Taking it Off | Face Halo Makeup Remover

I am a self-described lazy person and as such, I try to find the easiest and quickest ways to do stuff. For me removing makeup at the end of the day is a chore and the thought of doing it just puts me off putting on makeup at all. Going through the blog I discovered two makeup removers I must have liked enough to write about. The Neutrogena Deep Clean Micellar Gel to Foam was great, till I ran out of it, and I eventually got annoyed over how oily the Trilogy Make-up be Gone Cleansing Balm made my face feel. I needed a routine that only required one product and wasn't too laborious.

I first heard about Face Halo from Chloe Morello, obviously, and was intrigued with how it removed makeup without any additional products. Anyway, when I saw that you could get them off xoBeauty (for $34.50 NZD) and thought I would give them a try.

You can see from the info card above how the Face Halos work. I choose to soak it in warm water just cause it feels nicer especially now we're getting into the colder months. So far I have used it a couple of times and I really like it. When I swipe it across my face you can see the makeup coming off, it's easy to use and isn't that messy which is great. You clean it with soap after each use and every week or so just chuck it in the washing machine. It says each one can be used up to 200 times which I guess is cost-efficient (I'm no good at maths ok) since you just need that and water. 

Let's play spot the difference. Can you tell which one I've been using? Clue, it's the one that doesn't look like a fluffy cloud. They're soft which is an obvious plus and you can use both sides so you can make sure all your makeup is gone. In a true test of their abilities, I even applied glitter eyeshadow and most of it came off. This is pretty good considering nothing can take down glitter, you'll end up finding specks days later.

Will I use them again? Yup. They're easy, less messy and you can easily take one when you go travelling. Who knows, maybe I'll start wearing makeup again. I probably should, given how much money I spend buying products...

Have you used Face Halo Makeup Removers? Did you like them?

Ashley xx

Review | Waiting for Monsieur Bellivier

For those who are enamoured with Paris and love a bit of mystery, this one's for you. Books which are centred around the magical city or just France in general just automatically draw me in and every time I'm left with a longing to travel there. 

Waiting for Monsieur Belliver* interchanges between two main characters. Mancebo owns a grocery store and follows the same routine every day, not noticing what he is missing. His bubble is burst when he is approached by his neighbour, she suspects her husband is having an affair and wants him to take note of what he does. He takes his assignment seriously and in doing so discovers secrets about his family which shock him. Helena is a journalist and while at a cafe answers the question, Are you Waiting for Monsieur Bellivier? She is tasked with a mundane job for three weeks and eventually starts to question what she is doing and who is Monsieur Bellivier. She starts to get paranoid and encounters a man who has an interesting story.

The story is actually derived from an experience the author, Britta Rostlund had while in Paris. While sitting at a cafe and man approached her and asked 'Are you Waiting for Monsieur Belliver?'. He asked the question again when she replied no and she got the thought that it was a kind of code and what would have happened if she said yes. Mancebo's story is also inspired by real events with Rostlund going to a grocery store and buying a drink. The owner was sitting on a stool in front of the shop and returned to it after she purchased the drink and stared aimlessly over the boulevard. I find these facts very interesting and it's cool how authors can create a story out of briefly encountering another person or a situation. 

I enjoyed the story, the identity of Monsieur Belliver was kept secret until the end as well as how Mancebo & Helena's paths would cross. I have this bad habit of reading the last chapter so I had suspicions of who he was. I just get curious but end up being confused cause nothing makes sense. One thing I noticed was how the sentences didn't flow that well (I sound like such an academic), turns out it is actually translated from Swedish. It's still readable but I found myself stopping mid-sentence cause some parts just didn't make sense.  

3.5 stars

Have you read Waiting for Monsieur Belliver? What were your thoughts?

Ashley xx

*Review copy from Hachette NZ

Passion & Motivation with Emma Etc

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Passion & Motivations with... is a little series I started last month. If you haven't already check out the first one with Nana Wintour. This month's guest is Emma from emma etc. Emma writes about beauty, books & etc which includes fashion, music, TV shows, movies and podcasts. She has the most gorgeous blog and I'm so happy to include her in the series.

