Arda Wigs Review #2 - Jane and Merry

Hello My Lovelies!

How are you all on this wonderful day? I woke this morning at 4am to get ready for work and it was so god damn cold!! I love it! Tell me, are you a summer person or a winter person? I have always loved winter much more than summer and that's probably the reason I really want to travel to London! I just love being able to cuddle up under a warm blanket and sip tea while watching telly or blogging! Anyway, I shall now get onto the true topic for today! WIGS!!!

A few weeks ago now, I purchased a couple wigs from Arda Wigs along with a few wefts. I purchased a Black wig in the style Jane and a Pumpkin wig in the style Merry, the wefts I bought in the colour (CL-047) Dark Green to suit my She Hulk wig.  I made this purchase on the 15th April and chose the shipping option of 2-6 weeks which is the cheapest for $21.62USD and was so pleasantly surprised when they arrived only 6 days later! That to me was amazing and with that alone I could not recommend them highly enough, but lets get onto the wigs themselves!

Firstly lets discuss the Black wig I bought. I bought this wig with my Snow White cosplay in mind, however I have been dying to own this wig for so long now.  If I could, I would own it in every colour available.  The style is absolutely gorgeous and I would wear it as just an everyday thing if I could!  This wig cost me a total of $30USD which is actually pretty good value for such a good product, Arda Wigs has - in my opinion - the best quality wigs that I have ever purchased and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a good quality product. However you can find cheap alternatives if you look hard enough. Although I know I could buy a cheaper product, I would choose Arda every time because I can never ever fault the wigs that I purchase, they are always packaged well and are very well looked after before shipped out. I honestly love the tone of this black, there was a natural black but I felt like the pure black wig would suit Snow White best and I am so happy with my purchase. Let me know what you think about this wig in the comments, do you think it will suit Snow White?

The second wig I purchased with this order is the Merry wig in the colour Pumpkin, now I spent a long time considering which colour I wanted for this wig because oddly enough there were about five different shades of orange and I wanted to get the closest match to Merida for my cosplay as possible.  I honestly and super happy with the colour I chose and I think once I have teased and back combed the sh*t out of this wig it will be so perfect for Merida.  I have also decided that I want to use this wig for a Genderbend Mad Hatter cosplay and I think it will also work so well for that.  I paid $38USD for this wig and although that is a bit pricey I am still happy to pay that as I know the product is going to be amazing.  This wig, as you would assume is very heavy as the hair is super thick and there is so much of it.  I'm a little worried about teasing the hair as I don't want to ruin the wig and the curls are so perfect but I'm sure if I'm just careful the process won't be as bad as I think it will be. I love how this wig looks with blue eyes, I can't wait to do a Mad Hatter makeup test with this wig! Agh I'm so excited! Once again the packaging for this wig was perfect, it was very nicely stored along side the Jane wig and had no tangles upon opening.  I was very impressed.  What do you think of this wig? Does it suit me? I'd love to hear some feedback! 

Lastly I bought the Long Dark Green Wefts and I was given two clip in maroon extensions.  I thought that was super nice of them to send them out, although I don't have any use for them at the moment, I'm sure I will find a use for them in the future.  Getting back to the green wefts, as I mentioned earlier, I bought these to add to my She Hulk wig to change up the colour and I'm so happy with the colour I chose. I wasn't quite sure when I was looking at the picture online but as soon as I took them out of the bag I was convinced they were perfect.  I bought the 8ft, 90cm long green wefts for 15USD which I assume is pretty good pricing. I haven't bought wefts before but I certainly didn't flinch at the price when I first saw it.  I am so excited to try these out but I'm super nervous about having to thread them onto my other wig! Wish me Luck!

Any way guys, let me know in the comments if you have purchased anything from Arda Wigs before, and if so did you love it as much as I do? I want you all to know that none of my posts are sponsored so if I am highly praising something I genuinely do love it as much as I say I do! I'd love to hear what you think of these wigs! I hope you all have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you in my next post! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Anne xoxo

How To Marble Cups

Hey guys!!

