Friday Finds

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:

\\  I'm dying ver these DIY marble moon phase hair accessories!  //

\\  How cute is this DIY circle swimsuit cover up?  //

\\  I don't mean to alarm you, but cold brew cereal milk iced coffee!  //

\\  All the heart eyes at this peanut butter fudge ice cream cake.  //

\\  I'm loving these DIY dragon fruit soap popsicles. How cool!  //

\\  These DIY minimal floral chandeliers are stunning!  //

Happy Friday!

The Winter Skincare Edit

As a dry skinned gal, Winter is certainly no friend to my skin. Getting my skin in to cooperate is hard enough as it is during the warmer months without having to amplify everything by 10 when the temperatures drop.

But switching up our routines for Winter is essential, no matter your skin type. Whether it be simply switching from powder to cream make-up where possible or from light-weight skincare formulas to rich, creamy ones, or changing up your whole routine entirely, the toll that Winter takes on our skin can definitely be managed with the right know-how.

Cream Cleanser

I use a gentle cream cleanser all year 'round because that's just what works for me, but I always recommend switching from a foaming to a creamier cleanser come the Winter months as cream cleansers tend to strip far less of your face's natural oils which is a great way to tackle Winter dryness and irritation. The cleanser I use every single day is QV's Gentle Cleanser. It's milky and wonderfully gentle but still manages to break through makeup and grit, leaving my skin feeling fresh, soft and moisturized.

Heavy Duty Moisturizing

My skin is incredibly difficult so I have to use a variety of moisturizers, varying depending on whether it is morning or night, Summer or Winter. In the morning, I start off with a layer of The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5* and smooth Clinique's Moisture Surge* over that once fully absorbed. It works to repair the skin's moisture barrier over time, which ensures that my skin stays hydrated, even when out in the weather. I've been using ESPA's 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser** as an extra step on top of that (when I say that my skin is dry, I mean it). It's thick but layers wonderfully in which it doesn't leave my skin looking or feeling greasy, and is so very hydrating.

Winter nights call for heavy duty moisture, especially if you don't have a humidifier. I start off light with a few drops of Trilogy's Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+* and leave it to soak in for a few minutes. I then smother either FRESH's Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream, which has time-release technology - perfect for replenishing lost moisture, or ESPA's 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser** (yet again) all over my face. Right before bed (typically a few hours after my shower and moisturiser routine), I apply The Body's Shop's Sleeping Cream*. It's basically a face mask that sinks in enough to not stick to your bedsheets and gives me THE softest, plumpest skin come the morning.

Use a Facial Oil

Facial oils are worth the hype I promise you! Even if you have oily skin, I highly recommend a facial oil (rosehip is my favourite). It's not as scary as you think trust me. As I've already mentioned, I use Trilogy's Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+* every night and it make such a difference to the overall condition of my skin. On super dry mornings, or days when I know I'm going to out in the cold a lot, I'll even mix a few drops in to my moisturiser for an extra boost.

Hydrating Face Masks

Your skin will be so much happier if you make time for a weekly hydrating face mask (Sunday is my go-to pamper day). I like to use The Body Shop's Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask* when I'm looking for a plump, smooth and glowing finish. It's sticky and has the consistency of honey but gives me a nice amount of much needed nourishment. I also use LUSH's Oatifix on days that my skin feels a little irritated. It is soothing, calming and great for sensitive skin (although a little messy). I reach for LUSH's Cup O' Coffee when I'm after some brightening. It does contain Kaolin clay, but surprisingly, it works for me and smells amazing, too.

Lip Care

I don't know about you, but my lips get super dry and flaky throughout Winter. I carry a balm (look for balms that contain seed and plant butters and oils) around with me everywhere I go. My favourite lip "treatment" is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, hands down. It's thick and incredibly hydrating. I pop some on every night before bed for soft, nourished lips come morning. In addition to constantly being smothered in some lip balm or other, I also love to use a lip scrub to slough away any flakes, smooth any rough patches, and just generally maintain the look and feel of my lips. LUSH's lip scrubs are my all-time favourite (always bubblegum)! They taste amazing and contain moisturising oils to really condition the lips.

Body Care

It's not just your face that needs extra nourishment during the colder months - your body does too. I love to use Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Lotion** on my legs and arms after a shower - it's so hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth and moisturised without feeling greasy. I love to use their Cocoa Butter Concentrated Cream** on the driest parts of my body, too. Palmers products are amazing on sensitive skin (opt for fragrance free) and if you happen to suffer from eczema like I do, their products are absolute lifesavers! I've also been using ESPA's Smooth and Firm Body Butter** lately, mostly on my thighs and hips. It's such a thick, hydrating formula than sinks in quickly and leaves my skin feeling soft supple - heavenly.

