Monday 30 December 2013

Holiday Hiatus

Hello from Tokyo!

So sorry for the hiatus. I've spent the last 1-2 weeks travelling (and still have another 3 more weeks to go!). I've been to Singapore, Hong Kong, Osaka and now Tokyo. It's a nice chilly 3 degrees in comparison to the summer back in Australia! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and wishing you a very Happy New Year! I hope 2014 is better than 2013 for you all :) 

Thank you for all being patient and sticking by Your Daily Break! I'll be back soon with photos of food, sights, hauls etc. 

Jess
xoxo

Sunday 15 December 2013

Polish of the Week: Rimmel Salon Pro 701 Jazz Funk







This has got to be one of my favourite nail polish purchases of the year (big call I know!). The nail Polish is question is Rimmel London's Salon Pro in Jazz Funk. To me it's the perfect pink. It's a true pink that applies opaque in two coats. This range from Rimmel is quickly becoming one of my favourites. Application is easy, the colour is rich and the drying time isn't long at all. I picked it up on sale at Priceline with 20% off making it around $7. If you are looking for a pink that's perfect for spring/summer I highly recommend this one!


What are some of your favourite pink nail polishes?

Jess
xoxo


Thursday 12 December 2013

Your Daily Coffee Break: Stovetop






Living in Melbourne means that we are spoilt for choice for amazing coffee. It's great for a coffee fanatic like me, but also means it's hard for a cafes that specialise in coffee to really break through the tough market. They have to do something different! This is what drew me to Stovetop in Carlton as I hadn't heard of anything like it before! 

Stovetop do your typical espresso machine coffee that we find all over Melbourne; however, their speciality is stovetop coffee. You choose your blend (stovetop blend or a guest blend), the size (2 cups or 4 cups) and then whether you would like steamed milk on the side. It's served with an espresso cup and your coffee which you pour yourself. I love it because you can control how strong you want the coffee to be with the milk to coffee ratio. 

The coffee was amazing and the service staff on the day were so friendly. I would definitely go back!


Have you been to Stovetop or tried anywhere similar?

Jess
xoxo


Sunday 8 December 2013

Polish of the Week: Bourjois Anti-Choc No Chips #17


I'm back at you all with a polish of the week post! These posts disappeared for awhile as I went through an "I don't feel like wearing nail polish" faze, but it seems like this faze has passed because I'm currently thinking of my next nail polish that I want to wear as I type this!

The polish of the week this week is Bourjois Anti-Choc No Chips in #17. I feel like this is the perfect festive colour. If you've never tried these nail polishes before you wouldn't be familiar with the applicator. The applicator is angled which can be tricky at first to apply but makes the whole process a lot easier once you get the hang of it. The polish is opaque in one coat; however, 2 coats brings out the true colour and shine. 

What's on your nails this week?

Jess
xoxo



Wednesday 4 December 2013

November Favourites 2013!


November favourites time! I can't believe the year is almost over. It also means that my overseas trip is coming up in 2-3 weeks. Absolutely cannot contain my excitement! I don't have many favourites this month because I've been sticking to my stock standard products. I've picked out 5 products that I've been using consistently this past month.

My first favourite has to be the 4me Nail Polish Remover Pads. I have been loving the 4me nail polish remover pads for on the go. You know when you realize you have a massive chip, or when you wake up in the morning and you realize you smooshed your nail polish in your sleep and don’t have time to take it off in the morning> We’ve all been there! This product is perfect for that. I carry them around in my handbag and have needed these regularly this month.

 I have never heard about this brand but received these in my Bellabox last year when I was subscribed to them. They’re round remover pads that have been soaked in nail polish remover and conditioner and are the size of a normal cotton pad. It is strange when you use them because they don’t feel like you’re using nail polish remover. The product feels slightly greasy (which is a result of the conditioner in the product I think) and almost dry to the touch. They are definitely effective though. I generally find that I need 2 remover pads to take off all the nail polish from my nails. The only problem is that I dislike the smell and if I leave the product on my nails I feel like they dry them out despite the conditioner, so I wash it off straight away.

