Lust Have It! | July Box

Can I just make it known from the get-go that I am SO impressed with this months box! You definitely get your moneys worth in this box - and more. I'm just going to jump straight into the products because I'm so excited about them all!

The item I was most excited for was the Be a Bombshell 'The One Stick' (full size, RRP $24) in the shade 'Southern Belle'. This was the item that we got to choose which shade we wanted, and I picked the more coral toned pink out of the two options. Think of this as being like a NARS Matte Multiple. You can apply this to your lips, cheeks, eyelids, or wherever you fancy. I don't have many corals in my collection, which was why I picked this shade. I really love the colour and the texture of it is smooth and creamy. I'm very curious to see how well it lasts on both the lips and cheeks, because sometimes it can be hard to find a product that lasts well on both. I can see myself reaching for this product more and more as the warmer months roll around. 

The other lip product I received in this months box was the Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss (full size, RRP $21) in the shade 'Taupeless'. I do have to admit that I wasn't totally blown away by the colour, but I don't really have any peachy-nudes in my collection, so it will be a good colour to have. I do find lip glosses to be quite sticky sometimes, so hopefully this one isn't too bad - but I'll have to test it out a bit and report back. 

The last make up item was the Hikari Eyeshadow Quad (full size, RRP $22.50) in 'Halle' which includes the shades Almond, Champagne, Majestic and Brownie. The colour pigmentation isn't too bad, and I do really like the shades I received. Particularly the bottom right hand corner, which is a peachy/golden sort of shade. I have been on the hunt for a shade like this for quite some time now, so I'm very pleased to finally have one! 

The skincare item that stood out to me the most was the Racinne Ultimate Aqua Blanc Concentrate (full size, RRP $51). From what I understand, this is a concentrate/serum type of product that you use as a treatment after toning and before moisturising. The box says that this product instantly energises skin cells, promotes blood circulation and removes dead skin cells, which further regenerates healthy and translucent skin. This type of product is totally up my street, but as I've only just started using it I haven't seen any results just yet. 

The last item was the Paula's Choice Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum (deluxe sample size, full size retails for $52). While I don't yet have to worry about repairing wrinkles, I do have some dark spots, which this product claims to also target. I haven't tried this out yet, but I am keen to in order to see what difference it makes. Although it isn't full size, it is a very decent sample size which is great to see. 

There was also a bonus item which was some sample sachets of the Garnier Fructis Full and Luscious shampoo and conditioner. Sachets don't particularly excite me, but they come in handy for travelling or if you've run out of shampoo and desperately need to wash your hair. 

As I mentioned before, I am so impressed with this months box. I feel like Lust Have It are just getting better and better, and I'm excited to see what next months box will contain. If you like the sound of this box and want to join in on the fun, you can check out their website and sign up here. Also be sure to use the code 'SAMINDIGO1' at the checkout to receive $5 off your first box! Now I'm off to play around with these products and get overly excited in anticipation over next months box...

*This product was sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post. 

Lust Have It! | June Box

Lust Have It have begun rolling out their new packaging, and so far I really like it. The products used to come in a little mesh-like pouch, but I ended up with so many and no use for any of them. Their new packaging is just a simple pillow box with the cutest illustrated sticker on the front - I'm a sucker for illustrations of makeup! This months box promised to have you covered from head to toe, and they did just that. All of the items were full size, so you definitely got over and above your moneys worth with this one. 

The one item I was most excited to see was the Teeez Trend Cosmetics lipstick in the shade Classy Caramel. I'm still not totally convinced that I can pull off this shade, but I'm going to try. The rose gold packaging is stunning, and when I swatched it the colour was pigmented and creamy. Next was the NAK Thermal Shield spray. I'm all for protecting your hair when it comes to using heat, and this product grabbed my interest. I don't often see heat protectant in the form of a spray/mist, similar to hairspray. Definitely one I'll be trying out and seeing how it compares. I'm a sucker for a lip balm, and this Chapstick Hydration Lock lip balm is really interesting because it is double-ended to hydrate and then lock in moisture. It seems like it could be a bit of a hassle, but I'll be giving it a go and seeing how it compares to my well-loved Nuxe Reve de Miel or Burt's Bees. Finally, there were two items from The Cosmetic Kitchen. I've used some of their products before and have enjoyed them, so it was nice to see some more. This month I got the peppermint foot mask and the wake up body scrub. I can't say I've ever used a foot mask before, so that will be interesting. As for the body scrub, well I'm a sucker for them, so that will definitely be getting used. 

