Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Toothbrush

So, I know it's crazy how much I've talked about this Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Toothbrush to my parents & friends, but I mean, seriously, can you blame me? It's pink! And it's gorgeous! I had a cheap(ish) Oral-B one but it was sooo loud! I mean, it's not too much of a con, but I felt like I was waking everyone up in the morning & once I saw this pink one, I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it... Is that weird?

I was so confused at first about how to charge it. But the cool thing about this is that there are technically 2 chargers. You just have to put it in the glass cup, that sits on top of the silver thing. Once you plug it in & turn it on, it charges just like that. The other way is by connecting it to the travel case (the cute pink thing!) and you can either charge it to an outlet or by USB (wait, does that make it 3 different ways?). How cool is that?!

It's not completely quiet but it's definitely a lot quieter than my Oral-B one. It's quite strong & so I still have a bit of trouble controlling it at times ^^". It feels a little weird on my teeth but I'm sure I'll get used to it over time. And it has so many settings: clean, white, polish, gum care & sensitive. It also has the 2 minute timer that I think most electric toothbrushes have now.

It is quite expensive for a toothbrush, but I have been saving up for it so I thought I'd treat myself, you know? :D I know there's probably a lot of debate about whether they're actually good but what do you think? Obviously, I'm very for them but I'd love to hear what you think as well. I hope you enjoyed this mini product review and somewhat weird & random topic but talk to you next time!

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

REN Rave

So, I mentioned a few posts back that I got a few REN face masks and well...a lot has happened since then. I did a lot of research online and had a few products I wanted to check out. I was going to wait until I used up the ones I had, but I was desperate people, I was desperate! My skin has been acting out lately & I just needed to do something about it, ASAP. Of course it wasn't an overnight miracle cure but hopefully if I give it time, my skin will learn to love it.

I got the Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask first & I think that is my favourite out of all the products I have. My skin feels so soft afterwards & it's helping clear up my blemishes, etc. The Glycolactic Mask makes your skin more radiant & it smells quite citrusy & nice.

I use the Rosa Centifolia to remove my make up & I looooove using the hot towel on my face afterwards. It's so relaxing after a long day & I just can't get enough. The rose scent was a little too much for me at first but I've grown to love it. After that, I cleanse my face with the Clearcalm 3 Clay Cleanser. Again, the smell was a little unusual - a little plastic-y, but I'm used to it now so it's quite nice as well.

After I wash my face, I finish with the Clarimatte T-Zone Balancing Gel-Cream which has the same lavender scent as the mask in the same Clarimatte line. It's very relaxing & not too heavy on the skin & it keeps my skin less oily throughout the day.

And while I waiting in the line to pay, I saw a tiny tub of the famous GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Mask & wow, they really mean tingle. It stung so much at first I thought it was too harsh for my skin, but no, it leaves my skin so clean & exfoliated. When I use this up (and save up a little more!), I'll most definitely be getting the bigger tub.

Unfortunately, post-Christmas sales means more shopping for Annie Rose. And rather than gifts, my relatives usually give me money for Christmas so...permission to spend? :P Oh well, I'd love your advice when it comes to skin care because as I said earlier, I'm desperate!

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

#BLOGMAS: Christmas Party Make-Up & OOTD

It's that time of year - Christmas & New Year's Parties! I, for one, am not really a party girl. My friends and I are pretty much the stay at home in comfortable clothes & snuggle up to watch a movie type of people so I'm not too used to going out to party. However, we do attend family & work parties so I thought I'd show you what I wore to the work party Kalen dragged me to on the weekend.

The make up was pretty basic - the usual foundation, bronzer & blush. I wore a little shimmer on my eyes with the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze with some winged liner & mascara (oops, not pictured!). Then I topped it off with red lips to make it a little more festive & Christmas-y. And of course, my new favourite nail polish, Essie's Fifth Avenue to match my lips.

My dress is also one of my favourites - a really dark navy, almost black polka dot dress with red heels that tie in my lips & nails. I can't remember where I got them but I do know that my little purse is from Forever New. I got it for my Year 10 Formal/Prom so that was a long, long time ago but I absolutely adore it.

