Skincare routine

I have never really had bad skin. But i have always felt self conscious when it comes to wearing no makeup. My skin is very uneven in its tone and although I don't really get pimples I still find concealer apart of my every day staples. I never really cleaned my skin nor spent a lot of effort trying to change myself until I realised I that it could be very easily fixed if I took the right steps. To begin I increased my water by a lot but primarily focused on an every day skincare routine that was consistent yet took into account my day to day skincare needs. There's a few reasons why I wanted to tell you all about this. The main one however wasn't to review each product individually and tell you how amazing they are (which may I add they are amazing and I definitely recommend reading up on them) it's more to tell you all or I suppose remind you that little things that you feel insecure about in most cases can be fixed. Or at least accepted. Taking the time and effort out of your day to address what is making you feel uncomfortable or anxious can really help your overall self esteem and confidence. All I ask is that you take a little time each week to reflect, asses and act because you never know what cn happen with a little mindfulness. 

All my love x

March Favourites : 2016

Since it's the start of April today I thought it was the perfect time to share my March favourites with you all. 

S'well bottle: Plastic bottles are not only bad for you but are also bad for the environment. Which is why I opted to switch to a metal one, which cuts down waist. This one I brought from urban outfitters. Not only does it keep my drinks cool for 24 hours and hot for 12, they also plant a tree for every bottle purchase. What could be better.

Nars Skin Tint: Nars released a new 'skin tint' this month which I have been absolutely loving. Matte foundations are often something i try to avoid because  I have dry skin and they usually cause dry patches. But when i tried this it was completely different. This is honestly my new favourite base. It gives such a naturally perfected look. 

RCMA no colour powder: This has been out of stock online almost everywhere for the past six months so when if finally became in stock on adorebeauty.com.au I was ecstatic. This massive bottle only cost me $22, which for the product is an absolute bargain. I have been using this to set my t-zone and under eyes. It doesn't creese whatsoever and doesn't give your face that powdery finish. Ive just been loving this powder this month.

adorebeauty.com.au: This is a little bit of a random favourite but it's the site adorebeauty.com.au. When you are wanting to purchase Cruelty free or vegan makeup it can be hard. But this site simplifies it. They have a little section called 'Ethical Products' which has little tabs that allow you to filter through makeup brands and products based on your ethical approach. Which not only makes the process a whole lot easier, but allows you to discover new brands and products. They ship timely and kept me up to date until it arrived at my door. 

Tarte airbrush brush:This brush has been the only thing i have been using to apply my base all month which is a huge statement. It makes my foundation airbrushed and doesn't absorb to much product. This makes even a cheep foundation look amazing!

Too Faced eyeshadow primer: I don't often wear eyeshadow but any time I do I use this. It enhances the longevity of your eyeshadow and enhances the colour. My favourite pat of this is the light tint.It means you can wear it on its own to create a natural looking lid or with eyeshadow for a clean and pigmented look.

The Body Shop oils for life facial oil: I have really been trying to keep my skincare natural and free from chemicals for quite a while now and since making that choice have struggled to find a good moisturiser that keeps my skin hydrated and doesn't have a pungent smell. I have never been one for oils however this one was different. I use this whenever my skin feels dry or if I have any dry areas. It instantly softens my skin and evens my complexion.

MODE blush: I have just been loving MODES range recently and because it's so cheep I've been able to try out a lot of there products. They have a lot of fantastic products which really surprised me. This blush isn't incredibly pigmented it does however give the most beautiful colour when you apply it to the apples of the cheeks. 

Too Faced Matte Coco Bronzer: I love bronzes that don't contain any sparkle. Having pale skin I really had using too much shimmer on my skin. So this matte bronzer is amazing. It is so smooth and blend able it could be used subtly to create emphasis on the cheek bones or used to create an all over bronzed look. It comes in two shades which allows you to suit your bronzer better to the pigment of your skin. Plus it smells like chocolate so I can't really see how you could go wrong. 

Clover x

Clover tries: Uncle Harry's Instant Clay Mask Bar

I tend to find myself getting a little stuck into routines, especially with my makeup and skincare. So i decided to challenge myself to try some new things. Branching out from both brands and products i usually use to ones still cruelty free but less talked about. So what could be better than sharing that journey with you all. 

Something I've been very incised by has always been face masks. They always seem to do wonders for the skin however the range of cruelty free ones in my local supermarket is small and they are often produced with a vast list of unidentifiable ingredients. Which is manly why I wanted to give this one a go. The only ingredients are indian yellow clay and kewra fragrance. It retails for around $5 and lasts for at least 10 masks per bar depending on how thick you lather. 

