The Chronicles of Bathnia - Christmas Edition

Two days til Christmas!

It's not to late to spoil someone special (or yourself). You can never go wrong with Lush IMO.

Here are my picks this year (Bottom L-R, clockwise: Candy Mountain bath bubble bar, 2x So White bath bombs, Luxury Lush Pud bath bomb, Star Dust bath bomb, The Magic of Christmas bubble bar, Snow Angel bath melt, Santasaurus bubble bar, Northern Lights bath bomb, Butterbear bath bomb, Shoot For The Stars bath bomb, Snow Fairy body wash + Bubblegum lip scrub thrown in there).

I'll keep you guys updated when I use these, but keep an eye on my Instagram @jen14jen or Snapchat @jen14jen14 to see them in action in real-time!

Enjoy!

J x


*UPDATE*

Northern Lights

Treat Yourself - GIVEAWAY

*COMPETITION CLOSED* Thank you to all that entered & congratulations to the winner, Krystyn*

Christmas has you running around, making plans & buying gifts for everyone. You’re busy, I get it. So, here’s a little treat from me to you, to indulge in when you’re done (or gift to that difficult family member!) Immerse yourself in a sweet bath with some of my favourite Zoella Beauty products, light my favourite Glasshouse triple scented candle, and sip on some relaxing chai orange tea. Treat Yourself (or your bestie) – you deserve it girl!

WIN my Favourites of 2016:

*Zoella Beauty Snap, Fizz, Relax - gingerbread bath fizzers (Christmas Collection)

*Zoella Beauty Body Fondant - macaron scented shimmer balm (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Bath Latte - almond, cocoa & honey bath & shower milk (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Sugar Dip - almond, cocoa & honey scented bath salt granules (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Le Fizz - macaron scented bath fizz (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Life Is Sweet - beauty bag (Sweet Inspirations)

*Qi Organic White Tea - Relax warming chai with orange

*Glasshouse Fragrances Tahaa - vanilla caramel triple scented candle, 60g

All you need to do is:

1. Make sure you're following me on Instagram here (I will be checking :P)

2. 'Like' the original Treat Yourself Giveaway post

3. Tag 2 besties  

BONUS ENTRY: Repost the original Treat Yourself Giveaway post on Instagram (tag me @jen14jen) or Twitter (tag me @seren14dipity) and use the hashtag #seren14dipity

GOODLUCK!

T&C's: You can enter as many times as you like in one day, but maximum of 20 entries only will be counted towards the final draw. The giveaway will run for 7 days until 11:59pm Sunday 11th December. Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Monday 12th December. In the event the selected winner does not make contact after 24 hours, a new winner will be randomly selected.

Open to AUSTRALIAN ADDRESSES ONLY, inclusive of shipping and handling. This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by Blogger, Instagram, Zoella Beauty, Glasshouse or Qi. All items purchased by me using my own money, and shipped at my own expense. Items will be shipped in January of 2017 (I know you're excited but this will give us both time to let the Holiday dust settle and ensure I can send you the best possible package. Plus, you can have a chance to slow down, put your feet up, and enjoy these gifts in full). Glasshouse Fragrances Tahaa candle pictured is 350g for promotional purposes only - actual prize is 60g version. By entering you confirm you are of 18+ years of age and release Blogger, Instagram, and related brands of all responsibility and agree to the terms and conditions listed.

Mascara Game Changer

With a sleek, bristle-free design, Hourglass Curator Lash Instrument is a beauty game-changer.

This collection eliminates traditional, plastic mascara wand and replaces with a stainless steel (shiny, sexy) tool. Mind = blown.

Experience increased flexibility and control over the Instrument (aka get product right down to the lash line without inadvertently poking yourself in the eye) and precision application with the luxury 40° angled, double-cut tip (aka not emptying half a tube of mascara in one go).

Two formulas exist to use with the Lash Instrument - Ascent Extended Wear Lash Primer (fancy name for something that will help the product stay put all day) and Realist Defining Mascara Formula (pot of proverbial gold. Except it's black).