Overall I'm pleased with what I received in my box this month and I know that I'll be getting use out of everything. I really feel like Lust Have It are continuing to grow stronger and produce boxes filled with great quality products. If you want to subscribe you can do so here, and you can also use the code SAMINDIGO1 to save $5 off your first box! 

*This product was sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post. 

Essentials For a Summer Adventure

Here in the southern hemisphere it is anything but summer, but that hasn't stopped me from dreaming about all the adventures that I plan to embark on when the warmer seasons roll around again. For today's post I thought I would offload a little inspiration onto you to get you feeling just that little bit more excited about the upcoming warmer months. Currently, the weather is anything but sunny. It is cold, windy and very grey outside today. So here is a little bit of summer sunshine to warm up your gloomy day. Below is my list of essentials for a summer adventure! I love going on adventures to new and exciting places, and these are a few of the things that I always seem to take with me. 

1. Comfortable shoes for the journey | I understand that Birkenstock's are a bit of a love it or hate it shoe. I personally love them, though I was definitely a hater at first. Once I saw how they could be styled they began to grow on me, and then I couldn't resist buying a pair. I actually bought a cheaper pair of dupes at first, but have recently invested in the real thing (a leather pair too, might I add!). A good adventure needs comfortable shoes, so invest in a good pair! For me, it's Birkenstocks, but I also love a good pair of Nike's. 

2. Camera to capture | If the adventure isn't posted on Instagram did it really happen? Of course it did! But taking a bunch of photos along the way helps you to capture the amazing memories. While I do have a proper dSLR camera that I love dearly, you just can't beat the portability of an iPhone. It's way too easy to snap a good quality photo, edit it using an app such as VSCOcam or Afterlight, and then post it to social media for your friends to drool over (and for you to look back on and drool over also). 

3. Tinted lip balm to have pretty lips | I'm all for lipstick, but sometimes when it's way too hot outside, you just can't be bothered with it. That's when I turn to a chubby stick alternative. My current favourites are these new releases from Maybelline. They're the Baby Lips Candy Wow tinted lip balms and they come in a variety of colours/flavours. I happen to own them all because I'm a little bit obsessed, and I know that I'm going to get even more use out of them once spring and summer rolls around. And who said you can't have pretty lips while adventuring and exploring? No one. Exactly! 

4. Sunglasses to see | Nothing is more frustrating than being outside on a sunny day and forgetting your sunglasses. I make sure I always keep a spare pair in my car, just in case. The ones I'm currently wearing look just like those pictured above, and I actually bought them off eBay. However, if you wear prescription glasses then I recommend checking out Salt City Optics (view their website here). They sell some great sunglasses from the leading brands and they're perfect if you're a prescription wearer. You can also save 20% on your purchase by entering the code SUNNY20 at the checkout! 

5. Tote bag to hold everything | I'm a big lover of tote bags and I use them for all occasions and at all times of the year. However, they're particularly good during adventuring in the summer time when you have a lot of stuff to carry. In the summer I tend to use brown/tan coloured bags more so than any other because the colour is a lot softer and just seems to go with everything. 

6. Sunscreen to protect | An adventure is not worth having if you're not wearing sunscreen. Protect your skin, please! My favourite is the Beach Defence by Neutrogena because it smells like summer, not like sunscreen! It also has an SPF of 50 and sinks in to the skin really well, without leaving a greasy residue behind. It is everything you would want in a sunscreen and more. 

I hope this has got you feeling just that little bit more excited for summer to come around again! I cannot wait for the weather to warm up so I can jump in my car and begin exploring again. Let me know what some of your essentials are below! Now I've got to begin planning my next adventure...

Pondering on Love...

