Clarisonic Mia

Today’s post is an introduction to the world of sonic cleansing. I’m sure that marketing companies want you to think that a troupe of people in little white coats spend ages poring (hehe, excuse the pun) over complicated sciency things to create the facial cleansing brush. My version is that someone had a few too many drinks one night and in their inebriated state, tried to use their electric toothbrush on their face. They were so pleased with the results that they invented the facial cleansing brush (after a trip to KFC for a hangover-curing bucket of chicken). Maybe that’s not 100% true but regardless, the world of sonic cleansing is ever expanding, with new players entering the game all the time. But the original, the Holy Grail of sonic cleansing is the Clarisonic Mia.

Her Fashion Box - April

My April Her Fashion Box arrived....just in time for May! I decided to film an unboxing this month instead of writing a post so head on over to YouTube to find out what I thought of this month's box

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx

Ace Yo' Base

The secret to flawless skin is being able to ace your base. I am by no means an expert, but I have a number of products on rotation in my quest for beautiful skin. I’m willing to scour shelves and delve deep into bargain bins to find the perfect foundation! This new segment is basically a showcase for the various foundations and bases I use and their pros & cons. 

Mother's Day

In honour of today, I would like to dedicate this post to my mum. Warning: this post is going to be full of cheesy (but true) clichés and will probably leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

My mum is one of the strongest, funniest and most beautiful people I know and without her, I would not the person I am today. People say I am more like my mum, we are quick to anger (but quick to forgive), opinionated and like to be there for other people.

Of course, I have always loved and appreciated my mother (although she probably hasn't always felt the same!), it was only very recently that I came to understand the full scope of my appreciation. I was watching a YouTube video about how young girls can be influenced by the insecurities of their mothers. The mothers were going into detail on camera and in front of their daughters about their flaws, insecurities and things they didn't like about themselves and I found it quite sad to see the daughters reacting to those comments. 

Here's the video for your viewing pleasure:  

Now, I'm not saying that my mother doesn't have flaws or things she doesn't like about herself (we all do) but growing up, I can never once recall my mum saying that she thought she was fat or unattractive or saying that she disliked a part of her body or the way she looked. I never fully appreciated the enormity of this until I saw that YouTube video. Body image is such a big issue in today’s society and I am thankful from the very bottom of my heart that I grew up with such a positive role model.

My dad & mum xo

So today I would like to say a very public thank you to my bold, beautiful mum for always being there, for always being happy with yourself and for your infinite kindness, compassion and love.

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx

Milk Hair

Today, I paid a visit to the lovely ladies at Milk Hair*, Deslie and Jade, and this post is all about my morning at the salon.

Milk Hair is a cute little salon tucked away in Hamilton, just off Racecourse Road. It's a very simple and stylish salon with an all-white theme. Deslie took over Milk Hair just over a year ago and has really turned it into her little baby. Jade is her apprentice and you can see her smiling face and funky blonde do in the salon on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

I was welcomed into this little white paradise and made to feel very comfortable. Deslie talked through what I wanted to do with my (long, thin, super boring) hair while Jade made me a lovely cup of green tea. I felt more like I was chilling out at a friend's house than at the hairdresser. I actually dread going to the hairdresser because making meaningless small talk sets my teeth on edge BUT I needn't have worried because Deslie and Jade were both so friendly and genuine.

I spend a lot of time away from the creature comforts of things like hairdryers and straightners, so I was after a low maintenance do. I'm also in the process of growing out the huge mistake that was my full fringe so I needed a little more shape and definition.

Deslie is an absolute pro! She's both worked as a hairdresser and taught hairdressing so she knows her way around a salon! She showed me exactly how much she was going to trim before even coming near me with the scissors. Any girl with long hair will know that a trip to the hairdresser can be an absolute nightmare. You walk in looking like Kimmie K and walk out looking more like...well Kanye! But like I said, Deslie is a pro and I walked out with some long, elegant, face framing layers. I'm really happy with the way my hair was cut and my new style, I feel like a mermaid with my booby-length layers!

Myself and the lovely Jade post-haircut.

The other fabulous thing about Milk Hair (and you thought it couldn't get any better!) is that they use products from the EverEscents Organic Hair Care Range. EverEscents is an Australian made, plant based, cruelty free range of professional salon products. They are ammonia, sulphate, silicon and paraben free and I can tell you that my hair is super soft and shiny. Deslie was kind enough to gift me with the Conditioning Detangler to help manage my dry ends.

