Fresh Aloe Vera - Nature's Skin Saver

Hello from the land of Oz!

Mum and I did some gardening yesterday and she got rid of our aloe vera plant. However being the resourceful person I am, I kept a few of the leaves and stored them in the fridge.

Aloe vera is great for skin, as long as you're not allergic. It relieves just about any skin ailment but it's commonly used for sunburn.

I peeled a leaf to reveal gooey flesh and rubbed it on after a shower. It's cooling, watery and dries quick. It felt a bit sticky and itchy as it dried but afterwards, my skin was mega-soft.

And because I had a stomache ache, I chopped up the gel (making sure there was no skin remaining) and mixed with water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Tastes better chilled, but surely enough my stomach calmed down shortly after I drank it. Marvelous!

Coconut Oil - Eye Makeup Remover

I'm backpacking in Switzerland this weekend and I've made an amazing discovery!

Coconut oil makes a kick ass eye make up remover.

I realised when my normal remover refused to budge waterproof liquid liner. To preserve my eyelashes, I gently rubbed a dab of coconut oil on my lids and the liner melted off! I wiped the black gunk off with a tissue and cleansed my face as normal.

I will never buy eye make up remover again!

Talika Lipocils Expert Eyelash Conditioning Gel

I had lunch with a girlfriend in Paris and I admit, the whole time I was obsessed with her ultra long eyelashes. They were like fans sweeping whenever she blinked!

She's asian so I could'nt resist asking which mascara she uses. She told me which one but I won't reveal until I've tried it myself. (I'm surprised because the reviews on makeupalley are awful.)

So I thought I'd encourage some natural growth with Talika Lipocils. As far as lash enchancers go, I've tried Mavala and Ardell (which is my preference). I bought mine from Sephora although I've now decided not to make a token purchase at the Champs Elysees anymore.

Firstly it's cheaper to buy online elsewhere. But worse, they've stopped giving away samples. The sales assistants used to throw in a handful of samples in my shopping bag but not this time. Maybe you have to spend alot to get them?

Anyway according to the Lipocils box, this is a "mythical eyelash conditioning gel", promising length, natural pigmentation and curve. The applicator is unique with a foam tip and a mascara style brush in one. Needless to say, application is fairly easy. I've just tried it and so far I've noticed a little sting if you get it too close to your eye.

I'll post my results in a few months so you can see if it actually works!

Rabbit Fur Hat

Winter's here and I'm freezing! I'm packing for Paris tomorrow and look what I found - a fur hat from a flea market in Vienna.

I remember when I bought it. It was the end of the day and amongst the piles of clothing, shoes and general rubbish was this furry hat. I was told it was 5 euros but after the obligatory haggling, I got it for 3 euros.

Went back to the hostel and when I put the hat on my head, I realised it was too small. Should have tried it on first but oh well. Also I could feel plastic mesh inside so I assumed it was a faux fur hat. Still I could'nt throw it away.

Months later, I took it out of my closet, hand washed the lining and put it on my heater to dry. Sharp bits of mesh protruded from the lining when I put it back to shape and that's when I realised I melted the plastic!

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Since I thought I destroyed hat, I unstitched the lining to reveal the shabby mesh and threw it away. It turns out the hat's made from real rabbit fur and there was a stamp inside. (In German, but I could read that it was made in Vienna.)

I put the it on my head and what do you know, it now fits perfectly. What do you think?

Wet n Wild H20 Proof Liquid Eyeliner

I bought this eyeliner two years ago and it's my first liquid eyeliner. Back then, I was unpracticed and gave up after too many mistakes. I found this eyeliner again and now I love it!

It has a fine felt tip which I found easy to use. One slight problem is that it coats my outer lashes which I find annoying when applying mascara afterwards. I only wear this when I'm wearing glasses so I skip mascara.

As long as I line thinly, it will not to smear when I blink. This liner has amazing staying power. Want proof? See the picture-its actually taken AFTER I've washed my face. (The proof is that my eye looks tired and no doubt concealer-less.) It's extremely waterproof and hard to budge.

It only melts off with an oil cleanser. So unless you have very oily eyelids, you probably won't get smudges. The black liner is very black, darker than MAC Blacktrack Fluidline.

I'm so impressed with this dirt cheap product. I think I paid only £3 for it. I can't remember where I bought it from but you can get it online. Will be buying this again when it runs dry!

My First UN-Leather Jacket

I must edit this post because it was'nt until recently I realised this jacket is NOT leather. The realisation came with the lack of leathery smell and a plastic-y feel but dang, it fooled me good! 

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Whoop whoop! I bought this biker style jacket from a charity shop for £15 and I love it. The leather is lush-ious. It's worn in, buttery soft and and the fit is perfect.

Just looking at the current trends and leather jackets seems to go with every sleek outfit.  From classy mini dresses to skinny jeans. 

Just hope the weather does'nt get too cold so I get lots of wear out of it.

Early Sleek Eyeshadow Palette & Blue Heaven Kajal Eyeliner Review

I was in Hackney this weekend and look what I found at an ethnic hair supply shop.


On the left, is a rare Sleek mini eyeshadow palette. I thought it was cute and a steal compared to the latest drugstore versions. It was only £1.99. It has 18 colours and a sponge applicator.


There were heaps of kajal eyeliners on offer and after my poor review of the Sleek version, I thought I'd give kajal another chance. I choose the Blue Heaven brand because of there was English on the packaging. It says it's lead free which is a go-ahead for me. There were a few other far fetched qualities of the product, like it soothes and cool eyes. I'm not convinced of the effectiveness since it's only eyeliner but I like the idea how it's mega-compact and only 99p!


So a preliminary review on the Sleek eyeshadows. I've only used two neutral colours so far and the colour payoff is very good. It has a smooth and creamy consistency but lasting power is not a good as the latest versions. I still like it and the best part is the price so I could'nt ask for more!


As for the Blue Heaven kajal, I like the minimalist packaging and how there's less chance of me accidently blunting the point by closing the lid on it. The pigmentation is excellent, much like the Sleek version. It applies easily and it's very soft. The downside is that it smudges like crazy, despite what it says on the packaging. 


Smudging is a good thing but after few blinks, I have raccon eyes. I'll try waterlining (which I think is weird and unnatural) and see if it travels less. 


When a product is that soft and creamy, it will smudge easily. There seems to be no exception around this law of physics.

Bullet shaped packaging with holographic sticker for authenticity.

The kajal is "self sharpening". Therefore it must be applied it on a slant.

The traditional Indian way of applying kajal is to hold it on your waterline, close your eye gently and swipe it outwards. That way, both your top and bottom lids are lined and you keep the tip sharp. This explains the conical shape of kajal. 

I want to love this product as it ticks all the other boxes. I will persevere!