Broke By Payday

Review & Results: Petara Organic Lash & Brow Serum

22:33

My Skincare MVP's

22:35

There is nothing worse than hating your skin. I've hated my skin for many years and envied the girls who have clear, beautiful skin and walk around confidently with a bare face. Maybe my love for chocolate doesn't help my case, but I was unhappy with my skin until recently.

I was sent some products from Real-U Australia and noticed an incredibly pleasing difference in my skin. My spots cleared up, my skin felt softer and hydrated. My favourite product is the gentle foaming wash. I took it away with me recently and in my laziness (don't judge) it took me a week to unpack my toiletries bag fully. In my week without using the foaming wash my skin started breaking out a little and until I realised why, I was so confused. I've almost finished the foaming wash and I will definitely be purchasing a replacement as it is an essential in my skincare routine.

Before I started using my Real-U products I sent my friend a picture of my makeup-free face wearing just a new lipstick I'd purchased that she wanted to see. She replied saying how she was jealous of my skin to which I sent her the picture on the left (below) telling her she was crazy. The picture on the right (the after) was taken less than one month after using all of the Real-U products. What's left was mainly scaring (don't pop your pimples kids!!) but it is a face I am confident to walk around with without makeup on.

Recently I purchased a few products from the Manuka Doctor ApiClear skincare range (thanks to Shaaanxo (if you don't watch her YouTube yet you need to start!)). I've added into my skincare routine (and now I can't go without them) the purifying facial peel, the purifying facial scrub and the moisturising lotion. I prefer to wear this moisturiser during the day under makeup and the Real-U moisturiser at night to bed. The facial peel is a fun (well I love it) mask that clears dead skin cells and purifies your pores. I find the scrub a gentle yet effective exfoliator that leaves my skin smooth.

On days I've worn makeup I always cleanse my skin with my Real-U cleanser and my Clarasonic as it is much more effective in actually getting into my pores and effectively cleaning my skin of every last bit of makeup. I love to double cleanse to make sure my skin is perfectly clean and always start with Palmer's facial cleansing oil which even removes waterproof mascara.

On days I haven't worn make up I still cleanse my skin but I have started doing so with my Lune beauty sponge. My skin has never been softer since using the activated charcoal infused sponge!

On my pimples my holy grail spot treatment would be the Marion Badescu drying lotion. It works wonders overnight, and I always always see a difference.

Before this post is a novel I'll finish here, but if you'd like to hear about my lip care (especially post matte liquid lipstick), favourite face masks or a review on what I've been using to grow my eyelashes let me know! If you have any questions feel free to contact me. xo

beauty

The Instagram Process...

21:17

I'm not going to sit here and pretend I'm an expert, or that I know it all. I know my pictures aren't all perfect and my Instagram feed isn't even close to some of the ones I obsess over (@thehanihanii, @clairee.lin, @dugongss, @anythingbut_basic). BUT I have learnt a lot whilst growing my account and I have been encouraged to share some of my tips and tricks.

I take all my photos on my iPhone 6 using the square photo frame so that my pictures are already cropped when I go to edit them. I turn the grid option on and try to take my pictures as straight as possible (but I'm not the greatest at this - sorry to anyone with OCD haha).

I always take my photos on either my marble pasty board or my faux marble side table [similar here] in natural lighting with minimal shadows (either inside in front of the window or outside when the sun isn't harsh). I think lighting is really important in taking a good picture and you need to work out when and where the lighting is best for you.

Another important tip that is probably the simplest thing you can do that will make a big impact on your picture quality would be to wipe your camera lens clean before you take your picture. Plenty of people forget how much dirt and dust can cover your camera lens (especially if you're using your phone).

Once I'm happy with my shot (I will always take plenty of angles and options... which is probably why my camera roll has over 21 thousand photos...) I tend to edit my pictures in either the Instagram app, Enlight, Facetune and Aviary. Instagram is my preferred app to edit brightness, contrast, saturation, warmth, highlights and shadows. I only ever slightly adjust these as I like to keep my pictures looking as natural as possible.

Enlight would be my favourite to adjust the brightness of the background of my pictures as there is a duo filter option where I'm able to only apply the changes to selected areas. There is also a heal tool which allows me to fix any imperfections.

For pictures of my face (as apposed to my flatlays) I like using facetune to edit blemishes and uneven skin tone. Facetune is also great for enhancing certain details and smoothing out other areas. It also has a whitening tool which is great for whitening your teeth. Aviary is essentially the same as facetune but without the sharpen tool (I just like having plenty of options).

Lastly (and I only recently) I watermark my pictures with the Ezy Watermark Lite app.

My final tips would be:
- Before packing up your flatlay/cleaning your face of makeup (or whatever you're taking pictures of) look through your camera roll. Is there a perfect picture or do you need to adjust your angle/products/lighting?
- Before posting, ask yourself "if I was scrolling through my instagram feed, would I like this picture?"
- Hashtag your life away. You can use up to 30. Use all 30 (or at least get close). I do this in the first comment and not in the caption of my pictures.
- If you are taking a picture with products, make sure you wipe them clean. There's nothing worse than grubby packaging to ruin a beautiful photo.