I don't like to be too over the top wearing revealing super shiny or super revealing dresses & like to keep it a little more 'elegant' with a touch of colour here & there. So what do you think? Are you a party person or a stay-at-home kinda person? Any plans for Christmas & the New Year? Be sure to let me know in the comments section down below! :-)

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

#BLOGMAS: 2014 Beauty Favourites

Seeing as it's nearing the end of the year & there are all sorts of countdowns for the best of 2014 and whatnot, I thought I'd do my own 2014 Beauty Favourites. Although, I will admit I took these photos a while ago (before my Sephora haul) and so there are some things I would have loved to include since then. However, I would have only been using them for 1 of 12 months in the year so it didn't seem fair to include them in the 2014 Favourites.

MAKE-UP

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Powder, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, The Body Shop Honey Bronzer Shade 1, Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner, Benefit They're Real! Mascara, Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil, Maybelline Experwear Quad, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze & See By Chloé Perfume.

Oops! I forgot to include my favourite thing - Blush! I've been using the Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush throughout the year but I'm loving the Clinique Cheek Pop & of course Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy.

LIPS

EOS Lipbalms, The Body Shop Colour Crush in Shade 14 Magenta Be, Maybelline Colour Elixir in Fuchsia Flourish, Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar & the Dior Lip Glow.

NAILS

Revitanail Nail Strengthener in Pink, Essie Polish in Lilacism, Rimmel Salon Pro in Jazz Funk & Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Top Coat.

SKIN CARE

The Body Shop Raspberry Body Scrub & Butter, The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream & my Clarisonic Mia 2.

HAIR CARE 

Schwarzkopf Heat Protection Spray, Garnier Fructis Miraculous Oil & Salon Elite Tangle Teezer.

A pretty short, sweet & self-explanatory post from me today. What products have you been loving throughout the year? I'd love some suggestions & recommendations since I'm doing some major spending these days and would probably go out and buy things straightaway. I've been really loving the REN face masks & have been researching a lot of their skin care products as well so I'd love any & all advice about them.

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

♡ #BLOGMAS 2014: Sephora Haul!!!

The day has finally come! I honestly can't believe it. What I can't believe even more is the fact that we waited in line for 2 hours in the scorching Aussie sun to get in. But boy was it worth it. I was a liiiiittle bit disappointed they didn't have a few things, but hey, we came back hands full, credit cards drained & hearts happy. Of course I went with Monica but it was sweet of Kalen & Jeremy to come with us. They went to get some boy stuff first but came back with cool drinks and stayed with us the entire time. It's the little things in life that just make you so happy, don't you think so?

The Sephora staff were also super nice. They handed out free gelato since it was so hot (unfortunately we missed out), but they gave almost everyone there these little gift bags. In it was the latest Cosmopolitan magazine, a sparkling water with a hint of lemon (soooo good!!) & Peanut Butter Flavoured TimTams. The little pink lips chocolate in the middle was from the cute Benefit boys at the door ;-) I just think that was such a sweet gesture on behalf of them.

Not to mention the opening 'ceremony' was so much fun. They had a countdown & played Shake It Off where the staff came out and danced. Then when it was finally time, there was confetti everywhere. It was so exciting, I've never been to anything like it. What was even more fun was that we made really nice friends in line as well.

And now... Ladies & Gentlemen... The goodies! I bought nearly everything on my Sephora Wishlist but was sad when I couldn't find some stuff. I really, really wanted the small Tarte Airbuki Brush but I don't think they had that, as well as the Tarte Lipstick & the Lavanilla deodorant. However, I got another Tarte brush that seems similar to the one I wanted & after reading a lot of positive comments about it, I'm feeling a lot better. And can I just say, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Mineral Foundation & Blush is amazing.

I was going back & forth between getting the Formula X System pack for $60 or not. I kept telling myself that considering you save $20 it wasn't that bad and that my nail polish will most definitely last longer with all of it. I tried it on as soon as I got home & am in loooove with the colour. So I definitely do not regret it :-) I got the shade Exclamation in case anyone's wondering.

When I was on the phone with my mom, she joked, "Get me a lipstick!". I actually wasn't sure if she was joking or not, but since Christmas is just around the corner & she's done such amazing things for me my whole life, in particular this year, I thought I'd splurge a little & bought her a Marc Jacobs lipstick in the shade Heartbroken. Let me just say, the entire Marc Jacobs collection is drool-worthy but unfortunately very expensive.

