It's A Crime Not To Prime! - All About Primers

Hi everyone,

Today I am going to talk to you about primers! I absolutely love primers and believe that they are an essential part of anyone's makeup routine or any makeup look. I only have three primers (two for my face and one for my eyes) and I love them all.

The three primers that I own are:


Too Faced Primed and Poreless Oil-free (face primer)

This is definitely my favorite face primer out of the two! This primer makes your skin so soft and smooth and assists in keeping your makeup on all day. It is also oil free and good for sensitive skin. Also, as this primer is the cheaper one out of the two, I use this for special occasions, when I want my makeup to look flawless or when I need to where makeup for a long period of time.

L'Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer (face primer)

Like all my primers, I like to apply this one with my fingers. I find that by doing this it warms up the product and therefore applies more evenly. This primer does a great job at giving your skin a matte finish and eliminating any shine. However I wouldn't recommend this primer for extremely oily skin.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion- Original (eye shadow primer)

This eyeshadow primer is as good as everyone says it is! It makes my eyeshadow stay on all day and not crease at all. I would definitely recommend the original formula as it comes out skin colour and dries transparent, so it won't effect the true colour of your eyeshadows.

The Benefits of Face Primers:

• Fill in pores
• Fill in fine lines
• Even out your skin tone
• Helps foundation to glide on smoothly
• Helps your foundation to last all day

The Benefits of Eye Primers:

• Makes your eye shadow look more vibrant
• Helps your eye shadow to last all day
• Stops your eye shadow from creasing

Other primers that I would recommend:

FACE
Innoxa Skin Perfect Pore Vanishing Cream
Benefit the POREfessional
Face of Australia Base Primer
Stila Onestep Correct
L'Oreal Lumi Magique Base Pure Light Primer

EYES
Maybelline Colour Tattoos (cream eyeshadow base)
Mac Paint Pot
Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (good for oily eyelids)


Let me know what your favorite face and eyeshadow primers are in the comments below!

How to: Wash Your Hair Effectively

Hey everyone,

Washing our hair is something that we have done so often that many people don't really think about various techniques to get the most out of your shampoo and conditioner, so today I will tell you how!

Shampoo and Conditioner that I use: Click here for review!

Firstly, I like to wash my hair at the start of my shower routine.

Applying the Shampoo: As the shampoo that I use does not have any 'bad' sulphates (which make the shampoo lather up and essentially multiply the quantity), I like to apply a bit more shampoo than what is normally recommended with other shampoos. I firstly tip my head upside down and apply a 20 cent size amount to the hair at the nape of my neck (this is where a lot of oil builds up). Then I apply the same amount to the crown of my head and my hairline. A mistake that a lot of people make when applying shampoo is that they concentrate it too much on the ends of the hair (which are not as dirty). Shampoo is meant to be used to clean your scalp, so just let the remaining shampoo wash down the lengths of your hair. I use my finger tips to massage the shampoo into may scalp for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then gently rinse it out using the same massaging technique.

Applying the Conditioner: You can estimate how much conditioner you need to apply depending on the length of your hair. I only apply the conditioner to the 'pony tail of my hair' by massaging it in as conditioner is not essentially made for your scalp. By washing my hair at the start of my shower routine, I am able to leave the conditioner in for as long as possible (so it really works its magic), rinsing it out is the last thing I do before stepping out of the shower.

How often do I wash my hair? I like to wash my hair with shampoo 2-3 times a week and one other time with just conditioner alone. When I don't use shampoo I wash my hair with just water by rinsing it (using the same massaging technique that I would when using shampoo). Even though I have oily hair, using this technique actually reduces the amount of oil your hair produces while still keeping it moisturised, nourished and healthy!

Tip: Cleanse your face after you shampoo and condition your hair because the shampoo and conditioner can get into your pores on your face. Your pores are also wide open at this point so you will get a much thorough cleanse.

I hope these tips are useful for you as they have been for me!

