So as I've been gabbling on about lately, I recently returned from a holiday to Melbourne and Brisbane.

I did a couple of posts based on the cosmetics and other beauty items I packed and took along with me, so I thought I'd give a quick run-down on how they performed.

Firstly, the makeup:


The only change here was that I did indeed take my Vani-T mineral powder that I used a couple of times which was great for light coverage, especially in Brisbane's warmer weather. I did have more make-up free days than not though! I also bought another Maybelline Hypersharp Winged Liquid Liner at Chemist Warehouse on crazy sale but the one time I tried to use it, I failed so it was swiftly removed. Otherwise, I was happy with this selection.

The rest:


I really liked the Enbacci exfoliating scrub* - super fine grains that were gentle but effective. I was wringing the tube out to get every last drop out by the end of the holiday!

The Wotnot facial wipes* were also really pleasant to use but I failed to note that this pack only contained 5 wipes which were swiftly accounted for so I ended up using my daughter's baby wipes after all.

The Palmolive Body Polish in Acai Berry* shower gel was good in the way that all Palmolive shower gels are, but I wasn't really a fan of the particularly berry-ish scent.

Only ended up blowdrying my hair twice, I think, but the Davroe Thermaprotect spray* still came in handy.

I used the Clinique Deep Comfort body butter a couple of times but I also picked up a nice body balm from the hotel I stayed at in Melbourne that was even nicer, so much so I was even using it on my face as the Dr Hauschka Rose day cream* was way too thick for my skin preferences. I tend to get milia seeds with really heavy creams so that was a miss for me.

Unfortunately, I also couldn't come to grips with the Davroe Blonde Senses shampoo and conditioner* - just couldn't work up a cleansing enough lather and my hair didn't feel adequately conditioned.

Solid performing favourites were of course the Lady Speed Stick solid deodorant , 
Moschino Cheap & Chic I Love Love mini and Batiste dry shampoo.

I didn't get to use the Bhave Gun Powder styling dust* or Enbacci pore minimiser* so I'll have to report on those at another date.

My skin and hair suffered a bit while I was away so I did enjoy getting home to all my full-sized regular products, I must admit. I had an actual PIMPLE on my jaw! Gross!!

Linking up with the Monday Makeup Madness and Midweek BeYOUty link parties.

* gifted items

This month I have been co-hosting the #SignatureStyleChallenge with Agent Mystery Case although to use that blogger prompt, I Must Confess it has not gone entirely to spec from my end.

At the time of planning the challenge a few months ago, I only had my Melbourne weekender on the cards, which later developed into a bit over a week in Brisbane as well, so my usual Insta style post routine and social media presence was out the window, not to mention my husband being home on long service leave for the whole month which has seen us doing other stuff instead of me having my usual blog planning time at home. And, despite my careful curation, my holiday style was literally a hot mess so none of that really worked out the way I thought - resulting in no photos. And if I can just have a final whinge; I am finishing a cold, I have a sore ankle and it's so cold and wet in Adelaide after sunny Brisbane that I can't even.

Okay, that's enough of my struggles. We have had some awesome Insta entries for our competitions - check out some of these sassy fashionistas:


1: Deep Fried Fruit, jdtfav, Kimbalikes, Away From Blue,
2: Em Hawker, The Illusive Femme, Loveface Lives, Lady Lambkin,
3: Toddlers Plus Teens, Bargain Bag Lady, In The Dress-Up Box, 5.Foot.Style

There is still time to enter both the #signaturestylechallenge and #shoulditstayorshoulditgo giveaways. For your chance to win a fabulous designer mystery prize, simply upload a snap of your Signature Style to Instagram with the hashtag #signaturestylechallenge, tagging in Almost Posh and Agent Mystery Case AND / OR upload an item from your wardrobe that you're not sold on, using the hashtag #shoulditstayorshoulditgo. Ends May 31 so plenty of time!

In other news, as I didn't get to share my posts while I was away across my usual spread of link-ups, I thought I'd list them out here if you're interested:

Holiday Toiletries & Hair Products: What I packed for my weave and bod.
Almost Posh On Tour: Tales of meeting up with other bloggers across the country.
Holiday Makeup: The all-important beauty case contents.
Signature Style Without The Guilt [guest post]: Dr Jen shows us with actual research (including a graph!) that budget isn't always bad when it comes to shopping ethically.
Posh Picks: Packing for ADL > MEL > BNE: My (mostly impractical) holiday capsule wardrobe.

Have I missed anything in your world while I've been away?

Yep, still on holidays #soznotsoz and sharing with you what I took away in terms of toiletries and hair prodz.

