How to Survive Winter Weather

The cold weather has well and truly arrived, and it has been quite a hit to the system! When you are used to high-30 degree weather on a daily basis, anything under 20 degrees feels like the Antarctic! Insert the 'Winter Saviour' post!

Winter for me means everything is dehydrated, so moisturising products are my go-to. Hand creams and lip balms are products most beauty-lovers own in abundance, but not all products work to really rehydrate the skin from its bottom layers. The Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm* is a product I have been raving about non-stop. Unlike petroleum-jelly based lip balms that only coat the lips and require regular application, this balm really nourishes, repairs and soothes your lips. Its consistency is very unique; like a whipped, buttery pot of honey-smelling goodness. I lather it on every night before bed. On first try I knew I loved using the Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream*. With ingredients like wild blackcurrant berries and hibiscus flowers it certainly smells lovely, pure avocado oil ensures it really hydrates dry hands and the quick absorbing formula makes it pleasant to use. Plus what gorgeous packaging! Antipodes is a brand that really does not disappoint, a second product that I use and love is the Joyous Protein-Rich Night Replenishing Serum. It is my go-to when my skin is giving me any sort of issues. This oil can transform the dullest of skin overnight and ensure you wake up with plump skin, boasting a healthy glow. This serum is an oil formula therefore I recommend using it at night. It has a strong smell that I cannot pinpoint but have grown to like. 

Sticking to the oil products, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Dry Oil* is a great body conditioner if you do not like thick creams. It has a spray applicator and hydrates really well without feeling overly sticky. I was pleasantly surprised by this multi-purpose oil which can be used on the face, body or hair. If my skin is really dry I like to spritz some oil into my bath while the water is running.

This past two weeks my skin has been in a terrible state; small bumps appeared all over my face from a combination of a product-intolerance and dehydrated skin. I decided to pick up the Avene Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream. This super thick cream is meant to help restore the skin's cutaneous barrier. It is a hypoallergenic product formulated for sensitive and fragile skin. At first use this cream reminded me of that thick white paste that mothers put on babies' bottoms to prevent rashes, which I suppose is a barrier cream as well. I will have to keep you updated on this product but so far I have found using this at night helps protect my skin from reacting to dry conditions. 

As I mentioned in my hydrating skincare products post, serums have various purposes. The Indeed Laboratories Hydraluron serum is an essential during winter as it is the most hydrating serum I have found. The hyaluronic acid works to hydrate your skin from below the surface. It is a clear liquid that can leave your skin feeling tacky, but it goes away once you apply a moisturiser. 

A tinted moisturiser is the best base-product for dry skin during winter. There are options ranging from really affordable to the more pricey, trust me to fall in love with the latter. I tried a sample of the Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturiser purely for the sake of trying it - no way was I paying $74 for a tinted moisturiser. Famous last words huh? Even before my sample ran out I had purchased the full size. I love the dewy-finish, I love the luminous effect it has on my complexion and I love that it feels and looks natural! 

Lifestyle-wise a cuddly blanket, delicious-smelling candle and a good book is a must for cold nights in! This fluffy blanket is from Kmart and a total bargain as $20 (although it does leave fluff on everything it touches). I recently picked up The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins which is a thriller, a genre I haven't read since Gone Girl but I am excited to see how it is. On a side note, who else has been watching the TV show Stalker?! It is addictive. What are your Winter saviours? Now I think I need a cup of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows!

*Products that I have received as a PR sample. All opinions remain unaltered and I am not obliged to review these products.

MARCH MONTHLY FAVOURITES

I don't talk about my favourites on a monthly basis, only because I don't really have new things to show every month. Despite this, the month of March has been a great month filled with new things that I wanted to share with you.

First things first - this month I have been getting back into blogging on a regular basis, I'm trying to stick to a schedule of posting twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday). Over the Christmas holiday I was quite unmotivated, but right now I am in a really good place with the blog and I can't wait for the opportunities to come this year. Stemming on from this is another favourite of mine, Obsession 2015, a beauty blogger event I attended in Brisbane. The event itself was great but meeting so many other beauty bloggers based in Queensland was even better (and the goodie-bags were amazing - check it out on Instagram). I also wanted to mention the fabulous Samantha from Milly + Co who designed Oniochalasia's business cards; she perfectly understood the minimalistic-chic look I was after.

On the make up menu for March, it was all about indulging in high-end make up. I purchased (and loved) my first ever Hourglass products. The Hourglass Modernist palette in infinity is a neutral palette with mauve undertone - the texture of this eyeshadow is so smooth and easy to blend. I enjoy using this palette so much that I went and purchased a second one today. Working hand-in-hand with this eyeshadow, is the Zoeva 226 Smudger brush, because it allows you to place the perfect amount of shadow on the lid. The Mecca Maxima girl I spoke to informed me that the trick to working with Hourglass products, is to take the 'less is more' approach. Hourglass products are highly pigmented so you really only need to use a tiny bit.  I've also been loving the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim light. I have been using this product as a setting powder along with the NARS Luminous Glow Foundation and it has provided such a flaweless finish.