Feel free to message me with any questions, I will try and help as much as I can... but as I said, I'm not an expert!

beauty blogger

Kylie Cosmetics Gloss Review

19:54

australis discount code

Attention Uni Students!

22:55

beauty

How to spend a week's pay in one day...

20:25

Obviously this is a life lesson everyone needs to know. Because who doesn't want to spend the rest of the week eating leftovers and using coins found in the bottom of your handbag to fund your coffee dates?

Step 1: Visit Instagram, YouTube and Facebook makeup groups. Find pictures of other makeup obsessed hauls and purchases. Add everything they have that you don't to a wish list.
Step 2: Visit a few online stores. Add everything they sell that you don't own to your wish list.
Step 3: Go in store, buy everything on your wish list, see a few things that weren't on your wish list but you like the look of anyway and buy it all.

In all seriousness, I have been saving pretty hard (excluding every time Kylie Jenner decides to release some more lipsticks because I need to own them all. This isn't even about wanting them anymore) by transferring a set amount each week into a savings account designated for travel. So as you can imagine, my wish list has been growing each time I unlock my phone and see what everyone else has been buying and what all my favourite brands have been releasing. This week I decided to have a "week off" from saving and went crazy.

If you like haul's, this one is for you...

Firstly, I know how important skincare is, especially for someone like me who loves painting my face in as much makeup as I can fit. At the top of my list was a new moisturiser (because as much as I love the Kate Somerville one I've been using, I can't. afford to keep buying it whilst my skin has calmed down and isn't throwing a tantrum and demanding it!) and a new toner (because I like to try a different one each time until I find one that's going to make a huge difference to my life).

I love hitting up Mecca Maxima and Cosmetica for my skincare as they have a great range and the girls there are happy to give samples (perfect for trying before you buy!) and happy to give advice. So list in hand (or on my phone because it is 2016) I headed straight to Mecca, purchasing from the Mario Badescu collection as it has great reviews and is reasonably priced (compared to Kate Somerville it is a steal).

From Too Faced's new collection I needed (again it's more than just wanting) the Chocolate Bon Bons eyeshadow palette, and I'm sure I can't be the only person obsessed with the packaging and colours, oh and the fact that it smells like heaven - or it just smells like chocolate for those who don't appreciate a good thing. Because I not only want to fill my mouth with chocolate but also wear it on my lips, I also grabbed one of the new melted chocolate lipsticks in the shade Chocolate Cherries (Autumn come at me!).

If I needed the Too Faced purchases I more-than-needed (??) a new pencil eyeliner for my tightline (because apparently leaving the lid off of eyeliners dries them out completely). The night before my shopping adventure I was watching plenty of YouTube (rookie error for anyone who has their list 'finished') and whilst watching Michelle Crossan I decided that the Nars Kohl liner had to be added to my wish list.

I had tried a sample of the new Stila Aqua Glow Serum Foundation and thought it was beautiful and lasted amazing on my skin through my entire 8 hour shift working in fast food (would you like fries with that?). I don't think I'll ever have enough foundations in my collection - I love mixing them, changing what I wear every day, and trying out new ones. So the Stila foundation had been on my mind and in my heart since I had finished my sample. My collection required it. (Side note: I also tried the matching concealer and it creased like crazy so I highly recommend sampling the two if possible before you commit!).

Next stop was Sephora where I was looking for the Tarte Showstopper Clay Palette, but unfortunately they didn't have it in-store. In exchange for not buying the palette I was after, I grabbed and fell in love with the Tarte Tartlette in Bloom palette. The colours were all stunning, with amazing pigmentation and my swatches blended nicely on my hand. Once I was home I realised how very similar the Stila Eyes are the Window palette in Soul... but you can never have too much of a good thing, right?

If Shaaanxo loves it, I need it. Another unplanned, non-wish list item I purchased was the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara as my friend pointed it out and mentioned the name Shaaanxo, that was all the convincing I needed.

I lastly purchased a beauty blender as mine is on it's last legs. And I refuse to go one day without it. Surprisingly, this wasn't on my wish list either, but I saw they had some in store at Sephora (they are almost always sold out) and jumped at the opportunity.

I did have another item on my wish list to purchase from Sephora but when I swatched it in store I wasn't impressed. It was the new Tarte lip paint, and I was wanting Hangry or Frenemy, but they swatched in an uneven, patchy consistency on my hand and all round just didn't impress me. The lighter nude shades I swatched were far more creamy, soft and not patchy at all, with much nicer pigmentation... but if you know me, you know I own 100 'too many' nudes and didn't feel like I needed another just yet (I'm too busy enjoying the Kylie Cosmetics lipsticks!).