Haircare

I like to class haircare as a branch of the skincare category too because I guess that we can technically call this step scalp care, right? Sure. Let's go with sure. I like to treat myself to a deep conditioning treatment once a week, typically on Sundays. I reach for Essano's Argan Oil Recovery Hair Mask to replenish any moisture lost due to the dry heat of the office heating system and give my hair a healthy, smooth shine. I also get quite bad static through my hair in the Winter - Redken's Frizz Dismiss Fly Away Fix Finishing Sheets* are amazing at combating static! They're basically dryer sheets.. but for your hair. Genius!

What are your most trusted Winter skincare switch ups? I'm always looking for new hydrating products to try!

Is there anything listed here that you'd like to try?

Some products mentioned in this post have been gifted to me, free of charge. This does not in any way affect my opinion. I will always give my true and honest thoughts and would never recommend anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in, paid for or not. Integrity is something that I value tremendously. Said items have been marked **

This post also contains affiliate links. I will always disclose such information with an asterisk (*) for full disclosure to my readers. Feel free to find and purchase these products elsewhere if you don't get down like that. :)

Friday Finds

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:

\\  All of the strawberry margarita jelly shots, please.  //

\\  This DIY rattan sunburst mirror is so cool!  //

\\  I have fallen completely in love with this sweet peach rose tart.  //

\\  How cute are these palm tree beach cupcakes?!  //

\\  S'mores with homemade flavored marshmallows and graham crackers sound delightful. //

\\  This DIY acrylic desk calendar is pretty nifty.  //

Happy Friday!

An Instagram Round-up: June 2018

If you've been following Christie's Take on Life for any amount of time, chances are you've been made aware of how much of a fan of Instagram I am. Even with all of the algorithm changes and the messing around, I still think that it's the perfect outlet for posting inspiration and little snippets of life, and seeing what my friends and favourite bloggers are up to. Nine times out of ten, my photos don't make it to my blog and that's a damn shame because I do love to see pretty pictures and share what's been inspiring me in turn.

Here's a recap of what the past month has looked like on my Instagram feed:

My first and only out-of-state holiday was back in 2013. 🙈 To think that I'll be surrounded by beautiful beaches far, far away in less than 3 months time is beyond exciting. #Travel #TravelGram #Whitsundays #WhitsundaysQLD #WhitsundayIslands #Wanderlust #IslandHoliday #Holiday #Vacation #IslandEscape #Explore #ExploreAustralia #SeeAustralia #TheWhitsundays #GreatBarrierReef #Beach #WhiteBeaches #BlueSea #FunintheSun #Getaway #IslandLife #Beaches #ExploreWhitsundays #IslandVacation #Vacay #BeachBum #BeautifulBeaches #BarefootWanderer #PackYourBags #SunSandSurf

A post shared by Christie Brown (@christieee__x) on Jun 3, 2018 at 2:21am PDT

I was excited about our upcoming Whitsundays holiday before, but since the weather has been pretty average here in Australia, I've been getting even more pumped for it. This picture was taken during my last holiday in Busselton, but it's of a beach so samesame.

Winter in the City. 🍁 #Winter #NewSeason #ChangingSeasons #Bike #AutumntoWinter #FalltoWinter #Fall #Autumn #OrangeLeaves #PushBike #Bicycle #FallenLeaves #Gloomy #MoodyGrams #StreetsofPerth #RainyDay #StormyWeather #PerthisOkay #PerthisOK #ColdWeather #Street #WinterWeather #GloomyDay #StreetPhotography #CityLife #CityLifestyle #HydeParkPerth #WinterVibes #GloomyWeather #WetWeather

A post shared by Christie Brown (@christieee__x) on Jun 5, 2018 at 11:02pm PDT

I'm actually quite proud of this moody shot - insert all of the smirk emojis here. it basically sums up what my days have looked like of late.

The sky is actually blue for the first time in what seems like forever today, so here's a colourful Priceline haul to celebrate. 🎉 🌈 #Makeup #Haul #Beauty #DrugstoreMakeup #Dupe #BeautyonaBudget #MakeupDupes #MakeupFlatlay #MakeupJunkie #MakeupHaul #BeautyHaul #Skincare #PricelineHaul #BeautyJunkie #Flatlay #Priceline #DrugstoreHaul #BudgetBeauty #Blogger #BeautyBlogger #BBlogger #AUSBlogger #AUSBeautyBabes #AUSBeautyBlogger #TreatYoself #TreatYourself #MOTD #AustralianBlogger #DrugstoreFinds #AustralianBeautyBlogger @pricelineau

A post shared by Christie Brown (@christieee__x) on Jun 14, 2018 at 8:13pm PDT

This was such an uplifting haul - I'm devastated for those who didn't get their hands on the limited edition palette. You can read my full haul post here.