And finally, the Kat Von D Tattoo liner. Of course I had to try everything on this morning & I have to say, it just glides on. It's so much easier to apply than the Stila one but it's not as long-wearing. The Stila liner didn't budge once you put it on, but the Kat Von D one does rub off quite easily.

Depending on how you look at it, I either bought a lot, or not that much. I was kinda proud of myself that I didn't put too much in my basket, but once I got to the checkout... not-so-happy. I was so excited that they said they were going to match U.S. prices but was sad at how expensive it still was. Nonetheless, I'm sure such big hauls at Sephora won't happen too often so I thought, why the heck not?

I hope you all had a great day & are enjoying #Blogmas so far :-)

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

#BLOGMAS 2014: Christmas/Sephora Wishlist

I honestly can't believe it... Sephora is opening in less than 24 hours! I was hoping to be there on the first day but the thought of endless lines kinda got me worried... Not to mention the weather seems miserable. I'm hoping I get to at least get in, if not I'll have to try another time :-(

But here is my Christmas Wishlist. As you can see, it is basically a Sephora Wishlist. This is the list, modified. It would have been twice as long but I thought I'd contain myself. The majority of it is from Tarte & I can't wait to try the Formula X nail polishes. I can't wait!

What's on your Christmas Wishlist this year? Have you tried any of these products? I'd love some reviews & recommendations. I was also dying for The Body Shop Advent Calendar but alas, not sold in Australia...

Oh well, Happy #Blogmas :-)

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

☃ Introducing... #BLOGMAS 2014! + Priceline Haul

I watch a lot of YouTube - mainly beauty videos & vlogs and I love Vlogmas videos (as well as hauls :P) so I thought maybe... I'd do #Blogmas? I tried to plan out 24-25 blog post ideas to post everyday but I was lacking creativity (and still am) so I thought I'd blog every other day. In other words, every even-numbered day there will be a blog post. They may not all be Christmas related and since Sephora's opening in AHHH 5 days, there will be hauls as well...like today's post. I hope you look forward to it because I definitely am & have put quite some effort into it :-)

And for a quick haul. Priceline is having a lot of sales. There's a 3 for 2 sale going on in the Essie range and so I got Lovie Dovie (darker pink), Spaghetti Strap (pale pink) & Splash of Grenadine (purplish shade). Lovie Dovie was a little more neon-y than I expected but the other 2 colours are ah-mazing! I love them so much. Spaghetti Strap in particular is a pale pink I've been wanting for a while now & have finally found it. I was also out of eye make-up remover & concealer so I just went out for a repurchase, but the Real Techniques Sponge is unbelievable. I run it under the tap & it gets bigger & softer. When I apply my Bourjois CC Cream with it, it leaves such a natural finish. I'm in love with it. I even got my mom one because she wanted a sponge as well so I'm hoping she likes it.

My skin hasn't been the greatest lately. I'm afraid, I might be a little allergic to Teddy. But I have been taking some medicine & it's getting a little better, but I'll keep you posted. My cousin recommended the brand La Roche-Posay and I went to check it out, splurged a little, and came back with no regrets to miracle products. It's only been one day & there's already a noticeable difference in my skin. It's a lot smoother & softer & it's never felt better. I will definitely keep you posted on that.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my somewhat short post & are excited for #Blogmas as well! See you in 2 days :-)

Love Always,

Anna Banana ♡

Estée Lauder Goodies

Hello, hello, hello!

I know I've been a little absent. First of all, my laptop charger broke & I couldn't charge my laptop where all my blog ideas & photographs were. I promise I'm not trying to make excuses but the one thing that has been taking up about 150% of my time was my new puppy! So really, a lot of images & posts to come once she gets settled in completely.

Today, I thought I'd share some Estée Lauder goodies with you. You might remember a few weeks ago, I told you I got a few invitations from my aunt to visit the Estée Lauder staff store where you can shop at lower prices. My mom, Monica, her mom & I all went together and we were all so excited. Unfortunately for me & Mon in particular, the make-up selection was slim & disappointing. Our mom's got a lot of skin care, eye cream, serums & whatnot. But when it came to make-up, there were a lot of products, it's just the colours weren't quite what we were looking for.