About My Hair + Review: Natures Organics - Organic Care Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi all,

I recently got asked the question on my instagram,

"What is the best shampoo and conditioner"?
So, today I am going to talk to you about my hair and what shampoo and conditioner I have used in the past, what I am currently using and what I personally like in a shampoo.

About My Hair:
My hair is dark brown, straight and medium-long in length, with a slight wave, thick and dense, quite oily but healthy.

I have tried many, many shampoos and conditioners throughout my 18 years of life. I've, tried Sunsilk, Palmolive, Pantene, Garnier, Head and Shoulders, Schwarzkopf and Herbal Essences (just to name a few). Before using my current shampoo and conditioner I used the Pantene Aqualight shampoo and conditioner. As I have oily hair the name and advertisements for this shampoo drew my attention. This shampoo did make my hair feel 'auqualight' as it stripped all the oils out of my hair. However, our hair needs these natural oils to keep it healthy and nourished. 

So, after much research and educating myself on the health of our hair, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to move away from using products like these that have harsh chemicals. These chemical shampoos weren't doing any visible damage/benefit to my hair, but changing my shampoo and conditioner would allow my hair to become even healthier then it was before! As my interest in healthy eating grew so did my interest in chemical free/natural products.

When looking for my new shampoo and conditioner, I wanted one that was cost effective, organic, natural and with as little chemicals as possible. When going into my supermarket I found Natures Organics Organic Care Normal Balance Shampoo and Conditioner. Unbelievably this was the cheapest shampoo and conditioner there at $3.71 for a 400ml bottle (or 93 cents per 100ml), BARGAIN!

Luckily the Organic Care brand have a range of certain shampoos and conditioners to choose from for different types of hair.

Normal Hair: Normal Balance Shampoo and Conditioner (what I use)
Dry Hair: Dry Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner (moisturizing shampoo)
Coloured/Dyed Hair: Colour Shield Shampoo and Conditioner
Heat Damaged Hair (from styling appliances): Heat Protect Shampoo and Conditioner 
Dandruff: Scalp Care Anti-Dandruff Conditioning Shampoo

Packaging: The packaging of these products is made from a naturally derived material, corn, opposed to crude oil which significantly reduces CO2 emissions. As well as being environmentally friendly, the products are also made locally in Australia!

Accessibility: These shampoos and conditioners are only available in Australia, mainly from Coles and Woolworths and independent stores.

Ingredients: The ingredients are sourced from plants and free from harsh chemicals.

Shampoo

Conditioner 

I would definitely recommend checking out these amazing shampoos and conditioners! I hope this has answered your question. Thank-you.

Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival

I am very excited this month as it is almost fashion week here in Melbourne! I just wanted to inform you that as apart of the lead up to fashion week, 17th-23rd of March, (activities are also running throughout the whole month) I am using the hash-tag, #31daysoffashion on my instagram page, (@innerhealthandstyle) to post a fashion related photograph each day in March. Feel free to join in with me by using the hash-tag as well as tagging me and @vamff. This is a great way for everyone to share their style inspiration throughout the fashion festival month. 

Here are the pictures that I have already posted

#31daysoffashion

    

Day 1

 Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

I am definitely going to head into the city to take advantage of the workshops, popup stores, runway shows and exhibitions. For more information on this years Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival click here.

Review: L'Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation

Hi everyone!

Sorry that I haven't posted for a while now, I have just started my final year of school and have been very busy. Today I'm back with a review of the L'Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation!

After seeing Lauren Curtis rave about this foundation for a while now, I was tempted to buy it my self and see what all the fuss is about. I have been doing my research and made the decision that this was the best quality drugstore foundation for the cheapest price.

I have heard that this foundation is a dupe for many high end foundations including; Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, MAC Studio Fix Fluid and Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation. This is promising!

