Spicy Quinoa Pilaff with Vegetables

Spicy Quinoa Pilaff with Vegetables

Hi all

I recently made a meal with quinoa (first time i've tried quinoa!) 

It is a Spicy Quinoa Pilaff with vegetables.

Below are the ingredients in which I used for the dish and the process of it.

It tasted delicious! 

Please let me know in the comments if you have any other recipes with Quinoa in it or if you've tried this one!

P.S sorry about the photo quality, I snapped these on my iPhone

October Bellabox

October Bellabox

Hello everyone!

I'm back with another monthly review on my Bellabox subscription.

I was pretty happy with my October Bellabox, I've really put most items to good use.

This is the list of items I received:

 Firstly, I was curious as to see what this small box inside my Bellabox contained, so I got it out first and opened it straight away.

 It turns out it was a sample/travel size of Pantene shampoo & conditioner. This is the 3rd shampoo & conditioner I have received in a Bellabox however I don't mind a all as I get to try out all sorts!

I was actually quite pleased the the Pantene products-they smelt nice, left my hair feeling soft, and they last me 3 washes (and my hair is quite on the long side!).

 The next item I got is this 'Kester Black' fire engine red/orange nail polish. Every customer received one of these nail polishes as it was a gift from Bellabox for turning 3! I haven't used this yet-let me know if you have :)

The next item was super handy! I had been thinking about how I needed a handbag sized deodorant to put in my handbag as it's heading towards Summer here in Australia, and I got this Nivea one! I really liked the smell of it and the quality, however it didn't last very long at all.

 I then got a sample of hand cream by the brand 'MOR'. I have not heard of this brand before, and it only lasted one go so I don't have too much to say about this.

I got a small pack of Model Co samples which included face scrub, moisturiser, serum, and a face wipe. Loved them all especially the face wipe! One side is rough for exfoliation and the other is smooth. It worked really well.

Lucky last I got a full sized Rimmel Lip prodct, 'Vinyl Max'. I've used it a couple of times and it is very pigmented - I really like it!

It has a soft brush and a little goes a long way.

THIS VIDEO IS NOT SPONSORED-ALL PRODUCTS PURCHASED WITH MY OWN MONEY.

The Perfect Brows

The Perfect Brows

Sleek Brow Kit

As you all may know, I've been purchasing a few different Sleek products. My latest one is this brow kit.

The brow kit that I purchased is in the colour 'dark' and they all come with a mini pair of tweezers and 2 mini applicators for the powder and wax.

One thing that I find with all Sleek products is that they have reasonably sized mirrors in each product. This comes in really handy when you don't have access to a mirror for example you are touching up during the day/night or you are travelling.

On application, I found that the wax (the darker colour on the left) was a tad too dark for me. However, I haven't used it as much as the powder so it's still a 'trial and error' kind of thing.

The powder on the other hand is perfect! It matches my colour really well and a little goes a long way. I use my brow brush to apply the powder although you can use the mini applicator it comes with. It applies on the brows evenly and smooth, and is easy to blend from one spot to another.

Overall, I am once again very pleased with this Sleek product and would recommend if you were looking for something similar!

 INSTAGRAM: beautylifeau

DISCLAIMER: ALL PRODUCTS ARE PURCHASED WITH OWN MONEY AND ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN

Oh So Special

 Oh So Special ...

Sleek Eyeshadow Palette 'Oh So Special'

This is my first Sleek eyeshadow palette and I chose the 'Oh So Special' palette. What I love about this palette is that it comes with shimmery and matte colours therefore you can mix it up a bit when you're applying eyeshadow. I love the subtle pink colours in the palette and the dark shimmery ones also. I tried this out last weekend doing a pink eyeshadow look and it turned out beautifully! I absolutely loved it. In the look I used the colours 'Organza', 'Ribbon', 'Gateau' and 'Celebrate'. I would recommend Sleek products especially their eyeshadow palettes as they are pigmented and come in shimmery and matte, and they also have a variety of different palettes to choose from.

DISCLAIMER: ALL PRODUCTS PURCHASED WITH MY OWN MONEY AND ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN

Sleek Face Shape

Sleek Contouring and Blush Palette

Sleek cosmetics

Recently I invested in the Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette. Safe to say I was pretty excited to receive this in the mail after debating whether to buy it or not and where to purchase Sleek cosmetics from.

