February Sample Challenge!

Hi guys! I have decided to do another 'sample challenge' where the goal is to use up as many samples as I can in a month. Basically, I have a lot, and I want to downsize my ridiculous collection and not have them go to waste. Also, it's kind of fun to see how many I can get through, and it allows me to sift through my stash and really see what I have. The ones I've picked for this challenge are samples that I've had for a while or something high end that I'd be bummed if I didn't use. I've also tried to include mainly sachets as their small size means I'll be able to get through more than if I were to focus on travel-size or mini samples.

Now that I've selected the samples for this challenge, I've got to say, there's no way I will use all these in a month, and I may have to continue the task in a Part 2! Some of the samples I'm most excited to use are...

~ Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules
~ NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer
~ Natura Siberica Siberian Ginseng Eye Cream-Gel
~ Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
~ Nuxe Gentle Exfoliating Gel
~ Kate Somerville Wrinkle Warrior
~ Smashbox Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer
~ Urban Decay set of 4 Eyeshadow Primer Potions
~ Dragon's Blood Collagen Eye Zone Mask
~ La Prairie Platinum Rare Cellular Serum
~ By Terry Cellularose Liftessence Global Serum
~ Urban Decay Seven Days of Shadow Deluxe Sampler

I'll report back next month with how many samples I got through and if there were any stand-out products, or any products I really didn't like! Wish me luck!

You may be interested in Update: May Sample Challenge

Linking up with the Lovin' Life Linky at Deep Fried Fruit!

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Mani Monday: Sally Hansen Pampered In Pink!*

Hi guys! Sally Hansen is one of my favourite nail polish brands, so I'm coming at you today with another shade from the Color Therapy range, Pampered In Pink*. I was sent two gorgeous fuschia shades recently, and I was going to apply the other one, Back To The Fuchsia* from the Complete Salon Manicure range, but that idea was nixxed when I couldn't open the bottle!

This is just one coat of pretty pink goodness. Enjoy!

You may be interested in Mani Monday: Sally Hansen Color Therapy!

Linking up with Open Slather, Life This Week and Mummy Mondays!

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Disclaimer: *This product was provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

What's you go-to nail colour for Summer?

Netflix Recommendations: The Good Place, Riverdale & More!

Hello guys! Nothing has changed, I am still watching a lot of Netflix, so much so that I'll be doing a March Movie Challenge in a few months, because I feel like I'm neglecting movies, and once upon a time they were my jam! This will involve attempting to see 30 films in a month, so stay tuned for that madness! Stop putting out so many great TV shows, Netflix, you're ruining my life! Haha. Here are my latest recommendations....

Easy
I watched the first season of this and loved it, and while season 2 isn't as good in my opinion, it's still worth a watch. Easy is definitely an acquired taste and won't be everyones cup of tea. It's an Amercian comedy-drama anthology series based around a group of intertwined friends based in Chicago as they explore sex, love, relationships and friendship. Each episode is self-contained and features different characters and a storyline that is resolved in that episode. That being said, there are a few recurring characters that feature in more than one episode, and these are the most interesting in my opinion, as I feel a connection and familiarity with them. Easy can be quite racy and sexual at times, with the connecting theme being relationships, of all kinds. Watch it after the kids are in bed!

Riverdale
Two words: Cole Sprouse. Haha, OK so this extremely popular show has more going for it than just Jughead, but still, he has to be acknowledged. New weekly episodes are being released again starting January 18, so your gang is back, baby! If you don't know, Riverdale is based on the characters from Archie Comics. You've probably heard of Betty, Veronica, Archie, Jughead and the all-girl band Josie and the Pussycats; well this is them modernised, for the kids of today. And it's done well! There's teen drama, romance and a ton of mystery and intrigue. It actually gets quite dark in places, which I didn't expect. You should definitely check this out, you'll be hooked after the first few episodes, and I guarantee you'll be Googling 'Cole Sprouse' in no time!

Dynasty
This is just some good old-fashioned trashy, soapy, deliciously ridiculous fun that you can put on and escape into. I never watched the original Dynasty from the 80's, but you really don't need any knowledge of that show to enjoy this. Eagle-eyed readers will spot Grant Show, of Melrose Place fame (anyone old enough to remember that 90's gem?) in the photo, and it's so great seeing him back on my TV. He's 55 now, and has definitely aged well! My favourite character is Fallon Carrington, who is brimming with confidence, bitchiness and the show's best witty one-liners. Marvel at the over-the-top antics of the filthy rich and watch in awe of the powerful force that is Fallon. If you're feeling down, Dynasty is the best show to escape into and forget your problems. And after a break, new episodes are being released weekly, starting January 18. So it's back on!