 The description from the L'Oréal Paris Australia website,

In 11 true-to-skin shades across warm, cool and neutral tones, True Match super-blendable liquid foundation perfectly matches the colour and texture of your skin, hiding imperfections with its fine, creamy texture. The result: Flawless coverage

The silky texture of True Match blends seamlessly with the skin. It automatically adjusts to the texture of the skin to create a flawless finish. Oil-free and non-comedogenic.


Now onto the review!

Firstly, the colour range of this foundation is perfect as there are eleven shades in total. There are three categories based on your skins undertone; warm (W), neutral (N) and cool (C). Then in each category there are different numbers depending on how light or dark your skin tone is, 1 (lightest shade) and 6 (darkest shade). As my skin has a warm, yellow undertone and I am very pale, I chose the shade W1 (Golden Ivory).

The finish of this foundation is of a high quality and is leaning more towards the matte side, however it still allows your natural shine peak through. I would say that this foundation is of a medium coverage but as this foundation is not 'cakey' you could definitely add an extra layer to make it full coverage. When applying the foundation it goes on very thin. Also, when set with a setting powder this foundation could last up to ten hours on the face.

I purchased my foundation from Priceline, an Australian drugstore and I bought it when it was on sale at, $24.95. However the RRP for this foundation in Australia is $29.95.

I love the packaging, it has a glass pump bottle and a lid so it is sanitary. The pump also allows you to dispense as much or as little product that you would like. The bottle holds 30ml of product.

To apply this foundation I dispense two pumps onto a plastic lid. I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to
apply . I start by stippling the foundation onto my face and then buffing it into my skin. If I am going to be wearing the foundation for a long time I like to firstly apply an oil-free primer then after application set with a powder.

Now to the Cons of this foundation:

• Higher price range for a drugstore foundation
• Accentuates dry areas and enlarged pores
• Very runny
•  No shades for very, very pale (porcelain) skin or very very dark skin.

Overall I will continue to repurchase this foundation and will continue to recommend it! 

9/10 L'Oreal!

Refreshing Summer Delights

Hi everyone,

Today I have some more healthy summer recipes for you, similar to my Summer Quenching Drinks post! Both of these summer delights do not involve cooking, are fully raw and also suitable for vegans! My first recipe is a Watermelon Granita.  My second recipe will be a Mango, Banana and Coconut Water Smoothie! Lets begin!

Recipe 1: Watermelon Granita

This recipe is a substitute for a Snow Cone or Slurpee

2 slices of water melon
Half a lemon
A handful of frozen blueberries

Serves 4-6

Cut the required amount for each ingredient.

Cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces so it is easier to blend.

Place the fruit in a blender.

Blend until smooth

Once you have blended the fruit, pour it into a plastic container and put on the lid. Freeze for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, scrape your granita with a metal fork so it looks like the picture above. Put it back in the freezer for another 2 hours and repeat the process.

Place your granita in a serving glass or bowl and garnish with fresh mint.

Nutritional Benefits 

High in Vitamin C and A
Lemon has antibacterial properties
Low in GI
High in Minerals
High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory
Low in calories


Recipe 2: Mango, Banana and Coconut Water Smoothie

1 cheek of a ripe mango
1 very ripe banana
3/4 of a cup of coconut water (I used the brand Coco Bella, but any 100% coconut water will do)

Serves 1

Collect your ingredients and measure out the coconut water.

Cut your mango into small pieces. 

(I like cutting the mango this way so you get most out of the fruit. I have noticed that many people don't know how to cut mangoes this way, so here is a step by step guide on how to do so. For a full description visit my Instagram page @innerhealthandstyle).

Cut the banana into small slices.

Place the three ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.

Place the smoothie in a large glass. Serve cold.

Nutritional Benefits

High in Vitamin C, B6 & A

Contains 5 key electrolytes. (More then any sports drink!)

High in potassium, magnesium and fiber

Low GI

Essence Cosmetics: Haul, Review and Swatches

As many of you know cosmetics in Australia are very expensive, usually double or triple the price compared to other countries around the world. So when I heard about the brand Essence (a year and a half or so ago) I was very pleased. The price of this makeup is ridiculously cheap and the quality of the makeup itself is pretty good!