How are you? I hope you are having a wonderful day! I was feeling really crafty the other day and wanted to find something DIY to try out on my blog, kind of similar to the candles I made, so I had a search around on my social medias and came across this Marbled Cups DIY on facebook and thought I would try it out and tell you all about it! Excited? I am so lets get into it! 

Firstly, you will need a deep container/bowl that you aren't scared to get dirty, one or a pack of plain white coffee mugs depending on how many cups you want to marble, Nail polishes of your choice and a Acrylic varnish and sealer.

I won't lie to you, this is super simple and you can make so many in no time flat. 

Firstly you will want to three quarter fill the bowl with warm water (it has to be warm, not cold), working quickly, you then tip a good amount of nail polish into the water - try and move the polish around so it's not just in one spot.  You can blow on specific areas to disperse the polish even further.  Next all you need to do is dip the base of the mug in and around the water making sure to pick up as much polish as possible then place it upside down on a bench top to dry.  

As you can see in the pictures above you can use multiple colours on one cup or just one, both option make pretty cups.  Once the polish has dried - after 24hrs or so - you can then coat the cups with the acrylic sealer so that the polish doesn't flake or become damaged.  I found that the cup with two different colours has taken the longest to dry and even after coating with the acrylic sealer still feels tacky. However I will be coating it again and hopefully that will help with the tackiness.  As you can see I also attempted this with a black mug but I feel like the white mugs had the best outcome even though I do like the black mug I just feel like the white mugs are much prettier, what do you think?

NOTE - these mugs can not be used in a dishwasher or microwave, they must be hand washed.

For this reason I decided to use my mugs for things like storage and plants which I think is a lovely alternative.  I love the way the mugs just blend into my everyday household decor.  A succulent is the best plant to put in these mugs as it is very difficult to put a drain hole in the base of the mug so the fact that the succulent doesn't need much water is perfect. I placed a handful of small pebbles in the base of my mug to act as drainage for my succulent and added the pebbles on top purely for looks. If you have any other suggestions on what they could be used for, feel free to leave a comment! I still have a few without a purpose so far. 

Thank you so much for reading and if you like this feel free to let me know! I really like these sort of posts and hope to do more in the future! I hope you are all having a fantastic week and I'll see you all in my next post! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Anne xoxo

Peter Alexander/The Body Shop Haul

 Oh, Hello there... Fancy seeing you here! 

How are you today? Are you interested in another Haul of mine? I hope so because I am super in love with the items I bought! A few weeks ago my partner and I made a trip to the nearest big shopping centre to us (which is an hour away) and we may have spent a little bit of money... oops. Hold onto your seats guys because it's about to get crazy... Okay, not really but get excited!  

My partner and I had made a trip to Brisbane the week prior and walked past Peter Alexander which is a sleepwear shop - it smells damn amazing by the way (the guys didn't like it though) - and in that shop I saw the cutest, fluffiest dressing gown I had ever seen and I knew I just had to have it, but it cost $98AUD so I didn't buy it because obviously at the time the price was worrying to me. However, as you can see from the picture above, when I went to the plaza the following week I just bought it, no hesitation at all.  I had spoken to a lot of people about it because I really did want it but at the time I couldn't justify paying the money, it was actually my boss who talked me into buying it.  It was part of their Easter collection and I am so so glad I bought it. It is such great quality and although at the time it wasn't quite cold enough to wear it, the nights now are becoming colder and colder and finally I get to snuggle up on the couch and be all cosey! I absolutely love the bear hoodie also, I mean can it get much cuter?

While we were in Peter Alexander I also bought a pair of slippers and a pair of warm cosey socks.  Both of which have fluffy baubles on them. It was so hard to choose what I wanted because there was such a range of winter footwear and picking between them all is super difficult.  Also finding the right size was difficult, I got both the slippers and the socks in a large and I was a bit worried because I have pretty big feet for a girl.  The socks fit perfectly however the slippers are a bit tight but after wearing them for a bit I'm sure they will stretch to fit my feet nicely.  They are in no way painful to wear and are still comfortable, they are just a tad tight which I don't mind.  As for the cost of these, the slippers cost $49AUD and the socks cost $39AUD which is pretty expensive for winter footwear but when it comes from somewhere like Peter Alexander you know it's going to be worth it and I had no problem spending the money on something that will last me a long time! The only downfall for the socks is that they have put runner gripping on the base so the sicks don't slide, now I understand why they did that but how am I suppose to go sliding around on my tile floors when my socks grip??? It's one of the best things about winter and you've taken that away from me.  haha but in all seriousness, they are both so perfect.