Cold Winter nights got me like #Beauty #Relax #Pamper #BathTime #NightIn #BedTime #AtHomeSpa #Skincare #LUSH #BeautyJunkie #Flatlay #Blogger #NightsIn #BeautyBlogger #MakeupFlatlay #BBlogger #AUSBlogger #LUSHie #BusyDay #AUSBeautyBabes #Unwind #AUSBeautyBlogger #TreatYoself #TreatYourself #Mood #Calming #Goodnight #NightTimeRoutine #AustralianBlogger #AustralianBeautyBlogger @lush_ausnz

A post shared by Christie Brown (@christieee__x) on Jun 26, 2018 at 3:53am PDT

I wish that every single night looked like this, especially on weeknights. You can see my full post on relaxing after a long day here.

I love finding new accounts and inspiring feeds to follow on Instagram! Leave your deets in the comments or come find me @christieee__x!

Friday Finds

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:

\\  This DIY denim embroidery is simple but sure makes a statement.  //

\\  How adorable would this DIY basket backpack be during Spring?!  //

\\  How to add a built in bra to clothing is the DIY that I've needed in my life all these years.  //

\\  Edible flower popsicles would make such cute Summer get-together treats.  //

\\  Yes to everything about this sweet bourbon peach lemonade recipe!  //

\\  This blueberry quinoa cookie crisp is a sneaky way to add some superfoods to your day.  //

Happy Friday!

June 2018 Beauty Favourites

One: Maybelline's Brow Precise Perfecting Highlighter in 'Medium'

This was bought on a whim during a Maybelline clearance because I thought that it would make my morning routine a little easier and it does exactly that! It's basically a stick concealer with an angled tip that makes it so incredibly easy to clean up and sharpen around the brows. Just line, blend out with a concealer brush and you're off. I wouldn't call this a highlighter as the same suggests, though. The Medium shade matches my skin tone perfectly, making it easy to blend out seamlessly and I guess that I could have gotten a lighter shade to highlight but I didn't want a light border around the top of my brows (I guess you could use a lighter one underneath and medium on the top but honestly, who has the time). It's still a wonderfully handy product, regardless.

Two: FRESH Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream

You may have seen this featured in my "Products I Want to Try in 2018" post. I hauled it as soon as it became available in Australia and I can confidently say that I'm in love. It's perfect on my dry skin - it's thick and nourishing and smells lovely. I'm just getting over a bought of tonsillitis so the skin around my nose and mouth has been super dry and flaky and this has been so soothing on my red raw skin. It's gentle enough not to sting or irritate but thick enough to provide some much needed hydration.

Three: Palmer's Concentrated Cream**

This is the third time I've mentioned this cream in the space of 2.5 weeks (seen here and here). That's how you know it's a good un'. Winter has done horrible, horrible things to my skin this year but this cream has really come to the rescue! It contains a bunch of moisture-rich ingredients and is amazing on sensitive skin. It's also incredibly versatile - my favourite way to use it is over my feet (pop on some socks and wake up to beautifully soft skin come morning time) but I also love using it on the driest parts of my body; knees, elbows, ankles. It has a luxuriously thick consistency that melts in to the skin, leaving it feeling soft, nourished and protected.

Four: Morphe E41 Round Deluxe Powder Brush

Getting this to Australia ended up costing me so much but it was definitely worth it; It's my favourite brush in my collection for sure. It's huge, wonderfully soft and domed, and is the perfect density for diffusing powders evenly around the face (as someone with dry skin, a diffused powder application is essential). I mostly use it for lightly powdering/setting my entire face but it's also a great body bronzing tool as it's so large. The E41 is part of the "Elite" range so it's of higher quality than the non-elite brushes, hence the higher price tag but still an affordable option for sure.

Five: NARS Audacious Lipstick in 'Jane'

This is a favourite for the colour more so than the formula. or a summer makeup look. It is an orangey rose colour, almost a light-nude terracotta, that would be beautiful for Spring/Summer. Never one to stick to season appropriate shades, I've been wearing it all Winter, mostly because the creamy formula does not accentuate my dry lips. It has fantastic pigmentation and smoothly applies in one coat. It does transfer, as is expected of a creamy formula, but it's incredibly comfortable on the lips.