So onto the haul and swatches...

I went into Priceline (Australian drugstore) one day with my mum as she was looking for a concealer as well as a few lip products, but she didn't want to spend a lot of money. I was a bit disappointed as the display did not have a lot of stock, and the testers were unhygienic and messy.

After looking through the Essence stand we found the Match to Cover Cream Concealer ($4.25). My mum wanted a concealer that would cover her blemishes and under eye dark circles. This concealer has two colours a warm toned light camel and a peachy under-toned neutral (great for under the eyes). The texture of this concealer is creamy, however it can look quite 'cakey' under the eyes if applied with your finger tips (to avoid this I recommend applying with a concealer brush or a dense eye shadow brush).

My mum also wanted a new lipstick for work as her other one had finished. I was happy to see a new line of lipsticks at the Essence stand with a broader range of more appealing colours, (Longlasting Lipstick $4.10) as the other Essence lipsticks are more like a heavily tinted lip balm. My Mum wanted a lipstick similar to 'her lips but better' so I picked out a dark nude called Barely There.  I also picked up one of these lipsticks for myself. I was looking for a coral light pink colour but there where no more Coral Calling left so I went for Wear Berries. As the name suggests it is a deep pink berry colour. The lipsticks are long lasting and have a nice smooth texture once applied, the colours are also very vivid.

 Barely There, Wear Berries

 Barely There, Wear Berries 

Wear Berries, Barely There

Barely There

Wear Berries

Speaking of lip products, my mum and I also picked out a lip pencil each. We tried to match our lip pencil colours with our lipsticks. I chose 07 Cute Pink, and my mum chose 05 Soft Berry. These lipliners are amazing, they are buttery, long wearing, opaque and are smooth on the lips...everything you need in a lipliner. Did I mention they are only $1.75! Bargain! I use my lipliners alone as a 'lip stain' or under lipsticks to make the colour last longer. I honestly won't be buying any other brand of lip liners.

Soft Berry

Cute Pink

I also wanted a neutral eye palette, that would be good to keep in my travel makeup bag so I can create eye looks on the go whenever I need to. I thought that this Quattro Eyeshadow Quad Pallette in To Die For ($5.35) would be perfect for this. These eyeshadows are good for the price, they are quite chalky and the pigmentation is a 2.5 out of 5, nothing special. However this is a versatile compact palette and the colours are great! There is a pearly cream colour, great for the inner corner of the eyes and to highlight the brow bone. I also use this shade as a highlighter for my cheek bones. I use the second shade, the pearly champagne one as an 'all over the lid' colour. The next shade is a warm-toned dark brown I use this on the crease. The fourth and final shade of this quad palette is a matte dark brown, the only matte shade. This can be used to darken up the outer 3rd of the eye to create a more intense/smoky look. I like to use this to fill in my eyebrows as it is the perfect colour for my hair. This matte shade is also a great transition colour for darker skin girls. I use my Real Techniques Starter Set brushes to apply these shadows, however I like to use my ring finger to apply the champagne shade in order to give an intense finish to the lid.

Matte Brown, Shimmer Brown, Champagne Pearl, Cream Pearl 

My last and final product from Essence is the I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara ($4.95). I saw a lot of great reviews of this mascara online through YouTube videos, so I thought I would also give it a try myself to see what all the hype was about. I already have quite long, dark and thick lashes to begin with but this mascara has taken my eyelashes to the next level. As the name suggests this mascara DOES give you 'crazy volume' as well as length, dark black spidery lashes and it also holds the curl nicely. I find it best to brush out my lashes with a lash comb as it is quite 'mousy' however it does a pretty good job at separating the lashes if applied well to begin with. My only problem with this mascara is that after a few hours of wear it flakes and leaves fall-out just under my eyes, however I try to avoid this by applying less coats of the product. The wand of this mascara looks exactly the same as the Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara. 