I've been lucky to have been gifted lots of travel-sized items lately so I can save on both weight and space without having to compromise on quality AND I get a chance to use them!



Lady Speed Stick solid deodorant
Enbacci exfoliating scrub*
Bhave Gun Powder styling dust*
Wotnot facial wipes*
Enbacci pore minimiser*
Palmolive Body Polish in Acai Berry*
Batiste dry shampoo
Davroe Blonde Senses shampoo and conditioner*
Davroe Thermaprotect spray*
Clinique Deep Comfort body butter
Dr Hauschka Rose day cream
Toothbrush
Moschino Cheap & Chic I Love Love mini

Not pictured: hairbrush and comb, toothpaste, hair ties, pins and my straighteners.

Here's what I packed in my makeup bags and this is the capsule suitcase I tried to create . . .

Linking up with the Monday Makeup Madness party!

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* kindly gifted

So I'm still on holidays and enjoying myself tremendously doing all manner of holidayish things, not least of which has been meeting up with some blogger peeps!

By the time you read this, I shall be in sunny Brisbane, having spent the weekend in Melbourne.

As you know, my Signature Style is all about the bargain but what is the real cost? I always thought of shopping ethically as a luxury, but was surprised (and pleased) to learn that budget isn't always bad. Today, Almost Posh is pleased to host this guest post tackling an actual serious fashion issue by Dr Jennifer de Livera, proper scientist and ethical fashionista.

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It was around three years ago that a garment factory collapsed in Rana Plaza, Bangladesh, killing 1136 people, and throwing the ethics of the global clothing industry into the spotlight. We all knew that sweatshops existed, but aside from a few high profile exposés, information on the ethics of any particular brand weren't readily available to the consumer. The Rana Plaza disaster made us all feel bad, but who knew what to do about it?



Clothes shopping starting coming with an unwanted free gift – the extra guilt^ on top of the usual money spent, storage issues and environmental impacts. This was really taking the shine off one of my favourite activities, so I began a guilt minimisation strategy that involved boycotting the few brands that were name-shamed in the media, and shifting to a fashion diet a little richer in pre-loved and vintage items. But when I did need/want to buy new items, I still had little information on the conditions of manufacture, and it bothered me. 

Then about a year ago I came across an ethical fashion guide which basically report-carded every brand you’d find in your nearest shopping centre based on the company’s policies, transparency, audit requirements and worker empowerment. I was shocked (but not really surprised) to discover that some of my go-to brands weren’t all that flash, but at least I now had the knowledge to make better choices. I also noticed that some of the more expensive brands were much worse than their cheaper counterparts. There really seemed to be no relationship between ethics and price, quality or style. And just in case you don’t believe me, I plotted the price of a plain white t shirt at a selection of the graded stores just to be sure:

Months and months ago, I organised a weekend away in Melbourne for a work reunion mid-May. After a couple of reshuffles due to family birthdays, school holidays and Mothers Day, we finally settled and locked in a date. Yay, holiday!

We get down the track and in a concurrent long story, we get the opportunity to cat-sit in Brisbane when my sister-in-law and her family go to Bali. My husband already had a month of long service leave booked for the month of May and I am always gagging for a holiday so of course I was all like:


via GIPHY
Naturally enough, the two dates coincided because LIFE but I was determined to make it work, which is why I will be farewelling the huz and the bubby as they fly to Brisbane, then heading back to the airport myself the next day and flying out to Melbourne where I will do my thing then fly from Melbourne to Brisbane two days later and then we'll all fly back together after a Brisbane holiday. Don't even think about robbing my house because we have a housesitter installed.

Throw in an oversized bike box and all the logistics required to facilitate said bike box and luggage and car seat and it's all getting complicated, right?

Well, let me tell you, it's nothing compared to working out what to pack for these significantly different climates involving a number of different occasions. I am useless at packing and usually end up with a selection comprising seven pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of ill-fitting jeans, a jumper, bathers, three scarves and a ballgown.

Adelaide is set to be 22 and mostly sunny on the day I leave, which is fine considering I'm flying out in the morning and only need to get from my house to the airport via car. Melbourne will allegedly be much the same and 21 which is great because I don't like wearing bulky coats on the plane. Having said that, you cannot trust Melbourne weather at all. AT ALL. And since we're going out at night for dinner AND a night game of football at the MCG (with night-time lows around 14) means I will almost certainly need something warm. I'm also catching up with Bron from Flat Bum Mum and some other Melbs ladies, so I need to be cute.

Brisbane weather is set to be high 20s and events will hopefully include more blogger meet-ups and journeying around with the family. Historically, I am not good at cute holiday style and tend to go for extreme casual comfort but I've tried to lift this time. It's just so hard to imagine warmer weather coming from the tail-end of (admittedly, a pretty mild) autumn.