The last thing we picked up from Peter Alexander was also part of there Easter range and that was there Bugs Bunny beanie, I love it so much and so did Julian so I figured because he had let me spend so much he obviously deserved something and it suits him so well, don't you think? Also, I asked him to pose for the picture so he gave me Blue Steel haha.  This beanie cost $39AUD but again, is so worth the money.  If you have money that you like to spend and are looking for some new sleepwear definitely go and check out Peter Alexander, they are absolutely amazing!  

Lastly, I also stopped into The Body Shop, obviously.  I can't go to the Plaza without going to The Body Shop, I had no intention of buying anything new, however I did want to have a look at the Drops of Youth and Oils of life, but as soon as the lovely lady started telling me about the new Drops Of Light range I knew I had to try some of those but I couldn't afford all of them, I just spent most of my money at Peter Alexander for goodness sake haha. So I opted for the Foam Wash, the Day Cream and the Brightening Serum and I'm so glad I did.  I also picked up a sample of the Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleep Mask which I am now looking to buy the full tub of for myself and for my mother and sister because I love it so much! I also picked up the Warming Mineral Mask which I just thought looked like a good mask to try out because I hadn't tried many face masks at that time and wanted a bit of a variety.  I think I might end up doing a review on these Body Shop items because I really do like them and I'd like to go into more details but I'm going to leave it there for now but if you have any questions feel free to ask and I shall answer! 

Thanks again for reading guys, it means so much to me and I truly can't thank you all enough.  If you have bought from Peter Alexander before or have tried any of The Body Shop's products that I bought let me know in the comments I'd love to know what you guys think!! I hope you are all having a fantastic day and enjoy the rest of your week, I have a couple more blogs planned for this week and hopefully I'll get them up! I'm also going to Brisbane on Thursday to watch the new X-Men movie so let me know in the comments if you are excited for that cause I sure am! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Ann xoxo

LustHaveIt/BellaBox/MeccaMaxima Unboxing - April

Hello my Lovelies!! 

How are you all today? I hope you are all fantastic and if you aren't and need a chat feel free to message me xx

Now I know I'm super late with this post so yes, I am sorry but I couldn't just miss it because I had so many products come last month in my subscription boxes I just had to tell you all about them! Not only did I receive my Lust Have It and Bella Box in April I also received my Beauty Loop Box from Mecca Maxima which I was also so excited for so lets jump straight into it shall we. I'm going to try and keep these short and sweet otherwise this is going to be a long post so if you have any questions at all leave them in the comments below!  

Within my Lust Have It box I received five products, four of which were fullsize which was amazing to find! I absolutely love subscriptions boxes but when they give you majority fullsize products I just go crazy! So in this box I received a MANNAKADAR 3-in-1 blush, highlighter and eyeshadow (fullsize), a Marsk Organic Eyeliner Pencil (fullsize), a Personail Nail Polish Wraps (fullsize), a Marsk Organic Browliner (fullsize) and a Appelles Blackseed Shampoo and Tamanu Conditioner (sample size).

