7 months have already passed in 2016 and there is only 4 more till my birthday and 5 till Christmas! I struggle to commit to monthly favourites posts so I much prefer to do them only when I actually have new favourites. This month I tried out a few new products as well as discovered my love for old products that I own but neglected.

I have split this months favourites into three categories; obviously beauty contains my most favourites as that is my main interest, but I decided to add in the other two for something a little different.

BEAUTY

First up is a fragrance that I have literally owned forever and I have no idea why I didn't use it sooner! It is the Beyonce Perfume in Heat Rush. It has a fruity/florally scent however is a lot less florally than my usual fave Marc's Daisy.
The notes are: passion fruit sorbet, Brazilian cherry and blood orange with mango blossom, orange hibiscus and yellow tiger orchid. I rarely stray away from my floral scents however I feel as though this one is less summery smelling in my opinion and is now my go-to winter scent. The kids at work ALWAYS compliment me when I wear it!

Another product that has been my favourite previously however I did neglect it for a while is the Becca Backlight Priming Filter. I do have a full review on this product here if you are interesting so I won't go on too much about it. Basically if my skin is super dry and dull this primer really helps to liven up my skin and disguise my dry patches.

Boho Balm* is another product that I could not have lived without this month. Winter = dry skin, dry lips & dry hands. This product has been a life saver and combatting all those issues. Full review here. Also their site now has pictures for the different sizes yay :)

I am trying to steer clear of products that aren't cruelty free however I used up my chi chi lip liners so I had to resort to an Avon one this month. Throwing out these products are a waste so instead I am going to use them up and not repurchase. I still can't deny that the Avon lipliner in nude was a well loved product this month.

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that
1. I am on a 'spending ban' and
2. I still made another Colourpop order.
In July I fell in love with their Lippie Stix especially Cookie.  It is a matte finish but it is so creamy and does not enhance dry flaky lips whatsoever. Their site describes it as a true beige nude shade.
I have a lip swatch post coming soon with all my Colourpop lip products, from ultra mattes to satins and lippie stix! Keep your eyes peeled for that.

A skincare favourite has been the Antipodes Immortal SPF 15 Face & Body Moisturiser*. I've been using this as my daily moisturiser as it has SPF in it and a lot of my foundations do not. Even though it is winter SPF is still required! It is a really good lightweight moisturiser and you really only do need the tiniest amount.

Last beauty favourite is the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation. I used up my entire sample this month and now I really need to go out and purchase it (once my "spending ban" is over). It provides medium yet buildable full coverage that isn't cakey on my skin and lasts all day.

FASHION
Showing my true colours this month with the fashion category. My favourite clothing piece has been my Kmart tracksuit pants. This is pretty much because I have been working a lot and it is a part of my uniform but they're soo comfy!

Favourite shoes are my white ASOS sneakers. I'm obsessed with white shoes at the moment, even though its been raining and they get dirty easily.

Jewellery favourite is my Michael Hill necklace from my boyfriend. I'm not big on jewellery but one thing I can tolerate is this necklace because its so simple and means a lot to me.

OTHER
If you know me personally you will be 100% aware that I am a sucker for romance. In saying that I have read so many Nicholas Sparks novels that I have actually lost count. I am currently reading The Wedding. Another book I loved this month is The Substitute by Denise Grover Swank which is free in Play Books (android)!

My last favourite for July is fruit juices. I usually make up my own concoctions but berries and mango has been my go-to.

Comment your favourites below!

For the past few months I have had a lot of acne due to hormones being completely out of whack so I decided to purchase Lush's Ultrabland Cleanser. I came across a few blogposts regarding a 30 day challenge using a particular LUSH product. These posts were very positive so I thought I would put it to the test, I mean its not like my face could get any worse right now.

First things first, what does this product claim to do

Almond Oil and rosewater lift away dirt, oil and makeup with ease. Remove with a hot wash cloth for clean soft skin. Ultrabland is a multipurpose healing and moisturising balm, and it has been said that there are over 100 uses for it. Rose for reducing redness and inflammation, and beeswax for helping give the skin a protective layer. Parents can use Ultrabland for nappy rash, as well as flaky skin that can be common in young babies.

I have no idea what the 100 uses for this product could be but I have decided to use it religiously every evening when I wash my face and occasionally in the mornings when I remember and can be bothered. I have heard good things about this so my hopes are high!

Ingredients:

Dropping in for an 18th day update: Although I personally haven't noticed a reduction in my redness other people have, so I am taking this as a good sign and hopefully I start noticing too. The only thing I have noticed so far is that my skin is a lot less flaky and feels more hydrated.
This balm-type cleanser does leave my skin feeling a little greasy so I have been following up with another gentle cleanser (alternating between an Antipodes one and DermaVeen) to remove that feeling. Other than that I have nothing negative to say about this cleanser. It also does not irritate my skin at all!

I have been using this cleanser for 38 days now so here are my final thoughts on it. The major difference I noticed was that my dry patches have completely disappeared. Before starting with this cleanser I had random patches on my face and now I have none. My skin also feels a lot less dry and tight in the mornings which is amazing!

