Sunday 18 October 2015

3 Manicure Secrets

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I love doing my nails, I'll paint my nails once or twice a week and I can't stand the sight of a chipped nail. Over the years, I've been through shellac, acrylics, regular nail polish, nail wraps and everything in between. I've managed to get doing my nails down to a fine art and I've picked up some pretty handy tips along the way. Here are 3 of my secret manicure products to make doing your nails just that little bit easier:

The first step to any manicure is getting rid of the old stuff and this is a magical invention that takes literally seconds. All you do is insert your finger, twist it a few times, pull it out and BOOM! No more nail polish! I also find that this lasts a lot longer than conventional nail polish remover, I guess cos you don't waste any pouring it out. It also works a treat at dissolving the glue in press-on or glue-on nails.


My friend and fellow blogger Cassie from Makeup Maniaah put me onto this stuff and it's life-changing when it comes to manicures. Technically, it's a nail hardener but I use it as a top coat. Because it's so strong and hard, my nail polish lasts for at least a week with only very minor wear. For someone who has to remove all their polish when they see the first chip appear, this is amazing!


For me, this is a Holy Grail product, it cuts drying time down to minutes. It comes with both a dropper and a little brush, I personally find the brush easier to use. One bottle of this lasted me about a year, a little goes a very long way. You just apply a coat or drop to your wet nails and they're touch dry in 20-30 seconds. They can still smudge though, but it means that if you need to be out the door in a hurry, you don't have to wait around.
What are your manicure secrets?

Dani XO
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Thursday 15 October 2015

Get The Look: Beach Babe Hair

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I don't know how long it's been since I did a hair-care related post, which means...it's time for another hair-care post! Since I cut my hair short last year, I've had to be a little more creative with my hair styling because "shoving it up in a bun and hoping people think it's stylish" is no longer an option. My favourite go-to look is beach babe hair; disheveled, loose and textured. Here's how I get the look:
These came in my last Parcel from Marie Claire and at the time I was a little bummed because I wasn't especially blonde. Then I found out that the shampoo was a purifying shampoo that removes product build up but also hydrates AND it's not just for blondes. Both the shampoo and conditioner are minty-fresh and leave my hair shiny and volumised, perfect for the beachy look.

I usually try to curl my hair the day before if I'm aiming for beachy waves, just because beachy waves look better (on me) once I've slept on them. I find that first day curls can look a little too "done" and not as effortless. I love this straightener because it doesn't leave those funny crimpy marks when I curl and you can adjust the heat settings to suit your hair and style.

3. nak Surf Styler ($19.50)
This stuff is a little weird and has a scent that reminds me of a My Little Pony I had when I was younger. It's definitely not a bad smell, just a little usual. This is a bi-phase spray, you have to shake it before use to mix the layers together. The spray is a little bit like a jet and tends to go everywhere so be careful! I like to either spray this through dry, slept-on hair to add texture or spray it on towel-dried hair so that it dries with a nice, effortless beach-babe texture.
What are your top picks for beach-worthy hair?
Dani XO

Products in this post were provided as PR samples.
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Sunday 11 October 2015

Keep Calm & Colour On

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Adult colouring books have suddenly become a huge "thing" and I am over the moon! I cannot draw to save my life but colouring in, I can do. Not only is it calming and soothing, but you end up with a really nice (well, depending on your skill level) end product that you can get really creative with and frame or display. I love that even though I'm not an especially good artists, I can still do something arty. I don't know what it is, but it's just a very calming activity. For anyone who get's anxious, this is the perfect activity. As I type this out, I'm colouring in and watching YouTube videos and it is perfection!

Here are my two favourite colouring books:

The Animal Lovers Colouring Book ($9.95) and the Hipster Colouring Book ($14.99).
I know this was a super short post, but I had to share something that I've fallen in love with.

Are you on board with colouring in?

Dani XO
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Thursday 8 October 2015

5 Thursday Things

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I was going to go with "Word Vomit" for a title, but Thursday Things seemed a little more appropriate. Today's post is just going to be a list of things that are on my mind or that have been happening to me.
1. Wedding planning is hard, especially when you're on a budget. This post pretty much sums up my experiences to date.