Some products from the EverEscents Range. If you're based in Brisbane, you could win a set of your very own!

Milk Hair have also very kindly provided a hair care pack from the EverEscents range for one luck girl. All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter widget. As a condition of entry, you must be based in Brisbane or surrounds (sorry non-Brisbanites!), as you will need to go into visit Deslie and Jade to pick up your prize so they can tailor the products to suit you. But wait, there's more! If you decide to visit Milk Hair for yourself (which I very strongly recommend!) you can get 15% off by mentioning KaBOOM! Cosmetics. So get entering Brisbane gals (and guys)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was really happy to have discovered Milk Hair, a good hairdresser is almost as hard to find as a good man!

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx

*This service was provided free of charge but as always, my review is my own honest opinion.

Tutorial - Neon Liner

I am very nervous about today’s post as it is my very first tutorial! I am not even close to being a makeup artist, I am very much a beginner so these would be perfect for other beginners because they are very simple. This looks uses the BYS Limited Edition Neon Palette (which I picked up from Kmart for $2.00!) and I think it’s a good night time look. Again, I’m not a makeup artist and I have a very limited skill set so these tutorials are meant to be fun and easy. So go grab your neons and let’s have some fun!

USA Giveaway!

Hello lovely readers!

Today, I reached 400 followers on Insagram AND it's been a whole month since I started blogging so.....IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!

I have a mixture of prizes, some of which I picked up when I was in the USA earlier this year, including some Tarte and Sephora goodies. Here's what's up for grabs:

Sportsgirl Butter Dream

Let me just start off by saying, I am a sucker for a sale! On Valentine’s Day, Sportsgirl had a sale where they took a further 30% off already reduced items. I RAN down Queen Street Mall after work and shoulder barged my way into Sportsgirl! It was thankfully very quiet (probably because everyone was out being generally loved up and soppy for Valentine's Day) and I managed to pick up some awesome bargains. One of these was the AMAZING body butter I am about to review. 

Taking Out the Trash - April

Greetings, loved ones! (You have it say it like Snoop Dogg at the beginning of California Girls, otherwise it doesn't count)

Anyhoo, today is the launch of my empties segment called 'Taking Out the Trash'. I decided that instead of a blog post, I would use the opportunity to launch the vlog section of KaBOOM! Cosmetics. 

After much cursing, swearing and accidentally deleting the video (twice), I FINALLY managed to get together this inaugural Taking Out the Trash video. I hope you enjoy watching and I'd love some feedback (please be kind!). I would also love if you would subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

 

Stay beautiful 

Dani xx

Priceline FREE Gift of Beauty

Yesterday, I was feeling a bit low so I did what every beauty blogger does in that situation and went to Priceline. I was so glad I did because I discovered that Priceline’s Free Gift of Beauty was back! This one runs from the 1^st to 11^th of May (get in quick!) and requires you to spend $60 on selected brands. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular but there were so many specials on, like 20% off Rimmel products and 3 for 2 on Essie nail polishes, that I had no trouble finding $60 worth of products that I needed wanted. So here’s what’s in the bag:

The April Rundown

I thought that instead of doing a favourites post for every month, I would do a Rundown of the month. This way I can include both products that I loved using AND other things that I have enjoyed throughout the month. April was a pretty good month for me, I got to come home early from field work due to bad weather AND I got my first annual bonus at the end of March so I was feeling pretty positive! Here are my thoughts on April.

 

Out & About

I got out and about A LOT during April. I attended the Queensland Bride’s Expo as one of my besties is getting married next year and I get to be a bridesmaid (!!). We saw some stunning dresses and got some great ideas for planning her wedding. I also ate out a fair bit, from sushi (my favourite) to Burger Urge (a Monday night regular) to Chocolateria San Churro (twice in one month). I really love being able to catch up with people because my job makes it quite difficult to maintain a regular social life! 

Eating far too much delicious chocolate at Chocolateria San Churro

Essence Gel Nails at Home Kit (Mini LED)

I was so excited when I heard that Essence had released an at home gel nail kit! Essence are one of my very favourite brands, being both affordable and actually having decent products. I have done my own gel nails before with pretty good results but I absolutely DESPISE the time-consuming removal process. When I saw that Essence’s kit boasted PEEL OFF removal AND could be used with ANY polish, I pretty much sprinted down to Priceline to nab one! I had very high hopes for this product, here’s what I thought.