I have absolutely been loving the 3in1 powder, I have used it only on my eyes so far but it is such a gorgeous shade and blends so naturally, I will definitely be repurchasing this product! It retails for $25AUD and I can understand why! Moving onto the Marsk Eyeliner and Eyebrow Pencils which cost $28.95AUD each. These I have not tried yet but by just looking at it I think the brow pencil will be too light but I will get back to you on that!  This brand is cruelty free so thats an added bonus, I love it when brands are cruelty free!! The Eyeliner seems to be a lovely dark colour for the waterline and I'm super excited to try it out! Next is the Personail Nail Polish Wraps which cost a grand total of $18AUD which is pretty cheap in my opinion.  Now I have tried the Jamberry nails before and these look extremely similar. I didn't like the Jamberry Nails very much as I work in a kitchen and when you are forever washing up the adhesive that glues the wrap to the nail doesn't last long at all.  But I will definitely give these a go and see how they fair! Fingers Crossed they work!  Lastly we have the Appelles Shampoo and Conditioner which I am actually so excited to try.  I don't really like changing my hair products because what I use now works for me and I don't really want to change it but these seem to be really good quality and I'd love to see the effect they have on my hair.  These two products retail at $47Aud each which is super expensive in my opinion but if they work on my hair it may just be worth it! All in all this box was pretty great last Month and I can't wait for this months box to arrive! 

Next I'm going to quickly touch on the Beauty Loop box I received from Mecca Maxima and basically these are given out quarter yearly to customers who sign up and depending on how much you have spent in the three months determines how many samples you get whether it be level 1-4.  I hadn't spent much and only received a level 1 box which I'm still completely happy with and inside I was given four samples.  A Two Faced Shadow Insurance sample, Josie Maran Cosmetics 100% Pure Argon Oil sample, Kate Somerville Exfolikate Cleanser sample and an Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. Along with the Samples came a little Thank you card which had on the back of it a description of each products and how to use it which I thought was super handy! I'm super excited to try all of these products and I won't lie to you, I have already tried the Two Faced Shadow Insurance and loved it so much I went and bought the full size tube! This is such a great way to get sample products and I just love Mecca so much, why wouldn't you want samples?

Lastly we have BellaBox and I got a total of 6 products, mostly sample sized in this one. Starting with the Nivea Q10 Anti-wrinkle Plus Replenishing Pearls (sample size), Klorane Shampoo with Citrus Pulp (sample size), Nuxe White Brightening Paper Masks (sample size), Sukin Hydrating Masque (sample size), Rimmel 24hr Supercurler Mascara (fullsize) and a bonus Nourish Naturals Dry Skin Lotion (sample size). As you can see this box has only one full size item but it is cheaper than the Lust Have It so I really don't mind at all! 

I have already tried out the Nivea Q10 Pearls and even though I didn't see an immediate difference I feel like they really did have an effect, not an extreme effect but I have only used them twice and I don't actually have many wrinkles. Also it smells really good and retails for $27.99AUD!  Next is the Klorine Shampoo, I haven't tried this or really read much about it as I was too excited about the shampoo and conditioner I received from my other Sub box but now looking at this I am looking forward to trying it out. The only problem with receiving things like facemasks and shampoos and such in sample size is you only have maybe one use out of it which won't necessarily show an improvement.  This shampoo costs a total of $10.95AUD which is actually a very reasonable price and I would consider repurchasing if it works well.  I am really looking forward to trying the Nuxe Brightening Mask, although again I won't really see a difference because its only a one use sample which is a pity. However the product says that it hides dark spots and improves skins transparency which sounds awesome to me.  This mask retails at $49.99AUD for a 6pack which again, isn't too bad at all if it works and I really hope this one does!  Next we have the Sukin Hydrating Masque which is actually an Australian Skincare Range which is really exciting.  I have tried this mask and I do like it, it smells so good! My skin has days, especially coming into winter where it can get very dehydrated even though I do have oily skin so this mask has helped out on those days and made my face feel fresh and smooth! A 100ml bottle retails for $15.95AUD which is a very reasonable price for the quality you receive.  I was also lucky enough to receive a full size Rimmel Mascara which retails for $17.95AUD.  I hadn't tried this one before but had looked at buying recently.  I love trying new mascaras and I am super excited to try this one! Lastly we have the bonus product which was the Nourish Dry Skin Lotion which I have not tried yet but am looking forward to trying on those days when my face is a little dry. This costs a total of $21.99 and is perfect for dry skin, obviously.

