Sunday 27 September 2015

My Cavallino

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If you're on the hunt for cute, kitsch little jewellery pieces, fabulous scarves, adorable notebooks and cool-as-a-cucumber sunnies, then this post is for you! 
My Cavallino is a Brisbane-based online store that opened in 2012. It's run by the beautiful Brittany Kahler, who has an awesome eye for funky, fashionable pieces and a flair for online business. She believes in a simple shopping experience and in providing good quality, affordable pieces.

Here are my favourite pieces from the site:
 
1. Silver Ring Set ($9.99) 
 Midi-rings are the bomb! I love how delicate they are, I feel like they make my fingers look really long and slim. This set is currently sold out but there is a pretty cool set that I've linked to that's really similar....is it bad if I buy another set?
 
Again, my love of delicate silver accessories shows through. I love the way this necklace sits, it's super cute and really works with my (pretty much non-existent) style. The necklace featured on the sire right now is a little different but just as gorgeous.

3. Cat Scarf ($11.99)
Image from My Cavallino
I love cats, I love scarves, this was a win-win for me. This pashmina-style scarf is super soft and the cat print is little enough not to scream "crazy cat lady" rather "sophisticated cat lady with a tonne of style".

If you'd like to shop at My Cavallino, you can use the code DaniXO for 20% off your total. You also get free shipping if you spend over $35 so get shopping!

Dani XO

This post is not sponsored and the link is purely a discount code for you guys, I do not make any money from it.
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Thursday 24 September 2015

5 Uses for the Palmers Swivel Stick

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For lazy people, like me, nothing is more convenient than a multi-use product. Who wants to carry around 4 or 5 different products when one will do? The Palmers Swivel Stick ($4.99) definitely fits that category. It has that classic Palmers cocoa butter scent and creamy formula but in a super concentrated formula. Here are five fabulous uses for this one genius product:
1. Let's start with the obvious: lip balm. Although it's a little chunkier than the usual lip balm, the concentrated formula makes it perfect for chapped, dry lips. I took this with me on my last trip and it was the perfect long-haul travel companion.

2. This one is a little unorthodox but the Swivel Stick is perfect for soothing your under-eye bags. When I arrived in England on my last trip, my skin was super dry and none of my makeup would stick to my face. I started using this on my under-eye area, which was especially dry and uncomfortable, and noticed an immediate improvement.

3. I am plagued by hangnails all the time. My nails and cuticles get really dry and this was perfect to pop straight on to my nails and massage in for a quick fix.

4. The Swivel Stick is perfect for popping on any patches of dry skin from elbows to hands. You literally can't ever use too much of it!

5. Though I haven't actually used it for this purpose yet, the Swivel Stick would be perfect for  soothing a dry nose when you have a cold. Constantly blowing my nose when I'm sick always leaves my nose red and raw. The Swivel Stick would be amazing at hyrdating and soothing poor red noses.

Have you used this multi-use miracle stick yet?

Dani XO

Products in this post were provided as PR samples by as always, my opinion is my own.
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Sunday 20 September 2015

Wanderlust Sneakers

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I am a bona fide jeans and sneakers kinda gal. Not that I don't occasionally glam it up with dresses and heels but my go-to outfit for almost any occasion is jeans and sneakers. My collection has been growing and growing....and growing! Today, I want to show you the latest addition to my collection, the Wanderlust Sneakers by Holster. 

These are literally everything I could ever want in a shoe. They're comfy, relatively affordable and (my favourite) they're covered in black glitter. Nothing says "Yes, I wear sneakers, but I also like to look a little fancy" like black glitter. They do also come in a white and silver version if black isn't for you.

For my photo shoot (I felt absolutely ridiculous, by the way. I would make the most awful/awkward model in the world), I styled them with some loose denim pants and a white singlet. I like to keep it simple and let these awesome sneakers do all the talking.
Let me know what your go-to outfit and shoe combo is in the comments.

Dani XO

Products in this post were provided as PR samples but as always, my opinion is my own.
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Thursday 17 September 2015

7 Beauty Products You Need to Own

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I'm a huge believer in the fact that beauty is a very individual thing. Some people (me) love makeup and everything about it but I appreciate that some people don't. This isn't mean to be a "buy these products or you'll look like the troll from Harry Potter" post, more like a "if you're going to use makeup, these are the type of products that are good to start with" post. So....
1. Brushes

I could talk about makeup brushes for years! There are so many on the market, and you don't necessarily need to spend a tonne of money for good quality brushes. The Jessup sets that you can find on eBay (which I own) are excellent starter kits and start from around $10. The one pictured here is the Real Techniques buffing brush, which is a favourite of mine. The Real Techniques brushes are awesome quality and are also fairly affordable. They're a great starting point for beginners and are fairly easy to find at either Priceline or online through iHerb.