Products marked ** were gifted to me, free of charge. However all comments and opinions expressed are 100% my own. I would never promote anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in.

P.R. Mail First Impressions - Testing New Skincare, Haircare and Bodycare Products

Over the past few weeks, I have very kindly been sent a handful products to try. Beyond the fact that I am forever grateful that P.R. companies and brands are interested in hearing what I have to say about their products, I am also so very excited to have the opportunity to trial some new products over the course of the Winter months.

I like to give new products a good month or so of testing before I publish my thoughts, especially when it comes to skincare, but I've been using these products for a few weeks now, so I thought that I'd share my first impressions with you all today. I'll be letting you all know how I get on with the products after continued use. Definitely keep your eyes peeled for full, in-depth reviews in a couple of weeks time - they're on their way.

For the sake of full disclosure, all products mentioned in this post have (obviously) been gifted to me, free of charge. This does not in any way affect my opinion. I will always give my true and honest thoughts and would never recommend anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in, paid for or not. Integrity is something that I value tremendously.



The brand reps for Palmer's kindly sent a tube of Concentrated Cream and a bottle of Body Lotion for me to try. As a dry skinned gal, this package was much appreciated, let me tell you. I've been using both of these for a few weeks now (I very briefly touched on the concentrated cream in my "How I Relax After a Long Day" post) and I'm absolutely loving them both so far! Winter wreaks absolute havoc on my skin, so I've been using the concentrated cream on the driest parts of my body; I especially love applying it to my feet, popping on some socks and waking up to beautifully soft skin come morning time. It works wonders on places like elbows and knees, too. I've been using the body lotion on my arms and legs at night and it's been an absolute delight on my sensitive skin.



My package from RY.com.au contained three absolutely gorgeous products. RY has a special place in my heart - my very first ever Beauty Blender came from RY online back when I first started to get serious about make-up so I was thrilled to receive something from them.

I think that my favourite product of the bunch so far has been the ESPA 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser. Even if we ignore the fact that the packaging of this stuff is so luxe (LOOK AT IT!), I've really been enjoying this moisturiser! The texture is beautifully thick and rich and it has done absolute wonders to my dehydrated skin. I've had the flu for almost two weeks now, so my nose and mouth area were quite dry, sore and red. THIS DANG MOISTURISER has been the only thing that has given me a good amount of relief. No irritation, just soft, plump skin. I've been using it daily and will continue to do so - I'm loving it so far.

I've also been using ESPA's Smooth and Firm Body Butter. I've always been cautious of "firming" products because I think that you have to go in with the right mindset. Many people get stuck in the "this magical cream will remove all of my wrinkles, cellulite and stretch marks" ideal and end up disappointed. This cream claims to smooth and increase elasticity of the skin with regular use and although I do not expect this (or any) product to zap away all of my undesirable areas, I am excited to see if it helps to reduce the appearance of the couple of stretch marks that I have. Of course, I have not been using it long enough to see any crazy differences (I should do a before and after!) but I'm very curious to see how it goes! At the very least, this body butter is incredibly hydrating, sinks in quickly and leaves my skin feeling supple. Like the facial moisturiser, it has a thick, rich texture and is not all all waxy or greasy like many body butters tend to be (I'm looking at you, The Body Shop). Lovely to use regardless.

I think that the most intriguing product of the lot is the Grow Gorgeous Hair Density Serum. I know that a lot of you would be curious to see if this serum truly works (I'll definitely be doing a results post for you) because the struggles of thin hair are so real. My hair is quite thin and I'm constantly straightening it, so it's definitely on the damaged side of the scale. This claims to stimulate growth and improve hair density and volume, leaving your hair looking thicker and fuller. It has quite the impressive ingredient list, is paraben and sulphate free (tick!) and from what I've tried so far, it's a treat to use. I've been using it for a couple of nights now, on wet hair. I was a little nervous that it would leave my scalp looking oily, but that has not been the case when applying it to wet hair at all! I'll definitely be giving it a whirl on dry hair for comparison too. It's so very lightweight and my hair does feel a whole lot softer after application. I love the scent, too! To me, it smells like sexy men's cologne and I'm obsessed. To say that I'm excited to see how this performs long-term would be a gross understatement.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts? I'd love to know!

Would you like to try anything I've mentioned here?

As previously mentioned, I was sent these products in exchange for reviews. All comments and opinions expressed are 100% my own. I would never promote anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in.