My Skin Saviour: Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

I've stated in a previous blog post that my skin gets extremely dry during winter. I received a sample of Lush's Ro's Argan Body Conditioner in a monthly subscription box and was extremely impressed with the results! It usually takes consistent moisturising on a daily basis to make sure my skin doesn't get to that ugly dry state. To be honest, I can find moisturising every night to be quite laborious (talk about lazy!). 

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is like a hair conditioner, but for your skin! You apply this at the end of your shower on damp skin and let it sink in for a couple of minutes before washing it off. It leaves your skin soft and moisturised, so say goodbye to that dry skin of yours because it literally disappears after one use! And the best part? You totally don't need to moisturise after! Big win! The texture is like a thick moisturiser and it smells like roses, so if you don't like the smell of roses I'd probably stay away. But for me, I love the scent. I use it on a weekly basis, but more if my skin needs some added moisture. I will usually use my DIY Coffee Scrub (Link to my recipe!) to exfoliate, followed by my Soap & Glory Clean on Me Shower Wash (which smells amazing!) and then this body conditioner. The result? Baby soft skin :)

At $32.50 for the 225g tub, it's not the cheapest thing but it does it's job extremely well and lasts a decent amount of time! I've had mine for a couple of months and I haven't even hit the halfway point. Definitely check it out if you suffer from dry winter skin blues like me!

Jess xoxo

Camberwell Market Haul!

If you are from Melbourne, you are most likely familiar with the Camberwell Market. This market is held every Sunday from 7am till 12:30pm and is located on Station St in Camberwell. It can be a treasure trove filled with second-hand and hand-crafted goods, from clothing and accessories to candles and soaps. I find that this market can be hit or miss and it really depends on what everyone is selling. I recently went to a Camberwell Market with my friend from 'The Secret Garden of Eve'  and picked up a few goodies at some great prices! 

Clothing

This blazer was $1! Can you believe that?! Talk about a bargain! I'm not the biggest 'pink clothes' fan and come to think about it, I don't have anything pink in my wardrobe, but this blazer is a beautiful light, dusty pink that fits me extremely well and for $1 how could I refuse??? Plus, I can see it now with some light denim shorts and a white blouse. Can you tell I'm already wishing for summer even though we haven't hit winter yet?!

These light denim shorts were $5 and fit me around the waist, but I'm not entirely convinced about the cut. They were a bit baggy when I tried them on at home and I'm not quite sure if the cut is for me. 

Can we see a summer theme here?? I really did try to find winter clothing but I guess it just wasn't meant to be that day! This white lace dress is a size 4 from Forever New and looks brand new. It's not too long and not too short (hits me around mid-thigh on my 5ft tall self!) This will be such an easy-breezy dress in summer and was only $3! 

Accessories

The most expensive item of the trip was this tassel necklace, which was $7. It was on the pricier side for the markets; however, it's totally on trend and fell in love with it straight away. I couldn't leave it there! I'm also considering detaching one of the tassels and making it a single black tassel necklace which would be a good layering piece and great for casual days :)

This silver statement necklace was $5 and will be perfect for those basic outfits.. think skinny jeans, white t-shirt/blouse and a black blazer, which often tends to be my go-to outfit when I don't know what to wear! I love how accessories can bring life to an outfit!

I'd have to say that my favourite purchase was the light pink blazer. Whilst I have blazers aplenty in my wardrobe I have nothing in this colour and it was a steal at $1. 

Anyway, that concludes my Camberwell Market Haul!
Until next time,
Jess :)
xoxo

What's on the breakfast menu?

I have been making this toasted museli fortnightly for almost the last year now. I love museli, but I find that the ones in the grocery stores quite expensive for the amount you get and I never feel that there are enough of the good stuff (i.e., dried apricots!). So hence, I sought out to make my own. It works out cheaper and I can add what I like in it. The following recipe is my preference; however, tweak it to your liking! 