They’re super inexpensive as well with a price tag of $3.50. I’ll definitely be taking these overseas as well. These are much more convenient than a bottle of nail polish remover. 

A hair product I've been using majority of this month is the David Babaii Instant Miracle Hair Volume Powder. My hair is quite thick and heavy and so I always feel like my hair is too 'bottom heavy' with no volume. The texture of this is like a baby powder, but lighter and when rubbed together it turns into a tacky texture that really helps volumise the hair. I find that the volume that I get when I use this product falls down after a while, but a quick ‘zoosh’ to the hair brings all the volume back.

In terms of makeup I have been loving my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light and Topshop's Cream Blush in Flush. I won't talk too much about the Hourglass powder since it's been raved about enough, but let's just say the raves are true. It can set my makeup, gives my face a glow and reduces redness. I have not put this down since I bought it. I have also been loving Topshop's blush in Flush. I generally don't like putting my fingers in products because I feel it's unsanitary but this product is so easy to apply and blend that I just don't mind. I find Topshop's blushes in the pan a lot easier to blend in comparison to their stick blushes so I've been using this one over my cream blush sticks. It's the perfect pink shade to add life back into my face in the morning. 

Last but not least is my Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina perfume but in the roller ball form. I spoke about this scent in my last favourites post but it's back again not because of the scent (which I still love) but because of the convenience of this roller ball. It's been perfect to pop into my handbag and touch up when needed or when you're in a rush and forget to put it on. I've never had a roller ball perfume before. If I've had a miniature size it's been the little bottles with the cap you pull off and then apply. The bottles are tiny and cute but the application can get messy. Perfume on your finger, running down the wrist etc... or is that just me? Anyway, roller ball perfumes are so convenient and amazing! It's like a whole new perfume world for me now... 


What were your favourites in November?

Jess
xoxo

Sunday 1 December 2013

The Weekend Haul: Lush, The Body Shop and Clarisonic




I did a teensy bit of shopping on the weekend. I only picked up 3 items but I thought I'd share regardless. The item I'm most excited about is Lush's Rose Jam which is a shower gel. If you are familiar with my blog then you'll know how much I absolutely adore their Ro's Argan Body Conditioner for both it's smell and ability to make your skin super soft. Now if we were to bottle up the scent and make a shower gel, this would be it. They smell exactly the same! I haven't tried this yet but will be doing that ASAP and reporting back. I hope it lives up to my expectations!

Second item was The Body Shop's Shea Body Butter. My current moisturiser is simply not hydrating enough. I'm still getting dry patches which is causing skin irritation. Not pretty! I previously used the Body Shop's limited edition Dreams Unlimited Body Butter which worked wonders for my skin and decided to pick the Shea scent up. I was tossing up between this and the Brazil nut scent,  but settled for this one after hearing about it in essiebutton's recent favourite's video. Did someone say sheep?... 



The last item I picked up was the Clarisonic Delicate Brush Head which I'd like to think was a necessity. I mean, I have had my current one for 5-6 months which is way past the 3 month recommendation and it's definitely seen better days! I am currently using the sensitive brush head on my Clarisonic but I'm starting to find it a little too harsh on my skin. The delicate brush head is a step down from the sensitive so we'll see how it compares. 

Did you make any sneaky purchases this weekend?

Jess
xoxo

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Priceline 40% off Cosmetics Haul




I was lucky to finish work slightly early last Tuesday, which only meant one thing in my mind. Make it to my Priceline before they close at 5pm and take advantage of the 40% off all cosmetics sale!

When I heard about the sale I thought that it would be a good time to try the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation and Illuminating Primer, as well as their healthy balance powder which Amelia Liana has said is a dupe for her beloved Giorgio Armani powder. Unfortunately, my Priceline either didn’t stock it or it was sold out. 