The Good Place
This is a really entertaining and funny comedy starring one of my faves, Kristen Bell, and Ted Danson. Hubby and I binged the first season and have now caught up. It kind of sucks having to wait for one episode a week, because you're not as invested in the story when you haven't watched six episodes in a row, but what can you do, lol. This tells the story of Eleanor Shellstrop who finds herself in the afterlife. She's shocked to learn that she's in the Good Place, since she wasn't the best person during her time on Earth. Turns out it's a mistake, and Eleanor must try to become a better version of herself, with the help of her soulmate Chidi and seemingly perfect neighbours Tahani and Jianyu. This is hilarious, endearing and really easy to watch. Highly recommended!

You may be interested in Netflix Recommendations: Please Like Me, GirlBoss & More!

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What's your favourite TV show at the moment?

What's In My Good Green Box?

Hi guys! I recently received the Good Green Box prize I won in their Instagram giveaway towards the end of last year, and thought I'd run through what was inside! It's always exciting opening up a box when you don't know the contents, and I was pleasantly surprised with the natural beauty products and samples in this edition, despite the lack of an information sheet about the products included. Let's have a look!

Wotnot Facial Wipes for Normal/Sensitive Skin
This pack of 5 wipes will certainly come in handy as I seem to go through wipes like nobody's business! They contain certified organic aloe vera, rosehip and sweet almond oils and are free from drying chemicals. I've tried these before as they came in the March Good Box (read my thoughts on that here) and love their effectiveness and lovely fragrance.

3/F/B Rose Tonic Facial Astringent
I haven't heard of this brand, so hopefully I've typed it correctly as there's no info sheet and it's not on the Good Green Box website! Anyway this product excites me as I've just finished the Akhal Organic Rose Hydrolat from the July Good Green Box and absolutely loved it! I imagine this is similar, being a facial astringent with a rose scent. Can't wait to start this little bottle!

Springfields Lavender Soothing Facial Cream
This comes in quite a luxe-looking brown glass jar and is a fairly generous size, however the scent is quite subtle. Lavender is normally one of those overpowering scents for me, so it's probably good that this has a mild fragrance. Lavender is thought to help you sleep, so I imagine this would be great to pop on before bed.

Fresh Face Skin Mystery Product
Hello mystery product! This is literally a white plastic tub that says Fresh Face Skin on the lid and that's it, no further labelling. Nor is it on the Good Green Box website under any of the Skincare sections. I just Googled and Fresh Face Skin is the brand name and they seem to mainly sell overnight healing creams, so that might be what this is. Who knows!

Black Chicken Axilla Deodorant Paste
This 100% natural deodorant paste contains shea butter, coconut oil and camelia tea oil and the essentials oils of peppermint, cajaput, mandarin, clove, rose, geranium, lime, lavender and cedarwood. I'm not the biggest fan of natural deodorants, but I'll always give something a go. And this does smell quite pleasant!

Pukka Matcha Green Teabags
I received two Pukka teabags from the Matcha Green range, one Clean and one Supreme. The clean one is described as 'a fresh burst of pure organic green tea with a luscious lemony lift', whilst the supreme version is 'a vital wellspring of organic whole leaf green tea and the finest matcha.' Lord knows I drink too much coffee, so I can't wait to get some healthy green tea into me!

Bondi Wash Hand Cream and Body Lotion
I love the designs on the front of theses sample sachets! The Tasmanian Pepper & Lavender Hand Cream uses Australian plant-based botanicals to naturally soothe your hands, and the Sydney Peppermint & Rosemary Body Lotion blends all-natural active botanicals with Australian Flame Tree for soft, moisturised skin. I will be doing a February Sample Challenge, so I'm saving up all my sachets to go hell for leather next month and see how many I can use up. Stay tuned  for a blog post on that!

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Disclaimer: This box was won in a Giveaway and there was no obligation to blog about it. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Are you a fan  of natural beauty products? What's your favourite product from this lot?

LUSH 50% Off Haul!

Hi guys! If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I went a bit crazy at the Lush Boxing Day Sale (cough $70 later cough). This is the second year running that I didn't get in-store 'til five or so days after the sale started, and while some half price items had run out, there was still  plenty of discounted Christmas stock to choose from. I missed out on my beloved Rose Jam shower gel, so compensated by grabbing a Garden Party gift that contained Rose Jam and a couple of other goodies. Being the school holidays, my son was with me, so I was distracted and dealing with complaining after a while, which didn't help, but I bribed him with a Bubble Spinner (he's obsessed with fidget spinners) which unfortunately wasn't marked down. Other than that, I tried to get new-to-me goodies, for a bit of excitement! Here's what I got!