I hope you guys have enjoyed this post and haven't fallen asleep.  I'm sorry this ended up so long but I needed to tell you about these great products! If you are thinking about signing up for a subscription box and have any question feel free to ask away, I'd love to get chatting! I want to thank you all for a massive 10,000 views on this little Blog of mine. I can't be more happy! I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Ann xoxo

April Favourites!

Hello Everybody!

How are you all doing today, or tonight.. Which ever it may be for you! I hope you are having a fantastic day where ever you may be in the world.  I want to start off by saying that my blog has nearly reached 10,000 views overall and that to me is absolutely ridiculous. It might not seem like much to some but I honestly never thought I would get so many wonderful people reading what I have to write and I promise you, the views aren't just me refreshing the pages haha.  I can't express how thankful I am! I wish for one day that this can become something that I can progress with and every little view gets me one step closer! 

Anyhoo though, I am here today with one of my favourite types of blogs to write and that is my April favourites. Can I just say though... How the hell is it May already??? How is this year nearly half over? How is my birthday just around the corner? This is insane and I just want to make the most of everyday and I can honestly say the last few weeks have been super busy for me and although I'm tired I've been loving it! Without further ado lets get started!

As per usual I'm going to start of with my top beauty products from April and I'm quite upset I don't have more but I wanted to save some for next month too.  I'll start off with the fragrance, as with a lot of my fragrances I like to switch up what I'm wearing from time to time so often I'll rediscover a scent that I have previously loved and this One Direction Between Us perfume is no different.  I bought this roughly mid last year and completely forgot I had it until about mid march when I was cleaning out a bag of mine and spotted it in the bottom.  I very quickly fell in love with the scent again and I won't lie I haven't stopped wearing it since! Its such a beautifully sweet scent but not sickeningly sweet if you get what I mean? Next is the two foundations.  One drugstore and one high end.  I bought the L'Oreal Infallible foundation a months or so ago when it was on sale and only paid roughly $20 for it which I think was such a bargain. It is by far my favourite drugstore foundation, it matches my skin perfectly and although I wouldn't say it lasts 24 hours it definitely holds up very well for the price! As for the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation I am beyond in love with this foundation! It ticks all the damn boxes and then some! If I could only have one foundation for the rest of my life it would be this double wear.  It has amazing coverage, perfect shade, it does not budge when set with powder and is literally my holy grail! Hands up if you love it just as much as me?? 

Next we have the Smashbox Pore Minimising primer. I bought this at the beginning of the year and am dreading the day it runs out. Honestly I don't use it everyday purely because it cost me $68AUD and I can't just go and spend that every few months but on days when I know I have a long day or I'm doing something important and don't want my makeup to budge, I pair this with my double wear foundation and I don't have to worry at all! They are a match made in heaven! The next product I have for you is such a perfect product, and that is the Rimmel Kate Conditioning Lip Balm in the shade 01. It is basically a lip balm that has the same packaging as a lipstick and I love it! I can feel classy but I don't have to worry about smudging, what more can you ask for? Lastly I have a product that I received in one of my very first Lust Have It boxes and that is the Hikari Blush in the Shade Bikini, it is a beautiful peachy pink with a subtle hint of shimmer and I honestly wear it almost everyday! I would say its a real spring/summer blush and unfortunately I'm coming into winter but I will more than likely still wear it it's that pretty! 

I honestly didn't think this post would be so long so I'm going to try and keep this short and sweet but my two random favourites for April just so happen to be a movie and a person.  I'll start with the movie shall I? Captain America, Civil War.... My partner and I have already seen this twice, the first time we travelled a 5 hour round trip to Brisbane to see it in gold class because well, why the hell not? It was amazing! The hype was real, I desperately fell in love with Winter Soldier all over again and I'm not gonna Lie I may have formed a slight crush on Black Panther. I have to be honest, it doesn't take a lot for me to like a movie, but Civil War was beyond liking, I absolutely loved it.  From the story line to the acting to the fight scenes it just didn't fault anywhere for me.  Also, I'm on #teamcap haha.