Now to the ultimate verdict, is Essence worth it? I think so! You honestly cannot complain as the prices are so cheap. I think that you get so much more than what you pay for. I am definitely going to try out some more of this great affordable brand.

I have had my eyes on;
Longlasting Lipstick in Coral Calling and Natural Beauty
More of the lipliners
Silky Touch Blush 
Lash and Brow Gel 

See you soon!

How to Eat Healthy Part 3 - Refinement

NOTE: This was written before I was vegan and before I was educated on veganism.

Hi everyone, I'm back with my final post of my three part series on How to Eat Healthy!

Here are the first two parts to the series:
How to Eat Healthy - Part 1 Preparation
How to Eat Healthy - Part 2 Construction

The final stage to eating healthy and creating healthy meals is to 'refine' your meals. I guess you would do this while constructing. This stage is about; cutting out junk food and unhealthy things as well as making small changes.

Dressings, sugar and salt should be used to a minimum. They should be simply used to enhance the flavour of your meal. I recommend using extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt to season food. Fresh and simple! Stay away from sugar and butter as much as possible.
Remember to also look out for any flavour enhances and unnatural colours. Try to stay well away from these as much as possible. (I will write about this and further explain in the near future).

In terms of making small changes, I recommend trying to cut out certain junk food 'food groups'. For example, cutting out chips, soft drinks or cutting out lollies. If this is difficult then try to replace one item from that 'unhealthy food group' for a healthier alternative, such as replacing lemonade for Lemon water with mint and cucumber. Check out my last blog post for a recipe and step by step photographs!

Eating healthy can be easy, just remember to prepare, construct and refine your healthy meals. Start off slow and simple, then challenge yourself to eliminate as much unhealthy food as possible.

I will leave you with some inspirational pictures, websites and quotes, good luck!

My Instagram: @innerhealthandstyle
Some of my favorite health inspiration Instagrams:
@healthyygirls
@alittlemotivation
@lolacooks
@mb_motivation
@healthyalways

"ITS NOT A DIET, 
ITS NOT A PHASE, 
ITS A PERSONAL LIFESTYLE CHANGE!"

Remember in order to have optimum health and well being its important to exercise as well as eat healthy :)

Quenching Summer Drinks

Hi everyone,

I'm back with some delicious, healthy summer recipes! I have created two recipes where there is no cooking involved. These are refreshments that would be great to have by the pool or in the comfort of your own home and have loads of nutritional benefits. Lets begin!


Recipe 1: Refreshing Infused Water 

This recipe is a great substitute for lemonade.

1 third of a large cucumber (skin on)
1/2 a lemon (use less if you want it to be less sour)
Filtered water (enough to fill a jug)
Small bunch of mint

Change your quantities according to the capacity of the jug. I used a 1 litre jug.

Wash the ingredients.Cut the amounts of cucumber, lemon and mint needed. 

Slice the lemon and cucumber into thin slices. Then bruise the mint by scoring the bunch twice with a sharp knife. 

Place the ingredients in the jug and fill with filtered water. Stir, then leave overnight for a more intense flavour.

Nutritional Benefits 

Supports immune system

Aides digestion 

Repairs skin 

Reduces appetite 

Balances pH levels 

Cleanses the urinary tract

Promotes healing

Detoxifies the liver

Recipe 2: Antioxidant Ice-cubes

These ice cubes are a great way to enhance the flavour of your water and make it naturally sweeter.

Filtered water 

A handful of blueberries (frozen or fresh)

                                         Place one blueberry in each ice mold (I used frozen blueberries). 

Cover the blueberries in water then freeze over night.

Place frozen ice cubes in serving glass.

Fill with water and serve. You can also serve these antioxidant ice cubes in juices or other beverages. Experiment with different fruit fillings!

Nutritional Benefits

Blueberries are...
Low in GI
High in minerals
High in antioxidants, vitamin k and c and magnesium
Low in calories