My Haul!
~ Bubble Spinner Re-Usable Bubble Bar
~ Twilight Shower Gel
~ Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar
~ Layer Cake Soap
~ Miranda Soap
~ Candy Cane Roulade
~ Pop In The Bath Bubble Bar
~ Golden Wonder Bath Bomb
~ ThunderSnow Bath Bomb
~ Garden Party Gift (contains Rose Jam Shower Gel 100g, Ro's Argan Body Conditioner 45g, Snow Cloud Soap 100g)

You may be interested in Ho Ho Ho, It's The LUSH Christmas Range!

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Did you pick up anything in the Lush Boxing Day Sale?

Mani Monday: Sally Hansen Color Therapy!*

What do you get when you have insomnia and have exhausted all your Candy Crush turns? A blog post written at 2:30am, that's what! On the weekend I painted my nails, for the first time in weeks. It felt good to give my nails a break, but at the same time I feel so much more 'me' with a bit of colour on the claws!

This is Ohm My Magenta (380)* from the Sally Hansen Color Therapy range, which I was kindly sent at the end of last year, along with two other burgundy beauties, which I'll be trialling in due course. I was sure the 'm' in Ohm was a typo, but no, it's supposed to be there. This is a really flattering, sexy deep red with a hint of purple, and let me say, it's a confidence booster!

If you're not familiar with Sally Hansen's Color Therapy formula, it's best described as a polish that 'cares while you wear.' It contains three nourishing oils; acai, argan and evening primrose, that are absorbed into the nail plate while you wear. There's no need for a base coat. Just apply and your nails are treated to the goodness of the oils whilst looking vibrant with colour. Personally I love this formula; aside from the treatment benefits, it applies smoothly and easily, wears well and the colours are rich and opaque. For this mani, I've only applied one coat. Also, the flat brush makes application a breeze, as the bristles cover a lot of nail area, cutting down on the amount of strokes needed to completely cover a nail. Here's a feature I did on the Pampered In Pink mani from the Color Therapy range, if you're keen to see another shade!

You may be interested in 30 Minute Manicure Routine

Linking up with Open Slather, Life This Week and Mummy Mondays 

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Disclaimer: *This product was provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you tried the Sally Hansen Color Therapy range? What nail colour are you loving lately?

Final Update: 2017 Project 30 Pan!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's 2018; time to start fresh, plan big and achieve those dreams! But first, I need to wrap up this old project from last year (haha, yesterday), to make way for another Project Pan, because I'm still in the mood for using up my products....

Today I'll be doing the final update on my Project 30 Pan for 2017, which I began back at the beginning of August. If you missed the last update you can check that out here and the original Project Pan post is here. I am so happy to to be bidding adieu to the majority of these products, as I'm really keen to start afresh in 2018 with a new bunch of products to get through. So look out for that post, when I manage to round them up. Let's have a look at how I did!

Here are my results. The crossed out ones I've finished.

1        Skin Vitals T-Purify Anti-Spot Mask
2        Lush Yummy Mummy Shower Cream* (a third remaining)
3        Alpha-H Pore Refining Mask (full)
4        Uriage Thermal Water* (half remaining)
5        Emma Organics Hand & Nail Revive Cream (full)
6        Skin Doctors Beetox (half remaining)
7        Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel
8        Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel
9        Dr Jart Soothing Hydra Solution Sheet Mask (unused)
10      La Prairie Cellular Swiss Eye Cream (a quarter remaining)
11      La Prairie Skin Caviar Firming Complex (half remaining)
12      La Prairie Cellular Moisturiser (three quarters remaining)
13      Alpha-H Daily Exfoliant (half remaining)
14      Clinique Cooling Eye Gel (three quarters remaining)
15      Skinstitut Moisture Defence Ultra Dry
16      Prevage Anti-Aging Cleanser (two thirds remaining)
17      Prevage Anti-Aging Cleanser {x 2 of these} (full)
18      The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Enhancer (full)
19      The Body Shop Facial Oil
20      The Body Shop Facial Oil {x 2 of these} (full)
21      The Body Shop Sleeping Cream (half remaining)
22      SK-II Facial Treatment Mask (unused)
23      Clinique RepairWear Cream (three quarters remaining)
24      Nip + Fab Extreme Night Fix (three quarters remaining)
25      Montagne Jeunesse Clay Mask (unused)
26      Dr Jart Vital Hydra Solution Sheet Mask (unused)
27      ASAP Moisture Daily Defence (three quarters remaining)
28      Goodness Chia Seed Oil (full)
29      Tonic Microexfoliant*
30      Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream (half remaining)

Last check in I'd finished 6 products, this time I've finished 18 products in total, out of the full 30. Not bad! I'm not going to force myself to use the rest, I'm sick of them at this point, haha. I will be starting a new Project Pan this year, so keep an eye out for that  post!

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you embarked on a Project Pan? How did it go?