And lastly, but definitely not least is my favourite person and in April my favourite person was a YouTuber by the name of Melanie Murphy.  If you haven't seen her videos please go watch them now! Stop what you are doing, put it down and click this link.. She is absolutely beautiful.  I share alot of the same views as her and whilst watching her videos I find myself nodding along to what she has to say. All through April I would put on different videos of hers whether they were old or new and watch them while I was doing my makeup or even writing my blogs.  Her videos give me a sense of calm, almost like everything in my life will be okay and I can't thank her enough for the videos she makes! Also she is Irish and I could listen to her accent all day haha! So Melanie, if you read this, keep doing what you're doing because you are wonderful!!! 

Anyway guys, I'm going to end it here.. If you've made it this far thank you so much again for all the views and I hope to see a few comments as I'd love to get to know you all! If you have any questions or comments please leave them below and I'll definitely get back to you! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Anne xoxo

'What's For Dinner?' - Lentil and Vegatable Cottage Pie

Hello Everybody!! 

Thank you all for tuning in for another post in my 'What's For Dinner' segment.  Today I will be reviewing one of my go to vegetarian meals - Lentil and Vegetable Cottage Pie! I absolutely love making this and make it so often! It's such a delicious meal and incorporates so many veggies! I found this on the Taste.com.au website where I find most of my recipes.  This recipes serves at most 4 people and only takes 16 ingredients, however I love to add a bunch of different vegetables. It takes roughly an hour to prepare and cook which although seems like a long time it doesn't require you to be present so you are able to do other things whilst cooking it such as writing a blog post? haha

As for the Ingredients, You will need;

1 tbls vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbls sundried tomato pesto

1 cup (250ml) tomato passata (sieved tomatoes)

1 bay leaf

1 tbls chopped thyme

1 cup (250ml) Campbell's Real Stock Vegetable

400g can lentils, rinsed, drained

800g potatoes, peeled, chopped

100g unsalted butter

1/2 cup (125ml) milk

2 egg yolks

100g grated cheddar 

There are a few ingredients here that wouldn't always be found in an average persons cupboard such as the sundried tomato pesto or the Passata however I would estimate that to buy the entirety of these ingredients it would cost roughly $50AUD or less.  

As for the method you will want to first preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion for 1-2 minutes. Next add the celery, carrot and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add pesto, passata, bay, thyme and stock. Simmer this gently for approximately 15 minutes until vegetables are cooked. Stir in rinsed lentils and season, next transfer to your chosen baking dish. Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, drain and mash. Stir in butter, milk, yolks and cheese. Spread over lentil mixture and roughen top with a fork. I like to add a sprinkle of cheese and some breadcrumbs. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

This has become such a go to meal for us and we often have it with a salad on the side so it goes a little bit further.  We always get at least two meals each out of it which obviously lasts us two nights.  It's super simple and easy to make although it does make a bunch load of dishes.  I do realise that it looks super complicated but I promise you that after making it a few times the steps become second nature and the longest part is the cooking time is when it's in the oven! This meal is super tasty and like the last meal post I wrote you can change alot of the ingredients in this one to suit what ever ingredients you may have in the fridge making it super cheap also. Unfortunately everytime I make this I waste  most of the vegetable stock because I buy the pre-made stock and don't use the excess within the 3 days it recommends so I have been trying lately to find two recipes that I can cook a few days apart that both use vegetable stock so that I don't waste it.  Alternatively you can just buy the cubes and make them up with water and use that. That would also probably be a cheaper option.  

Unfortunately the above picture doesn't make it look very nice but I promise you it tastes 100 times better than it looks. I was so upset when I had to take the picture because I didn't have any green garnish to make it look better. But seriously please don't be turned off by the fact that it looks questionable, it truly is delicious and so filling.  I highly recommend this to everyone, vegetarian or not.  It's just that good.

I best sign off now or I feel like I will ramble on too much! If you try this out don't forget to let me know! If I have missed anything or you have any questions please ask them in the comments below, I'd love to get chatting! Thank you again for reading and I hope you all are having a wonderful day! 

Until Next Time 

BrittanieDe-Anne xoxo