2. A decent, versatile base

My go-to base is usually a BB Cream. They're easy to use and a decent one, like the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream, will also give you good coverage. They can be used alone, under foundations or under powders so you can tailor them to suit your needs.

3. A kick-ass concealer

The Maybelline Age Rewind concealer is THE BEST under eye concealer. It's lightweight yet still manages to brighten and cover even the darkest of under eye bags. You might prefer a creamier under eye concealer, or one with a different applicator but do yourself a favour and check this one out first.

4. A good powder

A good powder can be used alone as a fondation or on top of a BB Cream or liquid foundation for added coverage and shine control. The one picture here is the Nude by Nature Loose Mineral Powder. It's perfect for people with sensitive skin, as it's mineral based. Some powders can give medium to full coverage so you don't need to wear else under them. A good powder is a must for any makeup kit. 

5. An easy, peasy liquid eyeliner

Winged eyeliner can pull together anything from a super-simple look to an uber glam smokey eye. It does take practice but an easy-to-apply product like the Maybelline Master Precise will definitely help. This is my personal favourite liquid eyeliner. It gives a nice, solid black winged liner look that lasts all day. 

6. A red lipstick

Finding the perfect red lipstick for you is a process but once you've found it, it can complete any look. A good red lipstick can make you look polished, poised and put together. I like to go for a matte, long-wearing formula like the Rimmel + Kate Moss Lasting Finish collection. Kiss of Life (Shade 111) is my perfect red.

7. A killer mascara

A killer mascara is a mut-have, no negotiations! Everyone has their own prefecerence when it comes to brushes, formulas and application techniques so tracking down the perfect mascara for you can be a mission. One of my current favourite is the Scout Cosmetics Mineral Mascara with Fibres. The fibres stick onto your lashes giving you lashes for days! You can also layer this mascara alone or with another mascara for tonnes of volume.

What are your makeup must-haves?

Dani XO

Products in this post were provided as PR samples but as always, my opinion is my own.
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Monday 14 September 2015

Blog Sale!

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In the spirit of spring cleaning, I've had a clear out of my makeup collection. I didn't want all the products I no longer use to go to waste so, I'm having a blog sale! If you click through to the sale page, you'll be able to see all the details and (most importantly) what's up for grabs.

If you don't know where this is from, you're dead to me!
Happy shopping!

Dani XO
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Sunday 13 September 2015

Rant Pants: On Blogging

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Today's post is something a little outside my usual realms but it's something that's been bugging me for a while. In classic Dani fashion, I've decided to put my rant pants on, write a post about it and get it off my chest. Here's what's been bugging me lately...

When I first started my blog (a year and a half ago), I did it as a way to express my creative side and talk about something that I was interested in. I had very little idea how blogging actually worked, how big the beauty community was or how many amazing things would come my way as a result. Before I get into the nitty gritty, I do want to just say that by and large, I love the beauty community. I love watching YouTube videos, I love the blogger groups that I'm part of and I've loved being able to meet and mingle with fellow bloggers. 

However, as with most things in life, there are a select few who make it an unpleasant place. In the past year and a half, I've come across more and more people who want to hop on the blogger bandwagon for nothing more than the freebies. I've seen so many people recently asking how to start a blog just so they can get free products or what the best way is to ask PR companies for products etc etc etc and it really makes me mad! To me, and most of my fellow blogger, that's not what blogging is about. If you're in it for the freebies, then you'll quickly get bored. Blogging may be a hobby but it requires a lot of time and effort to produce good quality posts that people actually want to read.

A second point, why so much competition? Certain bloggers tend to get very bogged down with how well others are doing, who has been sent free stuff, who is making more money, how they are making it and so on. To use one of my favourite quotes, calm your tits! It's not a competition! We should be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down. The beauty blogging community is small enough that word gets around when someone is dishonest or not very nice to work with. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.  Leaving a nasty comment achieves nothing.
Which brings me to point number three: there are very few bloggers who make it to the big time. My guess is that most of them didn't worry about how many Instagram followers they had or how much free stuff they were getting. I've recently felt a lot of pressure to monetise or make my blog into a business. I'm not staying that's not an amazing and fabulous thing to do but I've realised that maybe it's not for me. I started blogging because it was, and still is, something fun that I enjoy doing and I'm more than happy to leave it that way for now. The odds of making it big in blogging are pretty slim, so why not just enjoy it because it's something fun to do? If you happen to get the opportunity to do amazing things, work with awesome brands and generally have fun at the same time then HOORAH! 
With that massive word vomit over, I do just want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog, likes my Instagram photos and watches my videos. I'm one of the bloggers unlikely to make it to the big time but I'm still having the time of my life being a blogger and writing about things that I love.
Dani XO
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Thursday 10 September 2015