So in the end, I settled for this Clinque Cheek Pop Blush in Peach. I tried it and love it! I didn't want to go with my usual pinks & tried a slightly more peachy, orangey tone & am loving it. I also got an Estée Lauder Nail Polish in Love Bite. I originally thought it was more of a plum colour but turns out it was a little more reddish. We also got sweet Jo Malone perfume samples in English Pear & Freesia when we were checking out. I didn't think I'd like it at first but it's spicy, with a hint of sweet, fruitiness & it really just grows on you.

But onto the bigger haul. This was a completely unexpected gift from the same aunt who works at Estée Lauder. We got home one day and saw that she had left me a stack of goodies on our front door.

Seriously, no words. I can't thank her enough for it all. And to top it off, birthday money! She really didn't have to after all she got me, but I was just speechless going through the pile of gifts. Speaking of birthday money, I got quite a bit (advantages of being the "baby" in a big family :P) since it was my 21st & went a little crazy online-shopping for Teddy. I know, it's sad. But I just can't help it & I can't wait to share my crazy collective haul with you :D

Anyways, I hope you all had a great week!

Love Always,

Anna Banana ♡

TIP TUESDAY: How I Wash My Make-Up Brushes

Hey guys! A super duper short post from me today. And it's about washing your make-up brushes. How often do you wash them? What do you use? When I first got into make-up, I had to do my research on a lot of things, including washing make-up brushes. There were a lot of methods but I chose a method that was simple, quick & effective.

First, I add some baby shampoo to a bowl of hot water. Then I get my least-used brushes and swirl them into the water to 'dissolve' the shampoo. Then I slowly add my other brushes, swirling them in. Finally, I add my make-up sponge. Hehe...please excuse how dirty it is... I really need a new one. Moving on. I soak all my brushes in there for a while & my sponge tends to float so I try to smother it to keep it down with my other brushes.

And that's it! Really simple, huh? It's just the drying time that takes a while so I do my make up before washing them. I usually leave it near a window with the sun beaming in. About 10-15 minutes later, I turn each brush around to dry the other side as well. If I'm bothered, I keep turning them ever 15 minutes or so. They do get dry by the night (if I wash them early in the morning), but to be safe, 24+ hours is usually the best.

As for how often, I try to wash them every Sunday morning but sometimes I get lazy. For you experts or non-experts-with-great-advice out there, do you think once a week is enough? Is my method even right? I would love any advice & any other products that are great.

Also, an update on the puppy situation. I've been meaning to post more but I've been a little busy planning for the puppy... My mom is insisting on getting me a puppy for my 21st birthday so it seems this is actually going to happen! I'm so nervous yet excited at the same time. I'm seriously in crazy dog lady mode at the moment & Kalen's getting really excited as well. We sort of feel like parents getting ready for a baby.....................

Too soon? Oh well, we both love kids.

Anywho, I'm planning on doing some posts about my whole getting-a-puppy-process so hopefully a lot more blog posts coming your way sooooooon (we're going to see a few Cavoodles next week :D)

So much for a short post. Until next time!

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

♡ MY WEEK: 13-19 October 2014

Happy Sunday everybody! Here is what my week looked like. Unfortunately Kalen's aunt had to have surgery but she's making a great recovery so far. Everything went well and hopefully she'll be up & good to go in no time. I've been keeping him and his family company & may have gotten a head start on some super-secret-except-not-very-secret-because-you-can-see-it-in-the-first-picture-if-you-really-tried stuff *wink* Hopefully it goes all according to plan because I've been working very hard on it :-)

As you might be able to tell in the aforementioned picture, I have a lot of sticky notes on my ruler. I used to do this before but kinda stopped for a while. But now it's back in all its colourful glory! Whenever there's something important for me to do, I put it there & the feeling of peeling/ripping it off when I do it is just so satisfying.

Oh, and that "Spending ban"? Not going so well. I cracked. Remember how I said I bought some of the Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy nail polish? Well, 2 became 4... + a post-it cube. I just couldn't resist. First I got the purple shade, Up The Ante. It's such a gorgeous colour & I don't have anything like it so that was justified, as well as the special Top Coat for it. Oh, and about that Top Coat, the brush is super cool! It has sort of like 2 mini brushes in 1. I'm not entirely sure what that's good for or how that helps but hey, it applies smoothly & makes my nail polish look all shiny so that's really all that matters, right?