2. I cannot wait to be done with my Diploma. While I definitely don't regret going back to study, it's been an uphill battle. I just want my qualification dammit!

3. I wish I was a better cook. I always see such delicious looking recipes that then involve you needing to buy 7,000 unusual and hard-to-find ingredients or require you to stand at the stove stirring clockwise then anticlockwise then clockwise at 10 second intervals. My diet consists mainly of toast....

4. So many good movies are coming out and do you know when the last time I saw a movie was? It was the Avengers Age of Ultron.....before that I think it was the first Hobbit movie....oh, the shame!

5. One of my hobbies to to plan an entire holiday, flights, accommodation, even restaurants. Sadly, they are all imaginary as my current holiday budget is about $5. A girl can dream, right?

What's been on your mind lately?

Dani XO
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Monday 5 October 2015

Real Techiques Bold Metals

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I don't think there has been such a highly anticipated range launched in Australia for a very, very long time! Aussie beauty fans were drooling over these gorgeous metallic brushes for several months because, like pretty much other beauty launch, Australia is the last country to get anything. The drooling briefly stopped when we found out how much these beautiful babies were going to set us back (the soul of your firstborn child, the tail hair of a unicorn, moss gathered from the high reaches of an Albanian monastery by blind monks, etc etc) but when they arrived, they were so stunning that we simply forgot about the price...almost.

Real Techniques launched the Bold Metals collection in Melbourne (I live in Brisbane so I spent the night crying and stalking people at the launch on Instagram). I was lucky enough to get my hands on a couple of the brushes though and after playing around with them for a while, here's what I think.

I didn't have high hopes for this brush as it's generally not the type I like to use. I prefer the RT Buffing Brush or a beauty blender to apply my liquid foundation. After a few weeks of using this brush, I've decided that it works really well for thinner, lighter coverage foundation. They apply like a dream and the finish is beautiful. However, for creamier or heavier coverage foundations, these tend to leave streak marks, which was my initial worry. Given that I don't usually go for heavier foundations, this brush was an unexpected surprise and is a firm favourite.


I was also a little worried about this brush, it's pretty big for an eyeshadow brush. But again, I was very pleasantly surprised. It's size makes it quite versatile, meaning you can use it to pack shadow onto the lids or turn it to its side and use it as a crease or blending brush. Another winner to add to my collection.
Both brushes are super soft and the metal handles feel really weighty. They're also tapered with flat sides to stop them rolling off tables. The face brushes, the 100 series, are all gold, the sculpting brushes, the 300 series, are rose gold (and stunning) and the eye brushes, the 200 series, are silver. They are very expensive but if you're after a little bit of luxury and some great quality brushes, these are a great buy.

Dani the Girl give the Real Techniques Bold Metals Brushes:
Have you splurged on  any of these yet?

Dani XO

Products in this post were provided as PR samples.
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Saturday 3 October 2015

Spring Scents with AHAVA

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Cue the advent of spring and prepare yourself for 502,301,232 posts on new spring fragrances. Guilty as charged! Except that this fragrance is very different, it definitely doesn't fall into the usual basket of "celebrities releasing new scents in slightly different packaging just because it's spring". Technically, it's kind of not even a "fragrance" in the tradtional scent but that what I use it as and it makes me feel fresh and happy so we're all going to pretend it is.

I was lucky enough to receive a GORGEOUS Summer Essential package in the mail (you can check out my pic on Instagram @danithegirl_xo) and this was included. I was initially a little confused as to what it was but as soon as I opened it up and spritzed some on, I was in heaven. Technically, it's a body oil aka a moisturiser but I apply it (liberally) to my pulse points. The scent is just so fresh and yummy, I could literally bathe in this stuff.

AHAVA products are made with Dead Sea plants and minerals. This particular body oil is free from parabens, petrochemicals and all the other assorted nasties. There is a whole range of the Cactus & Pink Pepper scent too so if body oil isn't your thing, you coudl go for the hand cream or body wash instead. I definitely encourage you to try out this heavenly scent. It's the perfect spring companion!

Tell me what your favourite spring scent is in the comments.

Dani XO

Products in this post were provided as PR samples. 
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