In the end I purchased 4 lip products and 1 eye product. I purchased the Rimmel Apocalips in Apocaliptic (bright fuchsia pink) and Stellar (cherry red with an orange undertone). I love these products because they are so pigmented and hydrating. I already have the one in Celestial that I love for an everyday lip colour; however, it doesn’t last long on my lips. I’m hoping that because these colours are brighter they will leave a longer lasting stain behind.

I purchased 2 Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons, one in Peach on the Beach (coral pink) and the other in Orange Punch (red orange). I’ve worn these a few times and find that easy to apply, very glossy and not drying which is a winner for my prone to dryness lips. 

My last purchase was a Rimmel Scandeleyes in Taupe. I forgot whose blog/video I watched but they used it as an eyeshadow which I thought was a great idea. I bought this with the intention of doing just the same, but instead, I’ve been using it for its intended purchase. I find that this shade is great for everyday daytime wear as it’s not as harsh as a brown or black eyeliner. It’s perfect for adding some definition to the eye. I always set my eyeliners to prevent the inevitable panda eye and have been using my MAC eyeshadows in coquette and concrete for this as I find they work well with this eyeliner shade. 

From top to bottom:
Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Orange Punch
Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach
Rimmel Apocalips in Apocaliptic
Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar
Rimmel Scandaleyes in Taupe



Did you go to the sale? What did you pick up?

Jess
xoxo

Saturday 23 November 2013

Summer Wedding Outfit!


It was my friend’s wedding this past weekend in Adelaide. The weather was amazing and perfect for a wedding. For my outfit I was absolutely determined to wear my Marcs skirt that I recently posted about. Sometimes I think it’s worse when you have one single item of clothing that you want to wear, because then it becomes all about finding the clothes that match it perfectly. Being a bright yellow tweed-like skirt it was a nightmare trying to find something that matched it well. The night before we left for Adelaide I ransacked my whole wardrobe trying to find the right top. In the end, I layered the skirt over a dress I had. I brought several options for the reception but in the end I whipped off my skirt and voila I had a dress perfect for the evening. I love it when you can make your items in your closet so versatile. My friend at the wedding even thought I had done a complete outfit change!

For the ceremony I stuck with the lighter and brighter outfit colours with a cream jacket and heels. For the reception I switched out my cream jacket and shoes for a black jacket and pumps. Pairing your outfit with black items always makes the outfit more evening appropriate. 




Dress (worn as a top): From a local boutique
Skirt: Marcs
Jacket: Pilgrim
Belt: Dotti
Shoes: Old beige peep toes
Earrings: Sportsgirl
Clutch: My mum’s from when she was in her 20’s!





Dress: Same as during the day
Jacket: Pilgrim
Shoes: Zu
Earrings: Same as during the day
Clutch: Same as during the day

Jess
xoxo











Tuesday 19 November 2013

Minimal Summer Makeup


I was in Adelaide this past weekend for a friend's wedding which I plan to post pictures of (outfit and makeup) later this week. However, on Monday it was a nice summery 31 degrees. Although I love the hot weather (bar the crazy hayfever that hits me when it happens), I really don't like the feeling of makeup on my face, especially when it's just a casual day with brunch and some shopping. So days likes these call for my 5 product minimal summer makeup face. You can change the specific products to whatever you prefer but when I do this the 5 products I stick to are: 
- a tinted moisturiser/BB cream
- concealer
- bronzer
- mascara
- a bright summer lipstick that livens up your face

For this day I chose my Origins Vitazing, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (I don't bother with correctors on hot days), Stila Sun Bronzer in Shade 01, Maybelline The Falsies Volum Express, and Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid in Vibrant Mandarin

What do you like to use on a hot summer's day?

Jess
xoxo



Wednesday 13 November 2013

Trash Diving #3 - Skincare



So I'm taking a break from working out what to wear for my friend's wedding this weekend to talk about my skincare empties (round 3)! The weather is meant to be sunny this Saturday so let's hope it stays that way! I'm going to try and keep this short and sweet as I can tend to ramble!

Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera
I really enjoyed this cleanser. It didn't leave my skin feeling tight or feel like it was stripping my skin of all it's natural oils. This was particularly good for the winter time. 