I also found it to reduce my acne, although I am on medication to clear up my skin so it could be a result to that and not the cleanser. In terms of redness it has reduced enough for me to slightly notice. I do have a lot of redness and scarring (7 years worth) so 30 days probably won't clear that up entirely. I will continue to use this up and then repurchase it to see if it does eventually clear up more of my redness. I will keep you all updated with how that goes but I highly recommend this cleansing balm. As I mentioned in my 18th day update it does leave an oily feeling residue so you will need to cleanse with something else afterwards, other than that I am in love with this product!

Last month I was kindly contacted by Kelsey from BellaBox asking me if I would be interested in their July bellabox. On Friday I received the box and was so excited to open it as I have never tried a subscription box before. Everything was packed amazingly and opening it felt like Christmas had arrived early!

This weeks post is a sneak peak inside the July BellaBox to give you an idea of the products you might receive in subscription boxes. The theme for July is Back To Basics and included 7 products. Some are samples whereas others are full size products. I follow BellaBox on Instagram so I did have a few sneak peaks prior to receiving the box of what would be included.

I was most excited about the GOSH eyeshadow so I will share that with you first!
I received the shade 016 which is a deep plum brown, perfect for winter.

Next up is a product from Baimeni. It is their serum with hyaluronic acid, this will help your skin to retain moisture.

The July bellabox also contains two products from Bioderma. A light cream for sensitive dehydrated skin (my skin type!) and a generous sample of their micellar water.

Another product I was excited to see when I was unboxing was the Palmer's Facial Cleansing Oil. I have actually used this product in the past and adore it. I have featured it in another post here if you're interested in reading more about it!

Bellabox have your back for dry chapped winter lips as this month features a Revo Lip Balm. It has a very similar concept and design to the EOS lipbalms.

Last but not least is nail care by NailMedic. I am really happy they included this as I personally do my own nails at home. A lot of people generally skip out on oils to strengthen your nails but they are so important and helpful if you want to grow your nails!

If you are new to the beauty world and prefer trying sample sized products OR you like to accumulate smaller sized products for travelling I think bellabox is a perfect fit. It retails for $15 monthly, which if you have the budget, is quite affordable. I think bellabox is an amazing opportunity to discover new brands and products and can help you decide what works for you and what doesn't without going out and purchasing the full size product. They also give you the option of different plans so whether you're interested in receiving them monthly or as a one-off you can.

* $10 off your first bellabox click here!!

Check out their Instagram and website to see what has been featured in other boxes as well as sneak peaks to future boxes.

More information -
Partnered brands - NYX, Benefit, Essie, Sleek, L'Oreal, KORA and so much more!
To sign up visit their website here
Instagram - bellabox
Other boxes - bellababy
Student Special - 30% off your first box with UniDays

Disclaimer: Although this box was sent for me to trial my opinions are always my own. I only support companies that I would personally purchase myself or recommend to a family member or friend.

I was looking through magazines one afternoon and the pages with outfit ideas inspired me to create an online look book for you all. I usually stick to skincare and makeup reviews but I thought why not delve into fashion and try out a 'look book' series.

I am going to create a spread of fashion inspiration including links of where the clothing items are from and prices. Sometimes I may use a celebrities' outfits for inspo and try find pieces that look similar at affordable prices. I really just wanted to create this series to allow myself to be more creative with my blogging :)

Without further ado lets get into post number one of this series!

A Casual Outing

Dress $30

Shoes $82

Jacket $50

Bag $54.99
Sunglasses $40

Winter Warmer

Boots $70

Bag $59.99

Leggings $17.50

Jumper $99.95

Scarf $19.95

Summer Night

Pants $50

Top $10

Sandals $19.95

Bag $34.99

Cuff $16
Watch $139

Casual Chic

Dungarees $50

Tshirt $16

Sandals $24.95

Backpack $51

Watch $19.95

Necklace $5.39

I had a lot of fun putting these outfits together and I really hope you enjoy this sort of post. As always, thank you for reading!

I recently purchased the Zoeva Coco Blend Palette after realising it only cost around $30AUD. For some reason I assumed it would cost similarly to a Too Faced or Urban Decay palette. The only issue I found was choosing which Zoeva palette to buy! They all have stunning shades and combinations but after a lot of tutorials and pictures of swatches I went with the Coco Blend palette. Todays post will give you all a peak inside the amazing palette so if you are thinking of getting your hands on a Zoeva palette hopefully this will help!

Zoeva Coco Blend

Packaging

The shadows are encased in a sleek cardboard packaging that has magnetic closure. It is not flimsy in any way and will be really good for travel.

Ingredients

L-R: Subtle Blend, Warm Notes, Sweeter End and Bitter Start 

L-R: Bitter Start, Sweeter End, Warm Notes, Subtle Blend and Beans Are White

L-R: Pure Ganache, Substitute For Love, Freshly Toasted and Infusion

L-R: Pure Ganache, Substitute For Love, Freshly Toasted, Infusion and Delicate Acidity

I have only used this palette once so I don't have much of a review for you all however all shades are buttery and can be blended easily. With the swatches above I found the shimmery shades to show up a lot more pigmented however when I put the shadows into action they were all equally pigmented whether it was matte or shimmer. At the moment my favourite shades are Pure Ganache to go all over my lid and Substitute for Love as a crease shade.

There are numerous combinations and looks you can create with this one palette and it really is versatile. If you are after an affordable yet good quality eyeshadow palette I highly recommend Zoeva!