To set all these products in place, I have been using the Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray, which I purchased off Beautybay before I realised UD was coming to Mecca Maxima. I wasn't the biggest fan at first, because it made my foundation feel 'thick', but I have noticed that it really helps my makeup last longer throughout the heat. I've recently raved about the Benefit Roller Lash so I won't say too much, you can read my full review here. In a nutshell I think this would be the perfect mascara if only it was available in a waterproof formula. 

Making an appearance in my daily skincare routine is the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, which smells good enough to eat (like honey and citrus). It provides the perfect base for lip products as it is hydrating, with a matte finish. But more on that to come later this month! 

Easter is not even here yet, and already I have consumed far too many of these Malteaster bunnies. If you haven't tried these, stay away because they are far too addictive - your diet will thank you!

Now that you know what my favourites are, I would love to know yours! Leave me a comment below or a link to your monthly favourites.

*some products in this post was gifted as PR samples - all comments made are 100% my honest opinion and have been reviewed out of my own decision

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder and Modernist Eyeshadow Palette Review

I am a total bargain hunter at heart, something I'd never admit to my 'deal-hunting' mother. More recently, however, I have been buying a few more luxury beauty items, and it feels so good! 

Luxury cosmetics brand Hourglass, is a brand I have heard many International beauty bloggers rave about, and I can see why. Firstly, the packaging is gorgeous and the products, ranging from eyeshadows, to blush and highlighters, look like works of art. Using these luxurious products really makes you feel like a million bucks. 

The first Hourglass product that made its way into my possession is the Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light. I originally wanted to purchase the palette with three powders, but after swatching the shades, and not being a lover of anything shimmery on my face, I knew I would only use Dim Light. I did not upload any swatches of the product because it is really hard to capture the light, but I love using this powder to set my foundation as it gives my face a glowing and luminous effect without looking shimmery. The colour is described on the Hourglass website as; "A neutral peach beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights a radiant complexion with the perfect balance of warm and cool tones". This powder retails for AU$59.00, which is really pricey for a setting powder/ highlighter. In my honest opinion this product is not really worth that price tag, but if you have some extra cash and would like to treat yourself then it is something that's really nice to have. It does not make a drastic difference to a make-up look but rather subtly compliments your skin. 

The second product I picked up on a total whim when I headed to Mecca Maxima for a refund. I had 10 minutes before I started work and just grabbed the shades that appealed to me, of-course that would be neutrals. This is the newly released Hourglass Modernist Palette in Infinity, featuring five warm, neutral shadows. This is absolutely the most beautiful make up product I own, it retails at a whopping AU$76 (that's $15 an eyeshadow!!!). So is it worth it - I have read so many reviews online saying the eyeshadow doesn't blend well and has a lot of fall out, however that is not the experience I have had with this palette. I have worn this eyeshadow almost every day since making the purchase. My favourite look is to apply shadow #2 all over the lid, with shadow #4 and #5 in the crease (depending on how intense I want the look). I apply the beautiful shimmery shade #3 (which is my favourite out of them all) in the outer half/three quarters of my lid and use shadow #1 to highlight my inner corner and brow bone. I really cannot recommend this product enough!

So far I absolutely love Hourglass and their luxe products. I am very tempted to pick up a second Modernist Palette this pay day. And I'd like to eventually try their highly coveted Veil Mineral Primer. What are your thoughts on these products - worth the moola? 

What's On My Face ft. New Releases from Mecca Maxima

I have recently been getting into wearing more make up during the day, maybe because the really hot, humid Queensland weather is mostly over. I tried out three new products today, so I thought I'd share what I wore on my face! I went for a bronze look, with a nude lip (which I forgot to photograph). 

Primer - Garnier 5 Sec Perfect Blur (not pictured)

Foundation - Nars Luminous Weightless Foundation in Santa Fe (sample)*

Setting Powder - Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light*

Eyeshadow - Hourglass Modernist Palette in Infinity*

Under-Eye Concealer - L.A Girl Pro Conceal in Natural

Under-Eye Setting Powder - Australis Contour&Highlight Kit in Shade 2 (yellow undertone)

Eyebrow Pencil - Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium

Eyebrow Mascara - Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown

Mascara - Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara 

Bronzer - Australis Contour&Highlight Kit in Shade 6 (bottom right pictured in palette) 

Lips - Essence lip liner in In The Nude

*New products 

To see the make up on my face head to my Instagram @oniochalasiablog

Do you have any of these products - what are you're thoughts?