And when I went to Big W yesterday (big mistake, very big mistake) I ended up getting 2 more. The lighter pink shade is called Cardshark & the darker pink is called Lady Luck. I'm not sure I like them too much so I am very much regretting it... :-( On the bright side, I love my new Post-It Cube! How cute is it? :D I just put it on my desk & it adds so much colour & cuteness.

And here was my #fflovephotoaday picture from last week. I've been very naughty about it & haven't posted many pictures but something is better than nothing...isn't it? ^^"

Anyways, that's it for today!
I hope you're having a great weekend & I'll see you all very soon :D

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

Make-up Spending Ban - "CHEATING"?!

I know what you're thinking. In fact I know the 2 things running through your head.

1. It's Tip Tuesday
2. Why is there a picture of makeup when you're on a makeup spending ban?

Well, 1, I had scheduled something but I didn't like it... Haha, yes I'm OCD like that. I want all my posts to be perfect & if I don't like some part of it, I can't bring myself to publish it. So I apologise. But I'm planning a 'How to organise your planner' post for next Tuesday so look forward to that! :D

And second, I was so lucky to have been gifted these by my relatives. My aunt works at an Estée Lauder factory so she often gives us freebies & even invitations to corporate stores at staff prices. My mom, Monica, her mom & I are all planning a girls' shopping day out and spending of the money will probably happen. Hard. Very hard. Oh well, Christmas is just around the corner so there's a good excuse right there.

Anyways, I just wanted to put some sort of post up today so here is what I got. I got a few mini Aveda products, Estée Lauder lipglosses & a gorgeous pink eyeshadow. Seriously, that packaging...drooooool.

These are gifts from my cousin who recently went overseas & brought me back these beauties! I've heard of the Missha brand but never tried anything from there. But that lipstick. The colour is a gorgeous pink without being over the top & is sheer without being too sheer. In short - it's perfect. And now the Pièce de résistance! Ladurée makeup?! Am I the only one that didn't know these existed?! It's amazing! Check out that blush! The blush container & blush is sold separately and they live adorably together in that little packaging! Ahh!! I'm swooning for days!

I tried them on & the 2 colours look so great together. Don't forget to let me know if you've tried any Missha or Ladurée cosmetics. I'd love to see what other things to try out :P

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

p.s. I may or may not have cracked. I went to the drugstore today just to get some pills when I was tempted by the Revlon Gel Envy Nail Polish. But I promise. No more!

Nail Polish Collection & Review

As promised, here is my nail polish collection & a tiny review of them. Whilst I was photographing these, I noticed that it wasn't terribly large but I mean, them nail polishes ain't cheap. In case you haven't noticed, I have quite the Essie collection going. From left to right: Sand Tropez, Mademoiselle, Cute As A Button, Mint Candy Apple, Turquoise & Caicos, Lilacism & Chincilly.

Essie would most definitely have to be one of my favourite nail polish brands. They apply really smoothly but since I usually do 2 coats, the drying time takes a while. But as I mentioned in my Nail Care Routine, the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat works miracles. Apparently it takes up to 12 hours for nail polish to dry completely. According to the person at the nail salon, if you 'click' your nails together and there's no sticky feeling, that's when you know they're completely dry. My favourites out of the Essie colours I have are Sand Tropez, Mademoiselle & Lilacism.

Sand Tropez is your typical light nude/beige colour that looks nice no matter what the occasion. With Mademoiselle, you can probably see quite a lot has been used. That's because I have to apply about 3 coats for it to give the nice, pale pink colour. This sort of gives a 'con' to this colour as applying so many coats makes my nails vulnerable to chipping quite easily & takes forever to dry. However, the colour makes it almost worth it. Although I can only keep it on for a few days so I'd recommend it before some special event, like a wedding. And finally, Lilacism is a cute, light purple colour that I noticed looked great with shorter nails. Since it's Spring here in Australia, I have a feeling I'll be using this one quite a bit.

Here are my other nail polishes. I have a range of brands including: Maybelline (Enduring Pink), Revlon (African Tea Rose), Rimmel (Salon Pro: Jazz Funk, Reggae Splash & 60 Seconds: Ring A Ring O' Roses), Estée Lauder (Fuschia Flame) & Nails Inc. (Porchester Square).