Ingredients
- 3 cups of rolled oats (I use Lowan Wholegrain Rolled Oats) 
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut (I use Macro Shredded Coconut which you can find at Woolworths
- 1/2 cup of pepitas
- 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup of almonds
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp of 'honey syrup' (1 tbsp of honey melted with 1 tbsp of hot water)
- 1/4 cup of dried fruit (I use a mixture of sultanas, dried apricots and dried pears)

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius 
2. Add the rolled oats, shredded coconut, pepitas, sunflower seeds, almonds and cinnamon into a bowl and mix together
3. Add in the honey syrup and mix well
4. Lay the museli out onto a baking tray in one even layer 
5. Bake for 10 minutes and then stir the museli around to avoid burning it
6. Bake for another 5 minutes; however, keep checking back on your muesli - you don't want it to burn!
7. Let your toasted museli cool
8. Finally, mix in your dried fruit
9. Enjoy!

Mine lasts for 1-2 weeks in my household :)

Jess 
xoxo

Beauty Sale Pick of the Week!

So I've had a little scour through the e-catalogues and besides the Chemist Warehouse sale that I posted about last week (see the post here) that's still on till May 30th, Priceline have a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale on all Revlon nail and lip products! I personally love their lip butters and have built up a bit of a collection (post to come!). I also have quite a few of Revlon nail polishes.. but my nail polish obsession is for another time! Check out their recent catalogue here - Link! Sale is from Thursday 23rd of May till Monday 3rd of June.

Please let me know if you come across any other amazing sales!

Jess 
xoxo

Colours of the Rainbow TAG!

Hi All,

So I've been watching a lot of the Colour of the Rainbow Tags on youtube lately. If you are unfamiliar with this tag, this tag was created by Becky from TalkBeckyTalk on youtube. The idea of the tag is that you have to list you favourite beauty or fashion item for each colour of the rainbow, with the addition of pink! 

Let's get started!

Red
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

This top coat has been in my nail collection for quite a few months now. I was tossing up between my beloved red nail polish or this top coat for this tag. I settled on this top coat because without fail, it doesn't matter what nail polish I'm using, I will always finish it off with this. Admittedly, it is not the fastest drying top coat but it definitely reduces the drying time and leaves my nails with a nice shine when it's dried. 

Orange
Illamasqua Blush in Lover (Top Blush)


I loveee me some blush. I would choose blush over bronzer any day. I really do believe it adds 'life to your face' as they all say. This colour came in a blush duo along with the colour 'Lover' (bottom blush), which sidenote, is also amazing. It's the perfect peach colour for my medium olive skin tone and I gravitate towards the blush at least a few times a week!





Yellow 
L'Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil


This product is marketed as nourishing hair oil for all hair types and contains avocado and grapeseed oil. I use this product two different ways - sometimes I will use both ways on the same occasion and other times I will just use one method, depending on what I feel my hair needs that day

First Method
I dispense 1 pump of this product into my hands and apply it to the mid-lengths to ends of my damp hair. I then blow-dry my hair as normal. I find that when I use this product my hair is a lot softer and silkier. 

Second Method
I dispense 1 pump of this product into my hands and apply it to the mid-lengths to ends of my dry hair. I find that this helps to add shine, softness and eliminates frizz. 

Green
Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical


Within the last 6 months I have changed from washing my hair everyday to every second day. I know it's bad to wash your hair everyday but I found that my hair was too greasy to leave it a second day. However,I have to say that after a couple of months of not washing my hair everyday, it seemed like my hair was getting "used" to it and appeared less greasy than when I first started washing it every second day (maybe it's just me?!). Nevertheless, my hair can still get greasy on the second day and this dry shampoo is a life-saver. It definitely reduces the oily build-up (ew!) in my hair. I've tried different scents from the brand, but prefer this one. It smells like coconut!