Right now I feel excited. I feel like good things are coming my way. One thing I know is that it is very easy to be excited and happy after something wonderful has happened, but harder to be excited and happy before such a thing has occurred. I'm trying to shake that up a little. So often we wait until we get what we've been yearning for to be thankful for it. I'm trying to be thankful already. It's no surprise that the thing that I'm most excited for will be finding, falling, and being in love. I talk about it nonstop, and think about it even more. However, I don't let the fact that I am currently single dictate or rule my life too much, because I used to. I used to get so hung up and caught up over the fact that I was single. Now even though I definitely wouldn't say no to a date if a boy asked me out on one, I'm not really that fussed over the fact that I am single. It's by one thing only that I'm at peace with it. It's the simple thought that if I was meant to be in a relationship right now, I would be. I know that everything has a perfect timing, and it just so happens that it's not yet my perfect timing for love. And that is totally okay. You've just got to accept such a reality and move on with life. There is so much beauty and wonder out there to experience. Why should I let the fact that I'm single hold me back so much? It just seems silly. My value isn't dependent on my relationship status. I used to think it was. 

I have three siblings and I am currently the only one who is single. That's okay. My time for love will come around soon enough. I believe that you've just to keep running your race and let things happen how they're supposed to. It doesn't mean sit back and do nothing, but that instead of stressing about the things I can't control, just vibe with life instead. The simple, but complicated, fact is that we are not as in control as we think we are. One day love is going to find me and it's going to be amazing. So instead of sitting and feeling sad and alone, I am feeling excited and happy about the day that it will happen. I'm not going to miss out on the present because I'm looking too far forward into the future. I'm going to embrace and delight in every wonderful experience that comes my way. I'll feel excited over the fact that one day I'll get to share all of these experiences with the love of my life, and that I'll get to hear about all of his wonderful experiences too. 

Love isn't always sunshine and rainbows, and social media tends to glamourise it while forgetting that a lot of hard work goes into those relationships. We read flowery words and see beautifully framed pictures on Instagram and think that's how it always is. We couldn't be more wrong. It is vital that we remember that good relationships take effort and perseverance, a lot of hard work behind the scenes, and two people who want to be together more than anything else. These relationships are formed in the valley, not on the mountain top. Skies will become grey and times will be tough, so you want to make sure the person whose hand your holding is planning on staying there for the long haul. I can't pretend to be an expert on love, when I have virtually no experience in the field, but something I do know is that it should make you feel infinite and out of control. It should be a bursting flame that makes you feel like you have fireworks going off inside you. Most importantly though, it should feel like coming home. I can't wait to come home. 

Love, S.

Image: Tumblr

Homemade Granola Recipe

This morning I was faced with a dilemma. I was out of muesli. This is an awful situation to be in when you're really craving muesli, fruit and yoghurt. Bit of a #firstworldproblem though, I know. Instead of remaining upset and deflated, I just decided to make my own. The thing about granola is that it is very easy to make, and they all work off the same basic recipe. The one that I made, which is the one I'm sharing here, is very basic. That's simply because I didn't have too much in my pantry, so I just worked with what I had. This recipe is a mixture of Suzie's (from Hello October, you can find her recipe here) and also from an article I read on Buzzfeed (which you can find here). 

Ingredients 

2 cups of oats

Handful of pumpkin seeds

A bit more than 1/4 cup of honey

A bit less than a 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

Brown sugar (just to sprinkle)

Dark chocolate (chopped up into little pieces)

Pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Preheat your oven to about 160 degrees celsius. 

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl (for me that was the oats and the pumpkin seeds. If you were using dried fruit, nuts or spices you'd add those in now). 

3. Add in the oil and mix to combine.

4. Then add in the honey and mix to combine. 

5. Add in your pinch of sea salt and mix well. 

6. Once it's all mixed well pop it onto a baking try and spread it out so you have an even layer that isn't too thick, then add your sprinkling of brown sugar. 

7. Bake it for about 10-15 minutes, but stir it about halfway through baking. I ended up baking mine for a little longer, so just test it as you go. 

8. Take it out to cool, and once it's cool add the chocolate chips. 

9. Add it to your breakfast or store it in an airtight container. From what I've read, this will keep for up to a few months! 

