Candle Colletion

I love having a candle lit most of the time when I am home. It just seems to add a bit of extra ambiance to the place and of course they smell beautiful. Last year I started a bad habit of buying new candles every week or so and its taken me ages to actually get to the end of some of them (finished 2 this week!). Here's some of my 'collection':

Glasshouse Candles

 

Of course one of the most popular brands is Glasshouse. They are popular for a reason; great scents, beautiful jars, and long burning power. These are the three I currently have on rotation:

Esperance

Esperance is a very light, sweet fruity scent, and I haven't come across another candle that smells the same. This is the second one I've used it's that good!

Rio De Janeiro

I've almost finished this one and would repurchase. It smells mostly like passion fruit to me which is a delicious scent. I find this one doesn't need to be burnt for a long time as the scent is very strong.

Kyoto

This candle has a lovely floral scent which I couldn't pinpoint off the top of my head, but going by the description it is likely the camellia or lotus flowers. This was a limited edition so I'm glad to have it my collection to enjoy.

Aquiesse

 

Aquiesse candles are my absolute favourite. I was introduced to and purchased these in New York in 2012, and have been using them sparingly as they are quite expensive. The jars are gorgeous and match my home decor nicely. The little one on the left is Shoreline, a fresh ocean scent, and the right is Boardwalk, which is the most delicious vanilla candle I've ever used.

Unfortunately I've just finished the Boardwalk one, so will be asking for a new one for Christmas I think!

Woodwick

I've only purchased one Woodwick candle, although I love many of their scents from what I've smelled in store. I like the fact that the wick is wood and the one I use has burned nicely. I have the Citrus Melon scent which smells like ripe honey dew and rock melon, so it is very fruity and sweet.

What candles would you recommend that I get next? I'm always open to new suggestions!

Chanel Summer 2014 Make-up Collection

Just putting out there, I am not a makeup guru. I have a very small amount of makeup as I like to wear the same things day to day (Chanel foundation, mascara, eyeliner, blush and lipstick) and do not tend to buy the limited edition items. I was in David Jones a couple of weeks ago and as I was walking through the beauty section noticed the Chanel Summer 2014 collection and was instantly drawn to the beautiful colours. Here are the official pics from the website:

Even though the colours are beautiful, I am not too brave when it comes to bright colours and gravitate towards more neutral tones, so I didn't go all out on this collection. Instead I purchased the Illusion D'Ombre long wear luminous eyeshadow in 97 New Moon and the Stylo Yeux waterproof eyeliner in 911 Ambre Dore.

I couldn't resist the eyeshadow even though I don't normally wear any, as it was the most beautiful shade and still quite netural. It has a lot of shimmer in it, and the only downside is that I find it doesn't last all day because the glitter gradually falls off, so I will probably keep this for going out at night rather than day wear. It is a combination of many different colours, with a copper undertone, and flecks of purple, gold and brown coming through as well. The eye pencil is a pale copper colour with a metallic finish which complements the eyeshadow perfectly, and really brightens up the eyes.

Here is a swatch of the colours (Eyepencil on top, eyeshadow on the bottom): 

Excude my lack of makeup skills, but here is an example of how I would wear the collection. I used the eyeliner on both my waterline and under the bottom lashes which I found really brightened up the eye area. The mascara I use is the Le Volume de Chanel, which I've been using since it was first released last year, and is the best mascara I've ever used.

 Hopefully we go out soon so I can try out the new look!

GlamPalm Straightener Review

Note: I am not sponsored by Glam Palm, I purchased this myself.

It was recently my birthday, and when P asked what I wanted I thought of a new hair straightener. My ghd was not working as well as it used to (my hair would start going wavy again as soon as there was any humidity in the air) and P wanted to treat me to something nice so I thought why not.

I researched the latest and greatest in straighteners to make sure I purchased a good one, and it seemed the recent feedback on ghds was not good so I decided not to get another one this time. I was considering a Cloud 9 as I had heard good things about them, when I came across Glam Palm on a few blogs. Initially I didn't consider them as it is a little known brand in Australia, but after a few days of contemplation I decided to take the risk and order one (living on the wild side!). 

I ordered on a Friday night, before a long weekend, and received it on the Tuesday morning. My first impressions on opening it up were good. Glam Palm seems to have gone with a minimalist approach which suits me.

Inside the box is a leather clutch which is presented on a bed of satin fabric. Again this made a good impression. The clutch is a nice addition to the product, it is handy to keep the straightener in for storage.

According to the Glam Palm website, the straightener has the following features:

• Ceramic coating & ion: I found the plates glided easily through my hair which was very different to my old straightened which tugged. I also found my hair looked shinier after straightening which is apparently due to the far-infrared ray.
• 3D swivel pivot cord: This is a good feature which I felt improved the flexibility of the straightener as I didn't have to keep adjusting my hand.
• Simple design: The straighter itself is simple matte black with a small logo. I think it has a classic look.
• Safety measures: Sometimes I am forgetful especially with a newborn baby so I appreciate that this turns off after 30 minutes.
• Multi styling: I have only used to straighten so far, but it can apparently also be used for curling. It is one of my goals this year to master the loose wave so I will try it soon.

The straightener also has variable temperature control which is one of the key things that drew me to it. I found my old straightener was not hot enough which probably lead to it not performing how I wanted. I have long thick hair which benefits from a higher temperature so I had it set to 190 degrees for the best results. It only took about 10 seconds to heat up, as identified by the flashing blue lights:

In addition to the clutch case, it came with a heat proof cover and 2 styling clips. These small things made me like it even more as I never had these with the ghd.

Here is a before and after shot of my hair. My hair is so shiny and this is before putting in any product of any type.

I found that my hair stayed this straight until I washed it next, even when it rained. This was a massive improvement compared to my old straightener which would leave my hair puffy after a few hours wear.

There are a number of models available. I ended up purchasing a GP501 due to my long thick hair, and the fact I wanted to also try curling at some stage. There is a handy guide on their website which shows which models suits different hair types. All models sell for $249 so like other high end straighteners, this is an investment.

Overall impressions

Although I was initially a bit worried ordering a Glam Palm due to it not being so popular in Australia, I do not regret my decision. I have had nice results using it so far and had a good experience purchasing from their online site (fast shipping, good packaging). I would recommend to anyone looking to invest in a new straightener.