Just a word of warning, This dry shampoo sprays out white. Having black hair this is definitely not ideal. As a result, I spray this at least 20cm from my head, underneath the top layer of my hair and at my roots. I find that by not spraying it directly to the top of my 
head, if there is any white residue it can't be seen. I 
leave it for a minute or top, rub it in with my hands and 
then brush it through. 


Blue
Sally Hansen Nail Polish in Pacific Blue


There's a lot of hype surrounding this nail polish, and with good reason. It's the perfect 'happy blue' as I like to call it. Perfect against tanned skin and for the summer (I am so jealous of anyone who is heading into summer right now!)














Indigo
My 'Indigo' Dejour Jeans


As someone who is stands at a whole 5ft (and a half!), it is so difficult to find jeans that fit me properly. If you have the same problem and live in Melbourne, I highly recommend Dejour Jeans. They are located on Sydney Road, Brunswick and do have a facebook page so check it out! Basically, their jeans are all around $50 and they have jeans for both men and women. The beauty about Dejour Jeans is that they tailor your jeans to fit you on the spot .. at no extra charge!! It also doesn't matter if the jeans are one size too big.. they will alter them to fit you perfectly. $50 for tailored jeans is one of the best deals I've 
come across. 

Violet
Michael Todd True Organics Blue Green Algae Toner


Not a very appealing name with 'algae' in there but definitely a lovely product. I use this in the morning after my cleanser. It smells like lavender and leaves my skin feeling refreshed in the morning. It's marketed as an antibacterial toner that helps to eliminate toxins, nourish and clear the skin. I feel like it has improved the clarity of my skin since using it and that's always a winner in my books. 










Pink
Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie


I know this isn't technically 'pink', but I couldn't do this tag and not put it in. It's the perfect berry colour for my skin tone and I literally use this everyday for work. It glides on easily and leaves behind a nice stain when it wears. It doesn't have the best staying power but with dry lips like mine, I'm willing to choose moisture over lasting power any day. Mine is on it's last legs, but when it's finished I will definitely be repurchasing. Revlon lip butters are one of my favourite lip products of all time. 









Multicoloured
Tweezerman Mini Tweezers


These are definitely the best tweezers I have used before and it seems to pull it even the smallest hairs. Enough said really!












So there you have it!
My Colours of the Rainbow Tag. Hope it was helpful to at least one of you :)

Hope you are all having a lovely day,
Jess
xoxo

DIY Coffee Scrub!

As promised, here is the recipe for my DIY coffee scrub! 

I love my coffee, it's a fact. Having a love for coffee generally means that there is endless supply of coffee grounds available in my apartment.. so instead of throwing these out, I turn these grounds into an amazing body exfoliator!

What will you need?

-   ½ cup of ground coffee

-   ½ cup of brown sugar

-   2 tablespoons of almond oil 

-   1 tablespoon of cinnamon

-  mixing bowl

-   spoon

-   jar for your scrub!

Benefits

Now before we get started, let’s quickly run through the benefits of these ingredients. First up, coffee. Caffeine has been reported to remove impurities, decrease inflammation and redness, firm and tighten the skin, decrease appearance of cellulite and improves skin complexion. Ah-mazing!

Next, almond oil has been reported to delay the process of skin ageing, smooth and soften skin and improve your skin complexion. 

Lastly, cinnamon has been reported to reduce inflammation and stimulate blood circulation. 

Putting it together! 

Okay, so now let’s move onto making the scrub! This is so simple you probably could do it with your eyes closed! My recipe is a rough guide. You can add more oil if you prefer that consistency, increase the amount of coffee grounds and brown sugar if you prefer a more grainy texture, or increase/decrease the amount of cinnamon. 

1.    Mix the coffee grounds and brown sugar together in your mixing bowl

2.    Add the cinnamon (leave this out, if your skin doesn't agree with cinnamon as it can be an 
       irritant to some people)

                                     

      

      3.     Stir in your almond oil

      4.   Mix till well-combined

      5.   Fill your jar up with this amazing scrub!

Voila! Your DIY Coffee scrub is done. It is definitely super easy to make and is just as effective as all those expensive scrubs in stores. Just lather your skin up and scrub away!