But take note - even though the idea is to be able to clean off the Instrument after each use (makeup artists I'm looking at you), this can get pretty annoying. If you're going to get the entire Curator Collection, invest in an extra Instrument (aka one for the primer and one for the actual mascara product).

If you're not rolling in moolah however (aka me. This collection was a gift of utmost perfection), you could probably bypass the primer and just get one Instrument + Mascara Formula.

Applying mascara will never be the same again.

Find the Curator Collection sold separately, or as one, limited edition pack here.

J x

Road test - Red Cherry Lashes

 Road tested, so you don't have to:

I normally prefer a fuller, less spidery strip lash with criss-cross or flares, but I still felt pretty glam in these. Good length without being OTT.

At $9.99 a pop from My Cube Brisbane, they're cute and won't break the bank. The band didn't budge in these, though I have tried the #747S Primrose that fell off. I may have just done a bad job gluing that day though - Sephora grand opening got me a bit cray cray...

Notable to mention the #505 Ricky lashes shown above are 100% human hair too (am I the only one who gets the heebyjeebies from this lol, let's just ignore the ick factor for a sec and remember they look + feel more natural).

Keen to try some more. Have you tried Red Cherry?

Check out Crush Cosmetics for the full range.

J x

Also wearing:

Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion: Original

theBalm - Nude 'Tude Eyeshadow palette

Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Gel Eyeliner pot: #1 Black Ink

Urban Decay - Perversion mascara

Duo eyelash adhesive - Clear-white

Napoleon Perdis - Auto Pilot

Innoxa - Cover & Correct Cream Concealer Face Palette

Too Faced - Born This Way foundation: Sand

NARS - Creamy Concealer: Ginger

Rimmel - Wake Me Up Concealer: #030 Classic Beige (highlight)

Becca Cosmetics - Shimmering Skin Perfector: Poured, Moonstone (highlight)

NARS - Laguna Bronzer

Benefit - Hoola Bronzer (contour)

NARS - Orgasm blush

Hourglass - Ambient Lighting Palette: Dim Light & Radiant Light (highlight)

Kevyn Aucoin - The Precision Brow Pencil: Brunette

Kylie Cosmetics - Lip Kit: Exposed 

Kylie Cosmetics - Lip Gloss: Koko K

Ellis Faas Liquid Gold

You've all seen Chloe Morello lose her sh** over these Ellis Faas products, but here's a better look at the E303 Metallic EyeLight she couldn't quite get to work.

I had this used on me for the first time during a makeup lesson and I have to say I also lost my sh** - albeit for a different reason.

This stuff is legit. It's like pouring liquid gold over your eyelids, and once dry, it will not budge.

Opening up the lid, you're greeted with the brush applicator.

You've got to twist the end to get the product up to the brush, and this is where all hell breaks loose. I've only used mine three times, but on all occasions I had the same problem as Chloe (and I know many others). It's like waiting for the cork on a champagne bottle to pop, and it never does. Sad times.

I was told on purchase to be patient, that a few twists was enough and the product would spout from the brush in due time. Idk about you, but I'm impatient af, and even moreso when I'm applying makeup in a rush. Just. Get. The. Damn. Eyeshadow. Out. Please.

When it does finally appear (I'm gonna say at least 3-5 mins) it's like a surprise, explosive volcano and you've got quite a lot to work with. Somewhat good, at least it's not stingey. But somewhat bad, seems wasteful to have that much come out at once.

Nevertheless, if you can look past this packaging flaw, the results are worth it.

This shadow glides on, you hardly need a primer, it's quick to dry and the liquid is heavily pigmented. You will not want to touch any other gold eyeshadow after this, it's that good.

It's definitely on the luxury high-end scale price-wise, so this isn't something you're going to be purchasing all the time, but it's a unlike anything I've ever used before. I'd definitely say it's a must-try for hardcore makeup lovers, only because of the quality and colour payoff. It's so low fuss in those departments, it kind of makes you forget it took you half an hour to get it working ;)

So: get it if you can afford it + are looking for something new & amazing to try. But I wouldn't say it's an essential part of your beauty life.