For you, does passion/motivation interweave or are they separate?

To me, you have passion for something you love doing, but motivation is what keeps you going. I think it’s hard to find motivation for something you don’t like doing, and I think that’s the difference. So motivation comes easily when you are passionate.

What areas are you passionate about? Career, side/creative projects etc.

I’ve just finished University and I’m still trying to figure out what my main passion is. Currently I work at a media company where I help manage a beauty website and I’ve just started interning on the side to gain more experience with digital content creation. In some way I’ve always been intrigued by the glamour of the magazine industry, but I don’t know if I’m the right fit for it. I have always enjoyed working for myself though. I’ve had my blog since 2013 and others before that – this is what I have more of a passion for at the moment because I get to create it entirely by myself and make all the decisions. I don’t get paid to do it, so in that sense it is purely about passion. Blogs are sometimes seen as silly things to some people, however to employers it can show you are hard-working, consistent and passionate about the subjects you write about, and it’s the way the media industry is going.

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What is it about these areas that makes you motivated to achieve goals/get stuff done?

Seeing the end result time and time again after putting a lot of hard work in is something that motivates me to write and photograph my blog posts. It’s never been about the followers for me. I really have no reason to blog other than for the enjoyment of it. I think this takes so much of the pressure off, because I don’t care about reaching a huge audience – I would rather connect with a couple of people via Instagram DMs and blog comments rather than get lots of likes. It’s so refreshing to do something purely for the fun of it. The whole online blogging community makes me motivated and comforted because we’re all just creative people trying to make something interesting on the Internet, all the while experiencing the highs and lows of life.

How do you get through periods of feeling less motivated/passionate?

There are definitely times when I question why I’m doing what I’m doing. I think the moment something starts becoming a chore, you need to revaluate the situation and try and work out what made you excited about it in the first place. For me, taking a step back and having some time off from it really helps. If I’m feeling unmotivated, I will just consume other people’s content, read books and magazines, even watch TV and movies. Just experiencing life or someone else’s perspective of life is really comforting and shakes me out of a bad situation. Also, sometimes you might have to accept that you are no longer passionate about a certain thing, and that’s okay – just do what makes you feel good.

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Where do you find sources of motivation & ideas? Other people/art/blogs etc.

I always find inspiration by looking at my favourite blogs, but you can’t just copy what someone else has done. The small things make a blog unique in my opinion, and even down to the style of writing. It’s always been important to me to make my own spin on something and not blend into the crowd too much, whether that’s through the weird references I make or whatever – if you’re slightly quirky or unorthodox, people will relate to you. So in that way I always go back to my own values, style, and way of doing things when trying to find motivation. It sounds pretty silly but I find a lot of inspiration on Tumblr, mine is like a scrapbook of everything I love and want to be. Pop culture from my past gives me the biggest surge of inspiration, nostalgia and comfort when I’m feeling low.

And finally, are there any future projects/goals your excited about in 2018?

I’m feeling a little lost this year so I’m not putting any expectations on myself. I’m just trying to experience life day-to-day and not get too overwhelmed, but I think by the end of this year I want to have a better idea of what I want to do with my life! Nothing major, then…

Thank you so much to Emma for her amazing answers. Make sure you check out her blog as well as her Instagram: emmaetcblog

Ashley xx

The South Island Through Photos

Hello there. It's been a while. I've inadvertently taken a blogging hiatus as there was a couple of things going on. First, which you can see from this post, is that myself and the family went on a little trip to the South Island for a week. We only had carry on luggage so I had to make do with my iPhone camera which didn't do too badly. When I came home I was hit with the reality of a test which I had a couple of days to study for and a big essay due at the end of this week. Oh joy. Anyway, the essay is driving me insane so I thought I would write this instead. I seem to be getting through it a lot quicker.