Repurchase? I would consider repurchasing this. As a cream cleanser I prefer my Jacqueline Evans Cream Cleanser, but the Alpha-H is a lot easier to use since it doesn't require a flannel to wash it off.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo 
I absolutely love this product and attribute this to keeping pimples at bay. I notice a difference in my skin when I use this (and when I don't!). I tend to get little bumps on the oiler areas of my face and this stops them from peeking through. I layer this under my moisturiser and use it every night. 

Repurchase? I have already busted open a new tube of the stuff!

Michael Todd Intensive Organic Cream Eye Treatment
I liked this eye cream; however, there was nothing outstanding about it. It did the job and hydrated my under eye area. I prefer my Indeed Labs Eysilix. 

Repurchase? No

Bioderma Sebium AKN
This is a treatment product that is meant to purify skin by cleansing the pores. To be perfectly honest, I used this up because I didn't want to waste it. It would need to be smoothed on gently and with no rubbing in whatsoever, otherwise it would 'ball up' (so technical there!) the products that I had already layered underneath. Such a pain in the mornings and I didn't notice a difference in my skin either. This has worked for other people, but unfortunately didn't work for me. 

Repurchase? No

Lancome Visonnaire (sample)
I wasn't wow-ed by this. Maybe it's because it was only a sample size and so I didn't see the effects of it? I do however, feel like this is a product for more mature skin and that may also be the reason why.

Repurchase? Not right now, maybe when I'm older!

Organic Spa Face Exfoliant (sample)
Organic Spa is an Australian owned company based in Byron Bay who use naturally derived ingredients. It's a physical exfoliant with small granules to buff away your dead skin. The granules aren't chunky like the St Ives Apricot Scrub and you don't feel like you're scratching your skin. This leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth and gives me an immediate brighter complexion. 

Repurchase? I have a chemical and physical exfoliant on the go at the moment so I don't need one any time soon, but I would definitely consider it. I love that it's Australian made too!.
Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil (sample)
I really enjoyed this cleansing oil. It was effective and lovely to use; however, I much prefer my Bioderma and Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm to thoroughly take off my makeup and cleanse my skin.

Repurchase? No

What have you used up recently?

Jess
xoxo

Wednesday 6 November 2013

October Favourites 2013


October Favourites time! I hope you all had an amazing October. Nothing too exciting went down for me in October. I'm sure if I lived in America I'd have some amazing Halloween story but Australia doesn't really celebrate it. In fact, I've never celebrated it. I feel like I'm missing out!


My first favourite of the month has to be my Swisse Argan Face Oil. I’m not sure why I haven’t spoken about it before because it’s been part of my daily routine for a few months now. I’ve nearly finished this bottle and a second one is on it’s way! I mix this in with my moisturizer every night. I find that it keeps my skin hydrated and makes it extremely soft and supple. Other benefits include improving the appearance of skin elasticity, hydration, ageing and blemishes. 

My Origins Vitazing is the ultimate lazy product for me and has been perfect for the “I want to spend as minimal time on my face as possible days”. I use this as a moisturizer and to even out my skin tone all at once. I then go in with concealer on the areas where I need it most and skip the foundation. This product wears well on my skin and I’ll never be without it.

“That time of the month” has proved to be particularly troublesome. I have had some really bad deep pimples that slowly surface into small mountains on my chin. Don’t get me wrong I love my Origins Super Spot Remover, but lately I have been loving my Neutrogena 2-in-1 Fight & Fade Spot Gel. It reduces the amount of time that I have my blemishes for and helps to fade the inevitable blemish scar that I always seem to end up with.

I have been curling my hair a lot more this month and as a result, my hair is a lot drier. My L’Oreal Mythic Oil has been perfect to add some shine, hydration and softness back into my hair.


I have my L’Occitane Shower Oil to thank for keeping my skin hydrated, particularly over the colder days. It’s hands down the most hydrating shower product for the body that I have used. No dry and scaly skin here! I never get any irritations when I use this product and in fact, I feel like it’s quite soothing when I apply it. It comes out an oil; however, turns into a cream when it comes into contact with water. I also feel that moisturiser is not as necessary when I use this because it is so hydrating. Lazy moisturizer-“rers” rejoice!