Aussies, you can find it here at Mecca Cosmetica, along with the four other metallic shades.

Ellis Faas E303 in action with Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette.

J x

Kylie Lip Kits

Are they worth the hype?

Honestly, they're awesome, long-wearing products and I have no regrets, but if you're after something comparable + cheaper, you will probably find it elsewhere.

I started with 'Kristen' and liked it, and decided to take the plunge with other colours. My favourite part? The smell of these are LEGIT. I feel like a crack addict sniffing these when I open them #SorryNotSorry.

The nitty gritty - each lip kit comes with a 0.03oz/1.0g lip liner crayon, which Kylie is known to wear on its own (not pictured because let's face it, you've seen them 100 times by now) and a 0.11 fl.oz/3.25ml matte liquid lipstick with doe-foot applicator. The liner reminds me of NARS packaging, but without the retractable mechanism, which is kinda annoying. But the matching liner system just makes sense and convenient for those too lazy to source compatible bases (like Jen).

Of the other liquid lipstick brands I own, I find the closest resemblance in texture, wearabilty & longevity is Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick. Though arguably, Kat has a much lighter, barely-there feel to it.

The glosses come in the same packaging as the lipsticks, with 0.09fl.oz/2.60ml in product and brush applicator.

I stupidly left 'Kristen' on my makeup table and forgot to add it to my swatches, but leave me a comment or tweet me @seren14dipity if you want to see that added in. Enjoy :)

MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICKS

No Flash:

Flash:

GLOSSES 

No Flash:

Flash:

J x

11 things that happen when you get SNS nails

1. Your nail tech / YouTubers / Insta fam will hype up SNS "it's like half acrylic, half gel, seriously just do it". You won't be bothered to change your routine, cos if it ain't broke, why fix it?
2. You will subsequently get bored of your routine / finally get the guts to try something new / discover a fab new salon with killer SNS colours 6 months later and realise it's time to take the plunge.
3. Your nails will be prepped similar to gel nails, and you'll wonder what all the fuss is about.
4. Your nails will be primed, then dipped in SNS powder. They'll tap off the excess leaving a thin layer of product and you'll think "huh, this is weird AF but I kinda like it".
5. There will be more priming, dipping and  tapping. You will wonder if this is what it's like to stick your hand in a bowl of sprinkles. This is not the first time you have thought about sticking your hand in a bowl of sprinkles. You will contemplate sprinkles for the next five fingers. 
6. Each powder layer will set in 10 seconds and you will suddenly realise this is magic. You have discovered Hogwarts in the middle of a shopping centre.
7. Fifteen minutes later, you're all sprinkled up like a doughnut. Your nails feel fat and heavy (did your nails EAT the proverbial doughnut?) But don't fret - the comforting sound of the electric nail file fills the air. Here's where the acrylic-nail-esque action takes place.
8. Carefully sculpted, it's doughnut glazing time. They prime once more, whip out the clear gel top coat, then your nails are glossed to perfection.
9. You will mentally prepare for the UV light to bake your doughnut fingers under. You will smile expectantly at your nail tech and they will entertain your weirdness for about 3 seconds before reminding  you that no, you do not need UV light treatment for SNS.
10. You will be amazed, even though you knew this prior. No bake, no fuss, no skin damage. They also tell you it will last way longer than gel, and be more resilient like acrylic.
11. Another fifteen later, it's dry and you're good to go. You pay, you leave, you look down at your hands and revel in the awesomeness.

You made it. You're wearing magic. You've got a killer mani. You're fierce. You're starving. You buy a doughnut.

• 

J x

The sweetest thing

I have been wanting to try Lucky Charms cereal for over two years. TWO FREAKIN' YEARS.

I was fortunate enough to receive a box from a friend in the US - look how pretty!

Watch my taste test and reaction video here.

J x