Sunday 22 November 2015

Lacto-Free

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Ah summer! The season for ice-cream, creamy cocktails, cheese platters with wine and numerous cups of coffee to see you through the silly season. In short, all of the things that I can't eat because I'm lactose intolerant. 
What started at around age 15 with a disagreement with a block of cheese slowly progressed to include all of my favourite things: ice-cream, milk, cheese, cream, frozen yoghurt and pretty much all of the things I enjoy eating. Over the years, I've come to terms with the fact that I can't eat dairy. The fact that so many companies now produce really yummy dairy-free products and that most coffee shops now provide soy or lactose free milk (for a small fee) has also helped. But you know what? Sometimes, I don't want to refuse that mouthwatering cheese platter. Sometimes, I really want to eat my body weight in frozen yoghurt and sometimes, nothing makes life better than a tube of Ben and Jerry's.

Enter Lacto-Free ($19.99 for 100 pills). I was pretty skeptical that two teeny tiny pills before a jumbo cup of froyo would make any difference at all. I was fully prepared to spend and uncomfortable and cramp-filled night regretted my decision. But, surprisingly, they actually work! You just pop two pills from the discreet container (it looks just like a sweetener container) and then indulge away in all of your favourite and previously forbidden dairy treats. 

Most of the time, I do stick to my lactose-free alternatives but it's really nice to pop over to a BBQ and be able to eat the cheese and crackers without dying in a painful and gassy way moments later. I love that I can eat my favourite treat (frozen yoghurt) without worrying about where the nearest toilet will be. These things are honesty a God-send and I'll always be carrying some with me from now on.

Any other lactose-intolerant friends out there who have tried this?

Dani XO

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


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Wednesday 18 November 2015

NARS Eyeshadow Collection

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If you've been with me for a while, you might remember this post on my NARS collection. Since then, I've added a few new eyeshadows to my stash so here's an updated post on my NARS eyeshadow collection.

This baby is one that I included in my last post but it's too pretty to not include again. Strada is a beautiful lilac shade with an iridescent gold shimmer. It's not typically a shade that I would go for but it's just SO FLIPPING PRETTY! I couldn't leave it out of this post!

This eyeshadow was an absolute bargain! As it's a discontinued shade, I scored it at a very rare Mecca sale for $15! It's a special shade for me because Namibia is one of my favourite countries, I had the most amazing holiday there when I was younger and I'm reminded of it every time I wear this eyeshadow. It's a beautiful matte grey and reminds me of the awesome Namibian elephants that live in the desert. 
Swatches top to bottom: Strada, Namibia, Jardin Perdu grey and purple.

It seems I have a bit of a thing for purple and grey as this duo shadow is also purple and grey but these are both metallic. Both shades are really pigmented and the metallic finish is just stunning. These shades are very space-y and remind me of David Bowie. Also, Jardin Perdu translates as Lost Garden which just speaks to my soul so long story short, I love this duo. 
Image via Pinterest
Tell me what your favourite NARS shadows are in the comments.

Dani XO

Jardin Perdu was gifted to me by NARS but, as always, my opinion is my own. 
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Sunday 15 November 2015

Urban Decay Naked Smoky

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I'm back from a long and unexpected hiatus. Long story short, I thought I could manage uni, work, blogging and my occasional weekend job (and, let's face it, a pretty crippling addiction to Netflix) all at the same time. As it turns out, I couldn't. Now that I've finished with uni (THANK THE LORD!), I have a little more time, I have a little more time to devote to blogging.

I thought I'd get back into it with a bang and review the newest addition to the Urban Decay Naked family, the Naked Smoky ($81.00).
 I originally wasn't at all interested in the Smoky, I was more than happy with my collection of the Naked Original, 2 and 3....and then I started seeing swatches....Oh my glob! That basically sold me and I had to sprint to my local Mecca to pick one up. 

The packaging is a little different to the first 3 Naked palettes. It's very sharp and rectangular and I have to say, I LOVE the packaging with it's beautiful smoke spirals and silver text. The inside is very similar to the other palettes with a mirror and double ended brush included.
The actual shadows are arranged from shimmery to matte and include a much better range of colours than I originally expected. I was anticipating mostly greys, deep browns, blacks and blues and wasn't that keen. When I saw that the palette also included golds, bronzes, nudes and even a beautiful champagne shimmer shade (High) that's become a favourite of mine. The pigmentation is fabulous, fallout is minimal and I find that the shades are wearable for daytime looks as well as more smokey, nighttime looks. Compared to the first 3 palettes, Naked Smokey is cool-toned, much like the Naked 2 but with more cooler toned shades. Temptalia has much better swatches that I could manage so check them out here.
Shade L-R: High, Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor, Slanted and Dagger.
Shades L-R: Black Market, Smolder, Password, Whiskey, Combust and Thirteen.
Overall, the Naked Smoky has quickly become one of my favourites and is definitely giving the Naked 2 a run for it's money in the competition for "Dani's Favourite UD Naked Palette". The only reason i'm not giving this palette 5 stars is because Smoky is spelled without the "e" which really bugs me but *shrugs* M'urica, right?
Dani the Girl XO gives the UD Naked Smoky:
Did you add the Naked Smoky to your collection?

Dani XO
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