I bought the two lighter pinks (Rimmel & Maybelline) in search of a very light, muted (:D) pink but was quite disappointed by how neon-y they turned out. Don't be fooled by the colour in the bottle or even on the picture above. The good thing was they were super cheap. The cost of both of them would still not be enough to get an Essie nail polish... Hehe.

The Estée Lauder one is a gorgeous hot, hot pink that borders on red. Proof that I loved it so much is that there's barely any left that I can't apply it properly anymore. It may be sad but I just can't bring myself to throw it away. Looking at the packaging, I think you'd understand. I should also mention that this was gifted to me a long time ago & is now discontinued. However, there are a lot of similar colours that are just as gorgeous albeit pricey.

My favourites here would definitely have to be the Revlon, Rimmel Salon Pro & Nails Inc. The Revlon Parfumerie one, African Tea Rose, wait for it - smells like roses! It's crazy but amazing! Everything I tie my hair back or something, I get a waft of roses. It's a little strong but quite good nonetheless, especially with a top coat over it.

My favourite application-wise would definitely have to be the Rimmel Salon Pro. They have a wide, flat brush and such a smooth consistency that you can just do one swipe and it's basically perfect. And the colour. Oh the colour. They're both stunning. And really suitable for any occasion. Jazz Funk is a muted hot pink ('muted' word count anyone?) and Reggae Splash is such a cute, light peachy orange that would also be great in the Spring & also the Summer, probably even Autumn as well!

And finally, the Nails Inc. Gel Effects polish in Porchester Square. As the name suggests, gives a gel effect. The colour I think would also look great on various skin tones & is quite long-lasting.

***

I honestly tried to make this a short post but as always, I failed again. I apologise. But thanks for reading & I hope this was useful. Since I'm a crazy nail polish addict, I'd love to hear what your favourite brands & colours are. I can't wait until Sephora opens to finally get my hands on the Formula X ones so I'm definitely open to recommendations (for you know, after my spending ban :D)

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

SPENDING BAN?!

So uh...this happened again. Don't worry, it wasn't ALL in one go but...it's still pretty bad. Since Sephora is opening in 2 months & I have a wish list that will make Santa cry, I thought I'd put myself on a beauty spending ban for the months of October & November. And possibly a stationery spending ban as well. Not to mention, a Mecca Maxima is opening in Burwood, which is dangerously close to where I live. A spending ban is desperately required to save up for major Sephora & Mecca hauling, plus Christmas presents.

But here was my last major spending spree for the month of September. Like I said, this wasn't all just yesterday so I've already used some things already, but there are a few things I just HAVE to talk about.

Oh Chloé. Chloé, Chloé, Chloé. How do I even start to describe my love for you? My previous favourite perfumes were the Miss Dior Cherie Blooming Bouquet & Eau De Toilette but this may have just slightly overtaken my love for them. This is the See By Chloé in the darker pink/red colour. It's just...perfect. It's got such beautiful layers to the scent but the best way I can describe it is, muted floral. I'm not a fan of overly sweet, overly florally scents so this is just, perfect (how many times have I said the word perfect?). I tried to justify it because it was on sale at the chemist. Probably not the most trustworthiest place to get it, but hey, it smells great & it was a little easier on the wallet.

Next up is the Soap & Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel. This is the second time I'm buying this and that's because I love the smell of it. It's again, a muted citrus scent. I guess I'm just the type that doesn't like really overpowering scents so I go for the 'muted' ones. The last one I bought still has some left & it's lasted me months so while I was in the city, I thought I'd get a backup. I took a whiff of the others that were available, Clean Girls & Sugar Crush, but they just weren't me.

And finally, the Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in the shade 14. I'm not gonna lie, I was a little worried when I saw how bright the pink was. But once I swatched it on my hand, I was surprised to see it was quite sheer. So, into the basket it went! I've never really tried sheer lipsticks but loved the idea of them so much. To be able to put lipstick on without having to dab it with a tissue & apply repeatedly to get it to the right shade sounded great. I can't wait to wear this tomorrow & I'll keep you updated on how I like it!

Anyways, I was intending for this to be a short post but I guess it's probably expected of me to ramble on by now. Anyone else willing to go on this spending ban with me? Perhaps maybe just for one month? Let me know if you do & how you go - then we can suffer together xD

I also thought I'd mention that I'll be participating in Yay For Fridays #fflovephotoaday Challenge this month because it's the month of my birthday! Woo hoo! Funnily enough, my birthday is actually on a Friday this year so...Yay For Fridays! I won't be posting a photo EVERY day but whenever I can so if you'd like to keep updated, don't forget to follow me on Instagram! Also, I know it should be planner-related most of the time, I don't always follow the rules so hopefully that'll be okay.