I ate mine with some vanilla yoghurt and strawberries and it honestly tasted SO amazing! This is definitely something I will be eating regularly from now on. Happy baking! 

Lust Have It! | March Box

It's once again time for another monthly Lust Have It box to arrive in my PO Box for me to enjoy! Now this is the March box, and it came a little late due to shipping and supplier issues, from what I know. Nevertheless, it's here now so that's what matters!

I'm just going to start with the product I was most excited to receive, and that is the Model Co BB+ Cream in Light. I was overjoyed that I had finally been sent a face product that would actually match my pale skin tone! I find Model Co products are a love/hate thing for me. Sometimes I am so impressed by them and absolutely adore them, other times I can't stand to use them at all. Thankfully, this was a product that I love! BB creams are part skincare, part makeup, and this one is great. My biggest problem with BB creams is that they are usually too oily for my skin and make me look like a complete mess after a couple of hours (no matter how much primer or powder I use!). I was a little apprehensive to try this one out because I expected to see the same thing, but I didn't! This is an oil free formula that's lightweight and feels so good on my skin. Upon application it feels quite moisturising, but then it sinks in and leaves a satin matte finish and I can hardly feel it on my skin at all. If you're on the hunt for a new BB cream, definitely check this one out.

The next product that I was excited to see was the Lonvitalite Coconut Milk Facial Mask. I have tried a few face masks from this brand before and I always love them, so I'm sure this one will be no exception! Moving onto the Appelles Blackseed Shampoo and Tamanu Conditioner. I have used these and I did like them. You can definitely tell that they're organic, and while they aren't the most nourishing, I still did like using them. They smell very herbal/floral but I kind of like it. I haven't tried the Urban Skincare Co Daily Body Cleanser yet but I am excited to use it the next time I have a bath (which will probably be tonight). It smells great and so relaxing. Last but not least there were two skincare samples from Uriage. There was the Toléderm Cleansing Water and the Toléderm Hydra-Soothing Cream. I'm not sure when I'll get to use them, but I'll keep them in my drawer with the rest of my mini products for if I ever go away anywhere. 

I was rather impressed with this box because it contained products that I'll actually use! Out of the ones I've used so far, I love them, and can't wait to try the others. Just like always you guys can get $5 off your first Lust Have It box by using the code SAMINDIGO1 when checking out, and I encourage you to do so (you can click here to join)! There's nothing quite like having lovely beauty products arriving at your doorstep each month...

*This box was sent to me for consideration, however all opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

Moments and Memories #1

Yesterday at uni was one of the most stressful days ever. I was there for a solid 10 and a half hours working on a group assessment. It was the third day we'd been there that week. Stress and tension levels were high, and it seemed that everything was going wrong at some points. However, we finished our assessment, submitted it, and felt another weight lifted off our shoulders. Surprisingly there were parts of the day that I really enjoyed. We had moments of laughing so much that some of us ended up on the floor, moments where we were almost crying, and moments where we wanted to throw our laptops at the wall. But we made it. 

I'm currently in my third year of my degree, and I'm about to finish my second last semester. It took a while, but I managed to find some really solid friends who I am so thankful for. Uni would be a whole lot harder without them. A thought I've been having recently is 'have I really been experiencing uni?'. Because I kind of felt like I hadn't been, and it scared me. As much as there are moments where I want to give up, cry, and drop out, I'm glad I haven't. I know that it will be well worth it in the end. 

Although yesterday was a crazy stressful day, and this week hasn't been the best and kind of feels like it's been going on forever, I walked out of uni last night feeling happy. I felt like I was truly experiencing uni in all it's forms. Even though it was awful at times during the day, we survived through to the night and ended on a good note. I felt a part of something. I felt like I was fulfilling my uni duties correctly. I felt like I was experiencing something great. 

These moments will become memories and stories that I'll probably share with friends and tell my kids one day, and that makes me happy. So often I feel like I don't have that many great stories to tell, but I feel like I could perhaps be beginning to make some. I hope you don't mind that I'll jot them down on here every now and then, but why not? Here's to more story-making...