The photo above was taken at the end of the trip at a place called Bannockburn, an old gold mining site. My parents said it reminded them of Las Vegas. It's like being in the desert but surround by vineyards. I'm gonna put the photos in order of the places we went to and try to remember where I took them.

Queenstown

Arrowtown

Te Anau

Bluff

Invercargill

Butchers Dam, Alexandra

Wanaka

Cromwell

It was an amazing trip (even though it was freezing) and it was cool seeing where my Mum's side of the family are from.

Ashley xx

Review | The Boat Runner

Happy April everyone! I hope the long weekend was relaxing and that you hopefully didn't eat chocolate till you were sick (although it is sometimes tempting). My family & I went to Taupo again which is becoming one of my favourite places. I started the weekend with good intentions and brought my uni readings and intended to work on my assignments (one of which is due this week). Didn't do any reading, did work a little bit on one assignment. I just couldn't get into it, I was in holiday mode and not in my usual setting. Now that I'm back home I really need to get to it.

Before I left I'd pretty much finished The Boat Runner* and when I got home tonight (last night as you're reading this) I finished it off. Usually, there's a gap between when I finish a book to when I write about it which isn't really good for me as I tend to forget the plot. Not this time (hopefully).

The story revolves around Jacob Koopman, he is 14 years old when WW2 starts and he lives in a small Dutch town with his parents, brother & uncle. The narrative chronicles how the war impacts on his life; his town, friends, family as well as his own view of what is happening around him. As with any story set during a war, there are events which are tragic, and for Jacob three major ones greatly impact on his life. As a result, he makes a rash decision and enlists in the German army where he uses his experiences from helping his uncle on a fishing boat. He tries to forget/block out everything that's happened to him but the realities of war start to sink in and with the help of his uncle he attempts to leave Europe and head for Canada. 

As much as the story is about the physical journey Jacob takes it's really more about his emotional/mental journey. With the loss of his family/home/himself, he gets lost in the machine that is war and doesn't know who he is anymore. He kind of regains his sense of self at the end, becoming a boat runner and giving safe passage to Jewish refugees.

3 stars

Have you read The Boat Runner? What were your thoughts?

Ashley xx

*Review copy from Harper Collins NZ 

Passion & Motivation with Nana Wintour

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I've been planning to do this for a while and I can't believe I'm putting up the first post. Sometime last year I wrote a post on passion & motivation and it kind of inspired me to start a series. First up is Sophie from Nana Wintour whose blog was the first one I'd ever read and what gave me the idea of starting one of my own. She writes about books, beauty, fashion, as well as personal posts and I'm so happy that she kicks off the series.

For you, does passion/motivation interweave or are they separate?

Personally, I think they go hand in hand. With passions and an enthusiasm for life and whatever it may entail, I feel like you can be so driven to do whatever it is you set your mind to. They definitely can be seen as separate entities but they really do intertwine and form quite the dream team when utilised well. 

What areas are you passionate about? Career, side/creative projects etc.

Good question! I like to think I’m quite a passionate, enthusiastic person. I love my work-even though it’s not really a creative job. The people and the supportive, awesome environment it is makes me feel really lucky. It really is like a big family. I love my side-hustle, mostly non-paying btw. For me that is primarily writing, whether it be for my own blog or other outlets. Writing has always been something that has filled me with such enthusiasm and excitement I suppose. It seems to be something I can really do effortlessly. Tying in with that, words are obviously a huge source of love for me. I often think about how powerful they really are and how they can communicate so much. 

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What is it about these areas that makes you motivated to achieve goals/get stuff done?

Hmm because my workplace is so positive and there’s always a lot of laughter and the like, it makes me want to work hard. Of course I have days where I’d rather be catching some extra zzz’s and maybe want to throw my desk phone out the window but the good far outweighs the bad. In terms of writing-goodness knows I procrastinate a lot sometimes. Once I get going though I find I can’t really stop until I’ve finished. For time’s sake I often come back to blog posts and write bits and pieces. I guess because it’s something I genuinely love doing and want to succeed at+better myself, it makes me want to get shit done so to speak.

How do you get through periods of feeling less motivated/passionate?