Before heading home with some money left in my bank account, I decided to visit a few clothes shops (which I don't do very often, I usually spend all my money on food or makeup!). I purchased a basic t-shirt and long sleeved top, as well as a bargain ($12.50) denim skirt from Target. After purchasing my second pair of boots for the year earlier in the week, as well as two smash box lipsticks (with personal engraving) and the Kmart copper mirror, I decided I was ready to call it a day and sit at home and wait for the new Kylie Cosmetics lip kit to be released (Kourt K you know you want to join the others in my collection!).

Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Chocolate Cherries

If you'd like to see any swatches, close up's, or anything else feel free to comment here, on my instagram or email me (brokebypayday@outlook.com) xxx

How to obtain the un-obtainable: The Kylie Cosmetics LipKit

23:05

The makeup world goes crazy each time Kylie Jenner announces a restock of her LipKits. And rightfully so (see my review here) as these babies are amazing.

I set alarms for the 4am three times before I was quick enough to even own a LipKit, and a few releases later, I now own all seven shades.

Although people aggressively attack Kylie Jenner's social media accounts, blaming her for never having any stock, Kylie Cosmetics has actually been releasing the LipKits almost weekly recently, and if you come to a restock prepared, you might be lucky to score yourself one.

My tips for success:

1. Know when the restocks are!
You could purchase Kylie's App as this is where she first announces any restocks. I don't (I used up my free week and couldn't justify paying monthly..)
Your other option is to follow on instagram an account which posts regular updates on the releases. I follow @nadiaidder. Others I follow include @trendmood1 (however this account posts PLENTY of updates on all brands and their stock and Kylie sometimes gets lost amongst it) and @kyliecosmeticsupdates. Chose whichever account you like best, follow them and turn on post notifications for the account. Super important, unless you're happy to check their page every hour/day to find out if there has been an announcement.

2. Make an account!
Before the release date, jump onto http://www.kyliecosmetics.com and make yourself an account. Once your name and email address have been typed in, your computer should automatically remember this information and it'll be quicker to pre-fill instead of type it all out. If your computer asks to save the password say yes! Create the account now (or after you're done reading) as you can't access the site on the day the LipKits are released as the site is closed to restock!

3. Pre-prepare.
If you're like me you never turn your laptop off... you just put it to sleep every night. This means my tabs, webpages, everything stay running and don't need to be refreshed when I open the lid. If this is you too, you can head to http://www.kyliecosmetics.com and click shop now and open individual tabs for each shade that you want to purchase. Leave them open until the launch. As you can't access the site on the day the LipKits are released because the site is closed to restock, you must do this before the day and you must not refresh until the exact time of the restock (if you refresh on the day of the restock but eg. 5 minutes early you'll be taken back to the front "coming soon" page!).

At the time of the restock all you need to do is refresh each tab, add the colours to cart and run to the checkout. Faster than Usain Bolt.

4. On the day..
Have a few alarms set for 10, 7 and 5 minutes before the release.This will give you time to set everything up ready to go (phone, laptop, card) and also helps me build up adrenaline (which helps me go faster when the LipKits go live). Open a word document, type out your card number (the longest one, not the CCV or expiry!) and COPY.

If you haven't pre-set up some tabs (step 3) you will need to have http://www.kyliecosmetics.com open on your computer and hit refresh the exact second that the release time is. CLICK SHOP. Sounds simple but some might just sit on the front page waiting for the LipKits to show up. My tip is to right-click and open all the colours you want in new tabs, as this saves time going back to the front SHOP page each time. Once they are all in tabs click add to cart on each tab, ON THE FINAL TAB once you have clicked ADD TO CART go to your shopping cart.

You need to be fast, as you're going through this there are thousands of LipKits being sold. Click everything as fast as your hands can go!! PASTE your credit card number, type your address as fast as you can! If you get your address wrong at all you can email the Customer Service team after you've purchased and let them know you need to change it (I'm speaking from experience here, my typing might be fast but it's not entirely accurate). If you get your credit card numbers wrong your transaction will fail and you will have to type it all again..

I'll say it one more time, you need to be fast. You haven't got them until you've hit the last thank you page, so until then do everything with speed!

5. Error pages
IF you get an error page REFRESH STRAIGHT AWAY. Not kidding, refresh it until you have the site working again. Don't wait 2 minutes to try again, the LipKits can sell out in this time.
I don't refresh the processing page (after all my details have been typed and its checking my credit card numbers) but some people apparently do. I don't and I own all the colours, apparently others have been successful in purchasing after refreshing the processing page. I don't recommend it, but it's up to you entirely!

6. Congratulations
If you're successful you'll see the "thank you" page with your order, order number and a map of where your LipKits will be delivered. You'll receive an email to the email you gave with a confirmation (don't expect this straight away) and then an email with shipping details (so you can track your new babies like a hawk). I generally receive mine in around a week to Melbourne, Australia.

Any other questions feel free to comment here, on my instagram or email me (brokebypayday@outlook.com). GOODLUCK xxx

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