Interestingly, my Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy has made it into my favourites this month. I say interestingly as I actually considered this a “product that I regret buying” awhile ago. It was pretty much untouched until I put it in my makeup bag to get some use out of it. I find that this is the perfect shade in the morning when my lips look lifeless. The colour of this lipstick matches my natural lip colour almost perfectly so it’s great to instill a little life back into my lips. Since it is so natural, a mirror is not needed and the rose scent is also amazing. The only thing is that you need to reapply fairly often.

I finally have my hands on Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina which is that fragrance that I have been wanting for awhile now. I don’t buy fragrances often since I don’t power through them as quickly as everyone else seems to, so when I do add one to the mix it must be something I love. This is just the trial size as the full size is waiting for me back in Adelaide since I was over the baggage limit last trip (damn you, baggage restrictions!). It’s a perfect balance of fruity, floral and musky. I could seriously smell this all day!

What have you been loving this month?

Jess
Xoxo

Sunday 3 November 2013

Polish of the Week: Essie Tangerine

    

Essie Tangerine is a bright red/coral colour that is perfect for summer. You could get away with one coat, but I used two for good measure. If you're interested in picking up some Essie nail polishes, Priceline has a special going on at the moment where you get 2 for $20. It's a great deal that finishes November 6th, so I would scurry on over if you were interested!


Jess
xoxo


Wednesday 30 October 2013

Brunches, Indulgent Treats, Hourglass, Marcs, and Faux Leather


I had brunch at Hardware Societe with a good friend on Saturday. This involved a 45-minute wait in true Melbourne city café form style. Luckily, it only started drizzling with rain 5 minutes before we managed to snag a table inside The wait time is getting quite ridiculous and I have always avoided Hardware Societe because of the ridiculous lines. We both had baked eggs with chorizo, which were amazing! I forgot about the wait as soon as I was presented with the food!



Afterwards, we headed on over to La Belle Miette, which is a small, cute macaron shop on Hardware Lane (branches also on Collins St, Church St and at Chadstone Shopping Centre. I bought a box of six macarons and all were amazing! My favourite were the Earl Grey and Salted Caramel though. I highly recommend you pay them a visit if you are in the city area.


 

Last but not least, shopping. There are some great sales on at the moment. I picked up this pair of faux leather shorts from Milk and Honey with intricate cut outs at the bottom. I do not own a pair of leather shorts so this was calling my name. They were also on sale for $31.50! I can see myself getting a lot of use out of these, especially because Melbourne seems to be warming up again… slightly (warm up more please!). The only detail I would change would be the white drawstring. I see this getting dirty and I feel like it cheapens the shorts a tad. I’ll probably pull it out, tuck it in or dye it black though.








On Sunday, I had brunch with another group of friends at Neapoli which is off Bourke Street. No lines there! After that, I went shopping… again. I came out with two sneaky purchases. One I feel is justified (kinda?) and the other is… well I’ve been lusting after it for awhile.

 

That’s right. I finally caved in to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. I picked mine up in Diffused Light. I was choosing between this and Dim Light. Originally, I was going to go for Dim Light however, after reading reviews and deciding what I wanted it for I went for Diffused Light. In the store it seemed extremely sparkly as in, if I put it on my face I would look like a disco ball but people said that it doesn’t show up and the ones in the store tend to be more glittery due to ‘cross-contamination’ from other products. They were right, you can’t see any huge glitter particles on your face when you apply it. It just gives you face a new glow, takes down my redness and helps my makeup last.


 

The last purchase of the day was in a tweed-like skirt in this amazing, amazing citrus colour. It's so summery! I have my friend’s wedding coming up in 2 weeks and I thought this would be perfect. I figure I would get more use out of a top and a skirt than just a dress. This was also on sale at Marcs with 40% off making it $79. This makes it justified...right?


What have you indulged in lately?

Jess
xoxo