Love Always,
Anna Banana ♡

NAIL CARE ROUTINE

After giving myself a mini at-home manicure today, I thought I'd share what I do with you. Here is an overview of the things I use. Overall it takes me about 10-15 minutes (not including drying time) because I'm usually rushing and impatient. And I guess I should just put it out there that I am by no means a professional & don't know whether or not I'm even doing this the 'right' way but it works for me so...I guess that's all that matters. Let's get started!

Step 1: Trim & shape your nails

As you may or may not be able to tell, my nail clippers are actually a Revlon 2-in-1 'device' where one side is the usual curved edge & the other is straight across. I used to trim my nails in the natural U-shape but once I tried the straight edge, my mind was completely blown. Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic. But they look so much better! Of course that's my opinion but I think especially with shorter nails with maybe a pink or red polish, they look really cute. But the straight edge nail clippers leave sharp corners so don't forget to file them down carefully! I use a crystal nail file by Manicare & it took a while for me to get used to it but I really like it.

Step 2: Soak your hands in warm water

I fill my pink bowl that I got from IKEA with warm water and dunk my hands for about 3-5 minutes. I find that this helps later on when I'm pushing back my cuticles because they 'soften' the nail up a little.

Step 3: Revitanail Cuticle Remover Gel

Once I dry my hands off, I apply this Revitanail Cuticle Remover Gel around my nail beds and leave them on for about 3-5 minutes again. The package says to leave it on for 5 minutes, but you know, ain't nobody got time for that. Afterwards, I dunk each finger into the warm water again before gently pushing back my cuticles. I tried without dunking it and it didn't work as well so I guess that's a little tip there.

Step 4: Revitanail Nail Strengthener

This step is of course an optional one but for someone like me who likes to abuse her nails quite a bit, I find it quite useful. I picked up this Revitanail Nail Strengthener to help strengthen my nails and help them grow a little faster. The instructions say to apply a coat everyday for 4 days. Then after you remove it, you leave them to rest for a week. Then repeat this. But alas, I couldn't go an entire week without painting my nails (I know, I have an obsession), so I did it for 4 days, left them breathe for a while, and then painted them. The good thing about this product is that the results are quite evident almost straightaway.

Step 5: OPI Base Coat & Sally Hansen Top Coat

I think base & top coats are crucial in making your nail polish last longer. I use the OPI Base Coat and find that it helps to apply your nail polish a lot smoother. And I have hit the jackpot on top coats. I tried the Sally Hansen Mega Shine one & although it makes your nails super shiny & dries relatively quickly, I've been completely sold on the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat. It's a lot more liquidy in consisteny compared to most top coats which are thicker and more gel-like. I was a little too chicken to touch my nails after a minute but they are definitely quick dry. I'd say 5 minutes, to be safe, 10.

Step 6: Sally Hansen Cuticle Rehab

Finally, the last step! We're almost there people! Although, I find myself skipping this step quite often, mainly because I paint my nails, wait for them to dry and am often off minding my own business. I considered maybe doing this before actually apply my nail polish but then it makes my fingers a little too oily and whatnot. But sometimes when I notice my cuticles getting a little too dry for my liking, I just squeeze a little of this Sally Hansen Cuticle Rehabon. Another problem with mine is that I have to squeeze real hard for stuff to actually come out, and when it does it just goes PLOOP and my fingers are covered in gel. The product itself is quite nice & it smells amazing.

So that basically sums up my entire nail care routine. I'm planning on doing a separate post on my favourite nail polishes because I'm quite the addict and have acquired quite a few in my stash. I also just wanted to quickly mention my nail polish remover, the Maybelline Express Remover. There's basically a sponge with a small hole in the middle which is all soaking in remover. Then you just shove your finger in and swirl it around. You pull your finger out & bam! The nail polish is gone! :-) I absolutely love this and am already on my second bottle. Goes to show how much I apply, remove & reapply nail polish.

I hope this was a useful post and as always, I'm always open to suggestions to try new products so please leave comments down below!

Love Always,

Anna Banana ♡