with you at all times. In your purse, car, flying machine and Priceline sells minis for $3.99 so you have no excuse. A quick spray of it in the middle of the day will leave your hair looking as fresh as the moment you left the house.

Penny from Happy Endings is my spirit animal (Excellent Show #3)

So in conclusion I would like you to take away the following:

• Marry a locksmith
• Always have dry shampoo with you
• Anyone who doesn't like the shows Broad City, Parks and Recreation and Happy Endings is a terrible person
• Don't eat KFC when you're pregnant because your child will end up with unruly hair
• Splurge on your hairdryer
• Sexy hair, sexy life