I will admit I was overwhelmed when I opened it. The sent is a little pungent, if you're not keen on the smell of a lush shop you might want to give this one a miss. It was so easy to use you just wet your face and rub it all over, allow it to dry then with a damp cloth wipe it off. This made my skin feel and look like porcelain. It really reduced the appearance of my pores and just made my skin look amazing. This is available on Urban Outfitters or you could purchase it direct from http://www.uncleharrys.com its all organic and most 100% vegan friendly. If you've got any suggestions of what i should try next make sure to leave them bellow. 

Clover x

Koh Gen Do foundation

Ever since purchasing the Nars Sheer glow foundation I've been in love with it. Although i do find it incredibly drying on my skin, so I've been searching for omitting a little more hydration. My favourite parts about this was its coverage, dewy finish and shade range. I find all three very hard to find in a foundation, especially in a cruelty free one. I'd heard a lot about the Koh Gen Do aqua foundation, with even Gigi Hadi loving it. I was incredibly surprised to find the brand was cruelty free and decided to try it out.

The shade range was limited with only 7 shades available at PM studios ( all of a very pink tone). I purchased mine in the colour 013. On me this foundation did not look natural and it was very hard to work into my skin. It really clung to the tiny hairs on my face which was slightly unpleasant. It had a very similar wear time to the Nars Sheer Glow foundation. From a distance my skin looked radiant and dewy. However my face felt heavy and sticky even after setting it with powder. For me it made my dry areas a lot more prominent. Though I wouldn't say it's my new favourite its defiantly similar to the Nars Sheer Glow and didn't further dry out my skin. If you're wanting an alternative to the Nars Sheer Glow thats a little less drying and don't mind shelling out a little bit of money this is for you. If you guys have any suggestions of foundations with a similar finish but less drying leave them in the comments bellow! Id love to her them. 

Love Clover x

RCMA No-Colour Powder : Review

So I've been holding of doing this review for a little while now. For around a month it has been sold out everywhere! But the great news is its back in stock on adorebeauty.com which is where I picked mine up from. The idea behind the No-Colour powder is that it can be used on any skin tone and will not alter the colour nor create a cakey powder finish, which is why it has been so popular. Not to mention its 3 oz for only $22. I currently use this to set my foundation both on my face and under my eyes. I don't find this powder dries out my skin or make it patchy which is often something I struggle with a lot. Which is probably why I love it so much. Since I purchased this I have used it every day. If you where looking to invest in the laura mercer translucent powder don't. This powder gives the same matt finish and lasts just as long yet its half the price and three times the product.

As for the site adorebeauty.com which I purchased this off I'm not so sure. I did a little bit of research before I brought from them and it seemed reliable. They shipped quickly and the customer service was amazing. However it wasn't a site I had herd of before and a lot of the brands they stocked where very popular and unavailable online. If any of you guys have purchased off them before id love to know your experience!

Clover x

MODE: 2 in 1 foundation and concealer stick

Hi guys,
So my last review of MODE cosmetics mascara was very popular so I thought id do another one for you! I choose the 2 in 1 foundation + concealer stick in the shade 'soft ivory'.  In terms of colours the range was very yellow based which doesn't suit everyone but luckily for me was perfect.

This applied to the skin smoothly and blended in well. It is meant to give a matte finish to the skin however I would say it leaves a more natural appearance which I quite liked. Coverage wise it is no miracle. The further you blend the product into your skin the less coverage it gives however it definitely evens out skin tone and give a very naturally flawless look. Although this won't last all day it is so easy to slip into a purse and touch up I don't think it matters! Overall I love it!

Love clover x

Morphe brushes: Vegan collection

I've been looking for some new makeup brushes for a long time. I had always purchased then individually and was reluctant to invest in a kit. However when I saw Morphes brush range I just had to. I brought the 15 piece set with retails for $49 USD, which is around $64 AU. Which for such a large kit is quite cheep.

When I first received them I could believe how incredibly soft they where. They did have a slight distinct plastic smell as they where stored in a plastic case which wore of after a little bit of use. Overall I loved the brushes. They blended in liquid foundations nicely and didn't leave any streaking. They didn't seem to absorb to much product and blended out to smooth finish.

The different eyeshadow slightly vary in quality. Some blend eyeshadow smoothly and others are slightly scratchy and harsh. However I did find the hairs shed a little with frequent use. Which was disappointing especially as they hadn't been washed yet.  However for the price I was impressed. Brushes are a very expensive purchase so to find one that is of such high quality is rare. These would be just perfect for a beginner with a great verity of brushes to play around with. 

MODE Cosmetics

I was so exited to see that a new brand of cruelty free makeup had hit the shelf at Coles this week, so I thought I'd do a little review of there mascara for you all! 