Other Variations

Mocha body scrub
Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder instead of the cinnamon 

     
Peppermint mocha scrub
Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder AND a couple of drops of peppermint oil  

     
Let me know if you try it and if you have any questions just comment below or email me on yourdailybreak@gmail.com

     
Happy Monday everyone! 
Jess 
xoxo

We all love a good beauty sale...

There is nothing like a good sale right?! 

Living in an apartment block as opposed to a house means that I miss out on all those catalogues. I know some people like to place those "no junk mail" stickers on their mail box.. but if it were up to me I'd have all of that junk mail in my mail box so I can troll through those amazing sales! Lucky we have the internet to look at the catalogues online. Speaking of which, I have stumbled upon some amazing specials. 

First up, Priceline. Gosh, I love Priceline. It serves all my beauty needs - haircare, skin care, beauty, you name it.. they'll most probably have it. This week the top specials are:

• Sally Hansen: Half price off of all Sally Hansen Nail Colour, Treatments and Beauty Tools
• Rimmel: $10 mascaras and 2 for $10 nail polish
• L'oreal: 20% of all eye and lip products
• Revlon: $10 off all the Photoready range

The sale is from the 14th of May till the 20th of May. 

Link! to the E-catalogue.

The second place for amazing sales this week is Chemist Warehause. Wait for it...

HALF PRICE off the entire range of Rimmel, Maybelline, Revlon and Sally Hansen till the 30th of May. Ah-mazing! In my experience, products seem to go like hot cakes when Chemist Warehouse have these massive sales, so I say scurry on down to your nearest one ASAP! 

Link! to the E-catalogue.

Happy Shopping!

Jess

xoxo

Product Disappointment: Priceline Cotton Pads

Now who would've thought cotton pads could be disappointing? Not me! Until I bought Priceline's round cotton pads. I know what you may be thinking.. a cotton pad is a cotton pad, which is EXACTLY what I would have thought before these. The Priceline cotton pads tend to "ball" up when you use them and leave cotton all over your face. Not a pretty look if you ask me and definitely a no-go if you are in a rush! It doesn't matter if you are taking off make-up or using toner, "cotton-face" is inevitable. I've tried using less pressure but alas, this did not work. I've tried Swisspers, Target and K-Mart cotton pads before and have never experienced this problem. So I would recommend purchasing those instead. 

I will use these up since I did buy them; however, will I purchase these again. Na-da! 

Hope you are all having a lovely Wednesday!

Jess 

xoxo

Winter is upon us...

There is no doubt in my mind that winter is looming. Melbourne days are much shorter, the frequency of grey clouds is increasing, the cold chill that bites your face in the morning is appearing and the rain has started to fall. 

This is when I start wishing for summer to come back again! It's funny really because when we have those scorching hot summer days I wish for winter.. and now that winter is coming I am wishing for summer! I'm sure everyone gets that feeling!

Nevertheless, there are some great things about winter including hot chocolates, fuzzy blankets and pyjamas, oversized knit and ankle booties. Those are the things I love about winter! I also love watching the Tour de France. Call me crazy but watching those men race in lycra is actually really interesting and entertaining, particularly when they are racing towards the finish line. I blame the bf for this (recent) interest...

One thing I also love during winter is using my DIY coffee body scrub. My skin tends to get extremely dry - face, body and lips. This scrub helps keep the dry skin at bay. I will be posting the recipe for my coffee scrub very soon so keep an eye out! 

What are some of your favourite things about winter?

Jess
xoxo

Your Daily Break

A collection of everything and anything. From skincare, makeup, hauls to DIY's and random bits and pieces! 

I have been wanting to start a blog for the longest time and have now plucked up the courage to create one! Stay tuned for more posts.

xoxo Jess