So for 12 days away, here's what I've come up while trying to maintain my Signature Style:


[L-R]: Atmos & Here striped shirt, Target striped shirt, Best & Less top, Kmart top, other Kmart top (sorry about the cropping)


 [L-R]: Katies denim dress, Katies striped tunic

[L-R]: Rivers striped hoodie, Mix Apparel black soft pants, Bonds tee

Just in case this all turns out to be horribly wrong, I do have a date with the DFO in Southbank which I've been saving my shopping for. On the "Critical" list is a warm casual coat and boots both black and tan. Do I risk not taking any kind of outerwear in the hope of picking something up over there??

Have you got any holidays lined up? What are you like at packing?

Please note, Posh Picks will be on hiatus for the two weeks-ish that I'm away because holidays. Monday and Friday posts will continue as normal.

Almost Posh is pleased to welcome back guest blogger Bridie of Little & Plenty for a BoS collabo post today.

Over to Bridie first, with the more spendy picks:


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Let me just start by saying this.  If you're still using one of these to do your eye makeup . . . we need to talk.



Now that we have that out the way, let's get started.

I firmly believe if you're going to spend on your makeup at all, you should invest in a few key brushes. Using brushes prevents your products getting contaminated which makes them last longer and you also have the ability to create several looks with the same product, sheering out or packing on the same powders for different finishes.  I also like to think about cost per use economics, where the more you use a certain product, the cheaper it becomes!


via GIPHY That said, none of my 'binge' picks are truly the top end of town. More mini-binge . . . akin to popping a few eggs before THE MAN says it's Easter.

It's easy to spend a lot of money on brushes, but in some cases you're paying for the name on the handle rather than the brush itself.

BINGE

If you can only buy one face brush, you need something to put your foundation on with. Fingers are ok, but losing a heap of product into dry mitts can be annoying!  Paddle style brushes are good to get the initial product from bottle to face, but for a flawless, airbrushed look, you need to work it in deep! (For the love of all that's holy, please double cleanse if you do this!)

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki brush - $34.50


This isn't total binge . . . it's actually very well priced for the quality of the brush.  Synthetic fibre helps the brush distribute the product so it sits beautifully and is undetectable on the skin. Virtually no shedding and elegant looking, this brush is worthy of its internet raves and is a must-purchase.

MAC 227 Large Fluff brush - $60

This is actually quite a huge brush for eyes.  If you have small eyes it's possibly a no go.  It is large, fluffy and low on fizz so you can slam it down fast . . . wait . . . what?! It is a one-sweep wonder that will deposit a heap of colour over the whole eyelid, which is great when you're out of time in the mornings.  I usually follow it up with a MAC 217 to contour the lid and I'm done. This brush is a multi-tasker and can be used on other areas of the face if you're into faffing about with contouring your nose or highlighting.

MAC 187 Duo Fibre brush - $85


What hasn't been said about this brush? The MAC 187 is a must have.  It can apply all manner of liquid products; cream blush, powder, mineral makeup etc. This is the one brush you'd want on a desert island, because it's great at multi-tasking. It is a fickle beast though, so if you don't take care of it, it may shed hairs and leave you looking more Conchita Wurst than you'd prefer! Be gentle and the 187 will reward you with untold beauty.*

*not guaranteed.

Inglot 24 SS brush - approx $39AUD

This is a nifty double ended brush that is perfect for highlighting and contouring.  The pointed brush and soft fibres are great for building a subtle contour (helpfully avoiding the 'clapped in the face with two bricks' look that's getting around at the moment) and the smaller flat topped brush on the other end is great for highlighting on the high points of the face.



STINGE
Now it's back to me with the bargains. Although I do have a collection of MAC tools that I enjoy using, here are my pick of the cheaper brushes:

LE Kabuki Brush from Target US


This is one of the few items I bought in my huge cosmetics haul during my last trip to the States that didn't get left behind in my hotel room in Hawaii. I know. Five years later and the pain is still real. This is an excellent brush, dense and soft (insert ex-boyfriend joke here), and it's perfect for picking up mineral foundation and distributing it evenly and pleasantly over the face.

Exciting news!

Not only is this my 200th post but, in collaboration with Agent Mystery Case, I am super excited to present the "Finding My Signature Style" Challenge running throughout May with not one but TWO fabulous designer mystery prizes to be won!
Whether it's mum chic, girly glam, tough pretty, minimalist or maximilist, we usually have a defined sense of style we gravitate towards because it works for us. Well, Raychael and I want to see it (and we especially want to see it if you didn't fork out big bucks to achieve it). 

Read Raychael's post here at Mystery Case.