The palette contains a matte contour powder, a shimmer highlighting powder, and a shimmer blush powder. I purchased it in 'Light' and I believe it comes in light, medium & dark.

I am really happy about this product :)

I'd been wanting a good highlighter for a while now, and having purchased various liquid highlighters I decided I wanted to invest in a powder. I previously purchased a powdered highlighter and wasn't fond of it, but I LOVE this one! It's got the perfect amount of shimmer in it so you don't go 'Edward Cullen'-vampire-overboard. 

I'm also excited to talk about the contour powder. IT'S MATTE! Bronzers mainly come in shimmer and thus you can't really contour naturally with. The matte contour powder in the Sleek palette allows you to make your contouring look natural and again, not overboard on shimmer or unnaturalness. 

The blush isn't something I'd rave about, however I do really like it. The reason I wouldn't 'rave' about it is that you can find pretty, shimmer blushes in most places for reasonable prices. It's just a bonus that it comes in this palette allowing you to contour, highlight, and add a little colour to the cheeks with the pretty pink blush.

Another thing I love about Sleek products including this palette, is the packaging. I love the simple and 'sleek' packaging that the cosmetics come in and I especially love the mirrors inside. It means you can carry the products in your purse/handbag, or take it travelling with you. The mirror is a decent size, covering the entire length and width of one side, allowing you to get a good look at yourself and how you're applying your makeup.

Overall, I'd certainly recommend this palette if you can get your hands on one :)

DISCLAIMER: ALL PRODUCTS PURCHASED WITH MY OWN MONEY AND ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN

August BellaBox Opening

 August BellaBox Opening Haul/Review

 The Bellabox month of August theme was 'Sport'

I received a mini shampoo and conditioner from the brand 'Organix'. These are coconut scented so if you like coconut, then you'll fall in love with the smell of these! I have long-ish hair and I've been able to get 4 washes out of these small travel sized containers. Overall I like the finish of the shampoo and conditioner, however not enough to make me want to repurchase them. 

 Next item is a full sized hand sanitiser. The best thing about this sanitiser is that it does not smell like alcohol. It's scented with Kakadu Plum and Vanilla, making it smell really good and doesn't leave the taste or smell of alcohol on your hands. It's also a spray which is really easy for application and although it is a full size, it's perfect to fit in your handbag or take for travel. I'd recommend this product and probably repurchase it.

I got another nail polish this month, from the brand 'Maybelline'. I actually haven't tried this product yet because I'm a serial nail biter so nail polish just doesn't suit my short nails. However, I love the colour (it's perfect for the coming seasons in Aus- Spring & Summer) and it's another full sized product.

Another nail product- this is a full sized Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. It smells delicious and the packaging is cute and simple. This product itself is pricey for the amount- $14.95 AUD. However again, I don't usually do much to my nails therefore a little pointless for me to have.

 A sample product I received is the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E. This is a really yummy smelling, moisturising, cocoa butter for your skin. It was only a small sample size so I didn't get much out of it-only one use. But I really enjoyed using it. It smells and feels great on the skin.

The last product I received in my Bellabox was a travel lip brush by the brand 'Eco tools'. I am yet to use this, but as you can see in the following pictures it's definitely handy for the stated use: 'travel'. It contains a lid which is also great even if you aren't travelling because lip brushes get sticky if you don't have time to clean them straight away after use, and if you forget they begin to collect dust!

 

  

Overall, I wasn't 100% impressed with this months box due to getting more nail products when I'm not a nail fanatic, but in saying that I did receive some good products and a few full sized ones which makes up for the money. I'd probably rate the August Bellabox 6/10. Not my favourite, but definitely not worth unsubscribing.  

 Here is a list of what was in the box along with the prices for each of the full sized products:

If you want to sign up for Bellabox click this link: https://bellabox.com.au/

You get $5 off your first Bellabox after signing up, no coupon code needed. After that it's just $15 AUD per month and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Let me know what you got in your Bellabox from August! :)

My links

Instagram: http://instagram.com/beautylifeau

eBay Store: http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/meglawin

DISCLAIMER: ALL PRODUCTS PURCHASED WITH MY OWN MONEY AND ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN

UPDATE: Instagram

Hey all! :)

Just an update. I have recently created an Instagram account for my followers. It's just another resource to my blogs :) 

Would really appreciate it if you went and checked it out and even gave me a follow! 

Thanks :)

Instagram: http://instagram.com/beautylifeau