Rimmel + Kate Moss Nudes

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If you're a frequent reader here, you'll know how much I love Rimmel. They've been killing it with new releases lately and the latest batch of newbies are spot on. I actually picked up one of these new releases in England and when I arrived back in Aus, there they were! So pleased that these are now avaialble here, they are so pretty that everyone deserves to own them.
Rimmel + Kate Moss Nudes in 42, 45, 48 ($12.95 each)

These come in the same packaging as the original Rimmel + Kate Moss lippies but with a nude instead of a red or black container. There are 5 shades in the range and I picked up 3 (hey, there was a 3 for 2 sale, what else could I have done?). 42 is a soft pink/brown nude, 45 is a nude pink and 48 (my favourite) is a really unique brown/plum nude. Every single time I've worn 48, I've been asked what I'm wearing, it's a really gorgeous colour.
In terms of wear time, these are part of the Lasting Finish range so they do wear pretty well. They have a semi-matte kind of finish and while you really don't need a lip liner with them, I would suggest pairing them with the Rimmel Lip liners in Natural, Cappuccino or Coffee Bean.

Swatches (top to bottom): 42, 45, 48
Dani the Girl gives the Rimmel + Kate Moss Nudes:
Have you tried the latest offering from Rimmel yet?

Dani XO
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Sunday 6 September 2015

JORD Wood Watches

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I have an obsession with watches that started many years ago with my very first watch, a Mickey Mouse number. I was so proud of it because it was my reward for learning how to tell the time. It had a bright red strap and Mickey's hands moved to tell the time. The watch has long-since been lost (RIP Mickey), but my love for watches lives on. My latest love is this pretty unique wooden watch from JORD.
This baby is the JORD Fieldcrest Watch in Maple, a beautiful maple wood and silver number. I love the chunky face, the raw wood links and the way it goes with pretty much every outfit. I've had non-stop compliments on this watch, which makes me love wearing it even more! Even the packaging was gorgeous, I'll definitely be finding a use for the little wooden treasure box that my watch came in. It's too pretty not to use.

I was a little hesitant about getting a wooden watch because I'm fairly clumsy and I was worried I might accidentally spill something on the raw wood and ruin it. Thankfully, this watch is splash-proof and can be treated with lemon or orange oil extracts to prolong the life. All JORD watches come with a 1 year warranty so if you're as accident-prone as I am, you don't need to worry.
You can check out the whole JORD range here or via the link below. They have a huge range of watches for both men and women and I can't recommend them enough.
What do you think of wooden watches?

Dani XO

Watch Gift Ideas

Products in this post were provided as PR samples but as always, my opinion is my own.  

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Thursday 3 September 2015

Thin Lizzy

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You might remember Thin Lizzy from "those" infomercials back in the day? Well I'm happy to report that Thin Lizzy has come a long way since then. I've been road testing a few star pieces from the Thin Lizzy collection and have been pretty pleased with most of the results. Here's what I've been using:
1. Thin Lizzy Concealer Crème in Duchess ($29.95

This is probably the product that I was most impressed with. It's a super heavy duty concealer that will cover anything from acne to tattoos but still looks and fees lightweight. It contains ginger extract to help heal and soothe red or broken skin. It's also water-resistant, making it the perfect tattoo cover up. I was lucky enough to see some of the Thin Lizzy products in action at a Masterclass and the tattoo cover up was probably the part that wowed me the most, so impressive!

2. Thin Lizzy Mineral Foundation in Duchess ($39.95)

The foundation is the product that I'm still on the fence about. I found that building up coverage took a little bit of effort, you can probably get to around a medium coverage. Because the powder contains mica, the more you buff it in, the glowier you get. If you love a dewy, glowy look, then this is definitely the powder for you. However, if you prefer a matte look, this powder is not your friend. I personally think it looks beautiful used as a finishing powder to give a little glow, kind of like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders. It would also be stunning for bridal makeup.


This is probably the powder that you would have heard the most about. The 6-in-1 powder can be used as a blusher, bronzer, face framer, contour, eye shadow and lip colour(phew!) and comes in a light and a dark shade. I wasn't expecting much but this powder has become a firm favourite for me, especially as a contour and face framer. It's perfect for people who don't like wearing a lot of makeup or who don't like using lots of different products. The 6-in-1 kit comes with 2 sets of the powder plus brushes, eyeliners and lip glosses. It's a pretty perfect catch-all kind of kit.

Dani the Girl gives the Thin Lizzy range:
Tell me what your favourites from the Thin Lizzy range are in the comments.

Dani XO

Products in this post were provided as free gifts for attending the Thin Lizzy Masterclass
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