Now MODE is registered with the leaping bunny logo which features on there products, this makes them very easily identified as cruelty free. To feature this logo on your product you must meet a set list of requirements, which I'll link below if your interested! Every product in there range is just $3 so it pretty affpordable if your wanting to give them a go!

I decided to try out the mascara! This definitely has a cheep scent to it which I'm not so keen on. However for the price I think it is overall a fantastic mascara. The brush is massive which I love. I don't find it makes my lashes clumpy or flake of during the day. It isn't the most volumess mascara ever but it's perfect if your looking for more natural looking lashes. I highly recommend you try at least something from there new range, there a great alternative to the other brands you find in the supermarket and so inexpensive. If your interested in my reviewing other products from there range let me know!

Clover x

http://www.leapingbunny.org/content/leaping-bunny-logo

https://www.heritagebrands.com.au/category/mode

Too Faced Cocoa Powder

This month I have been obsessing over the brand Two-Faced. After finding out it was cruelty free I well and truly stocked up on there products. My favourite was definitely there Coco powder foundation. Not only does it smell amazing (Like chocolate and Coconut) it's also incredibly soft on the skin. Id say its around light to medium coverage but its definitely build able. The shade range for this isn't the greatest there mainly yellow toned which for me was perfect but isn't perfect for everyone. I do find if you do to many layers it does look a little cakey but it doesn't separate during the day which is a massive pro! 

Overall I love both the brand and the product. Ill pop all the links for the site bellow.

http://mecca.com.au/too-faced/

Kind regards,

Clover

Morphe Custom Pallet Review

I've been hearing a whole lot of talk recently about Morphe pallets and brushes so I thought id try them out. They are based in America with a wide range of affordable products.

I created a custom pallet and decided to base it around my garden. Now I didn't fill it with 50 shades of green..... I decided to take photographs of some of my favourite plants and flowers and chose colours that best matched them. With the addition of a matte white for good measure. These exceeded my expectations. Despite the fact the first ingredient in them is talc they are so soft and blendable with great pigment. Their collection has a great range of colours. I find the individual eyeshadows are a much higher quality than there pro pallets. Despite the fact you have to buy the empty pallet seperatly it's a very good quality with a perfect sized mirror. 

Though buying Morphe in Australia is quite expensive when you add shipping I think its definitely worth it. However I would suggest buying a few things at once (and shipping with FedX) rather than paying for the shipping each time you want to purchase from them. I did read a few reviews suggesting that the company where slack and the shipping was horrific. However i didn't have this experience at all. The parcel arrived on time and in tact and the customer service team where wonderful. Overall a wonderful company and wonderful products. 

Marimekko insperation

Hello everyone, 

So i went shopping yesterday and visited Marimekko. Marimekko began in 1949 in the Viljo Ratia’s textile printing factory by his wife, Armi Ratia. Creating bold and unpredictable prints. The growth from this company has been incredible. Moving into clothing and home wears whilst still upholding there core values. The designs and production are the main reasons why i adore this stuff. It is a little pricey but the quality is amazing and i couldn't fault the designs. Ill pop the link in the below. Hope you enjoyed it!

Love Clover x 

https://www.marimekko.co

Cruelty free products?

A little while ago I did a study on how much we know as customers, about animal testing in makeup products. From the research I determined that a majority of participants surveyed would switch to cruelty free if they knew the products there currently using where tested on animals. Which a key reason I decided to start a blog. I just want people to be given all the information and then choose for themselves. 

 Because my blog is all about cruelty free products I though it would be nice to talk about how to determine if a product is tested on animals and my thoughts on it. There are two ways that a company can get around saying they test on animals. One is selling products in china. A lot of companies are very against animal testing and will not conduct it, unless required by law. Currently there is a law in China stating that any product that is sold in China must first be tested on animals. It is the only country in which this is a requirement. So any company selling in China must conduct animal testing.  Therefor they are making a conscious decision to test their product on animals.

The second way a company can get away with animal testing is a parent company. An example of this is The Body Shop, who are very against the conduction of animal testing however are owned by a parent company 'LOreal' Who does conduct animal testing. Despite the products from The Body Shop remain cruelty free allowing them to say it is cruelty free. There is a bit of debate over weither they still should be allowed to do this.  Some people believe you are still contributing to the company testing on animals. However others see it as a way to show the brand their cruelty free preference in the hope they too will become cruelty free. I personally still purchase from the body shop and others like urban decay as i do see it as a way to communicate my opinions to the brand. There are some fantastic products available whatever you choose to believe 

This all makes buying beauty products very confusing. However there are a few website you could look towards if you decided to go cruelty free. http://www.logicalharmony.net provided weekly updates on which brands are cruelty free. Or my favourite www.peta.org/  which allows you to search for companies and also has a lot of great resources on

 it. 