This is something I’ve definitely been struggling a bit with lately. For me stepping back a bit is extremely helpful. Thanks to social media, which I otherwise love for the most part, it’s all too easy to get swept up in what everyone else is doing. Don’t do it. Following people for the sake of it? Unfollow them. Taking a break is great too-I’m thinking particularly with blogging here. I remember back in the day I used to find the idea of taking blog breaks horrifying. Now I do them quite regularly. It’s perhaps less noticeable because I’ll still be posting but my weeks are less filled up with writing posts, scheduling woes and the like because of it. Maybe that’s just because I work full time but when it begins to feel tedious or unenjoyable, I know it’s time to step back for a bit.

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Where do you find sources of motivation & ideas? Other people/art/blogs etc.

So many places-I’d be here all day if I listed them all. Sometimes it can be something as simplistic as having a conversation with someone. Actually conversation is another thing I love, I’m sure people wish I’d be quiet sometimes haha. Seriously though-good banter=great inspiration, most of the time. As I am quite a visual person-things like films and literature are a huge source. Flicking through magazines is another. As cliché as it sounds, taking the time to not stare at a screen whilst walking to and from work for example can be a huge inspiration. Whether that’s noticing the colour of the sky, the oversized shades a stranger dons, an appealing typeface on a window. Honestly though I often get inspiration at the weirdest of times. Case in point: I was looking out the window of a train when a series on my blog came to me. Not sure what inspired it but I quickly grabbed my phone and wrote notes down.

And finally, are there any future projects/goals you're excited about in 2018?

No concrete projects as such. I really, really need to get my act together and overhaul my blog design. It’s stale and I want a refresh. Other than that, for me it’s getting published elsewhere-which kinda scares me because not hearing back is the worst but actually submitting things is quite nervewracking in itself. Honestly though, whoever says “yep, I’ll print that” will probably make my year. 

Thank you so much to Sophie for her amazing answers and being the first of the series. Make sure you check out her blog as well her Instagrams: @nanawinour & @whatsophieread.

Ashley xx

Dermaviduals Skincare

I hadn't heard of the brand Dermaviduals before and when I was contacted about their products I was interested in trying some out. The products are based on the principals of Cornotheropy and it targets the maintenance of the skins natural barrier as well as the prevention of ageing. The brand was founded by Dr Hans Lautenschläger and treats skin conditions such as acne, skin ageing, pigmentation and eczema. The products are free of emulsifiers, preservatives, fragrances, mineral oils, silicones, dyes and amines. I'm not entirely sure what any of those are so it's a good thing they aren't in the products.

Acne is pretty much one of biggest issues with my skin. It just never seems to disappear so I was eager to see if using the products would lead to any improvement. I was sent the Skin Clarity Kit* which also included a nice travel bag for skincare which is always handy to have. Inside were four products which have had an effect on my skin.

  

So to start off there's the Cleansing Gel* which you apply to your face and neck. As an added measure I also like to go in with a sonic cleansing brush cause I like to think it helps, and also cause it just feels nice. Once I've rinsed it off I apply the Lotion P* which comes in a spray bottle. My face is typically oily/combination and once I've used these two products my skin becomes drier.

Next is the Liposome Concentrate Plus* which comes in a dropper. This is more of a spot treatment so apply to the areas that are really annoying. Lastly is the PlutioDerm Plus* which moisturises your skin. 

The Results

So after using the products everyday for a while I actually started to notice a difference in my skin. It started to clear up more and my skin was less oily. Being a bit of a lazy person I'd often forgo the regime which resulted in a number of breakouts. So once again I started using the products and once again saw an improvement. For the most prominent spots, I also applied some of the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion which dealt with them.

So overall the products actually had a positive effect on my skin which is a nice change. I'll keep going with the regime and hopefully, my skin will improve even more.

Dermaviduals is available in over 47 clinics across New Zealand. The range includes cleansers, serums, face and body moisturisers to mineral makeup.

Ashley xx

*Products sent for review. Opinions are my own