Love 

 Clover x

  

HiSmile teeth whitening kit - Review

Since having braces I have been a little unhappy with my teeth, primarily due to their slight yellow tone. However I have been reluctant to use any at home kits to whiten them due to concerns with the harm it might cause my teeth. But it was always a little pricey to get something so minor fixed through a dentist. So when I was told about this company I was itching to try it out. Being cruelty free in all the beauty products I buy, I was glad to here this one was too. It also avoids using peroxide which is best to stray away from when whitening your teeth as it can cause longterm damage. The best thing I found with this was the ability to buy either the kit for $119.99 (It is on sale now though for 79.99!) Or each part separately meaning you don't have to fork out all your money each time you run out of whitening gel. They also provide free express shipping for orders over $99.

In the kit you receive an LED light which clips into the mouth tray (also included). Along with enough gel to whiten your teeth 12 times. 

There is also some very handy instructions and of course a results chart to track your progress. 

Onto the review...

The product is very easy to use all you have to do is give your teeth a good brushing with toothpaste. If it's the first use you need to remove the battery from the LED light by twisting it open, removing the plastic and reinserting it into place. Attach the mouth tray to the LED light (don't turn it on until its in your mouth). Then simply apply 1/4 of the whitening gel to the bottom and top of the tray as evenly as you can. Then just place it in your mouth and turn it on. The light has a 10 minute timer on it which buzzes and automatically turns off the light. Once your done just rinse it and your mouth out and your good to go!

 When I began the treatment I ranked myself at a 5 on the scale. After 5 uses I would say I am closer to a 3 or a 4. I was pleasantly surprised to find the gel didn't have a taste and wasn't hard to remove from the mouthpiece after the treatment. I do have quite a small mouth so I was expecting to struggle fitting it in however being so bendy it wasn't a problem at all. I didn't get any sensitivity or heat when whitening which was great. As it doesn't have peroxide in it, it definitely takes a little longer to see results but you're doing the best thing for your teeth! The only problem I had whitening the product was trying to fit the mouthpiece to the light after I applied the gel. So bear in mind that even though it is very easy to use you should still read the instructions before trying it. Ill be sure to link all the details bellow, have a lovely day.

Results...

Where to buy or find out more: http://hismileteeth.com

Disclaimer: The company did send me the kit however all opinions and photos are my own and always will be x

Love Clover x

Outfit Of The Day : Asos

I am a pretty optimistic shopper. I often purchased clothes that i like but know it is unlikely i will ever wear because i think well one day i will. That idea is much like this outfit. It sat in my saved items on 

ASOS for around 3 months until i decided i would purchase it and then it sat in my cupboard for 

another 3 until i figured out how i could style this piece. The Pinafore Jumpsuit with Culotte Wide Leg is from ASOS, the fabric on this is unbelievably soft which was unexpected with such a structured piece. I styled in with an open toe healed boot, if you wanted a little more casual look you could always wear ankle boots or tan leather sandals. The sides are quite low and look great worn shirtless like the model on the site if your comfortable with a little side boob.  But i liked it best with a simple sleeveless turtle neck crop. 

All the links are below

http://www.asos.com//ASOS/ASOS-Pinafore-Jumpsuit-with-Culotte-Wide-Leg/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=5750287

http://www.asos.com/pgeproduct.aspx?asosPop=true&iid=5676751&CTAref=Saved%20Items%20Page&xAffId=14281&xr=1&mk=na&r=3

Love Clover x 

The sketch book project

Ever since finishing school i have lacked the motivation to really do anything. I was so pushed to finish things on deadlines that once it was over i couldn't push myself to do anything. I have always had a passion for art and creating and always looked forward to the day i could do it freely. But surprisingly i struggled to once i had the time. Which is why i wanted to tell you all about the sketch book project... Based in Brooklyn the project collaborates artists work from around the world bringing together the art they create in a sketchbook. This project provides no limitations on what you must fill your book with, it simply has to be in the customised sketchbook (which you can purchase on there site and i will link bellow). It does have a dead line to keep you motivated and will see your work being placed on permanent view in the Brooklyn Art Library. In addition to this you can also choose to have your book digitalised. Digitalised books are professionally photographed and can viewed anywhere. You also receive a custom Url to share with your friends.  There are various packs available on there website starting at $35 + shipping. I wasn't contacted by the company to write this post i just believe that creativity should be embraced and nourished and sometimes a little project can help.

https://www.sketchbookproject.com

All the best,
Clover x