Bondi, Bondi, Bondi

GOOD THINGS COME IN THREE'S

It's no secret to anyone if you've caught my recent updates on Instagram and Twitter that I'm relocating to the beauty that is Australia in the next ten weeks and four days - you know, not that i'm counting or anything. So in between planning everything and making bucket lists of the things I'm going to do as soon as I get there, i've been searching for new fashion and lifestyle brands that I want to involve myself with. It's true when people say that good things come in three's, because that's exactly the case for this post - and each one has something to do with Bondi/Sydney.

Photo credit: VDM instagram - @marialitiziaxo

The first one I want to rave about is Warpaint. In case you've been living under a rock for the past few months, charcoal has risen from the ashes - mind the pun - and into girls beauty cabinets everywhere. The activated properties in it prove amazing for not only your skin, but your teeth as well. And that's where Warpaint comes in. This little black pot is going to become your saviour for the remainder of time; especially if you're an avid coffee drinker like myself. I've only been using the product for five days now, but even from the first use I could tell my teeth seemed a lot brighter and felt surprisingly clean. Any annoying little stains I had on my teeth are now practically gone, so I can't wait to watch them get whiter the longer I use this product! 

So how do you use it? Well the charcoal is in a loose form within the tub; you take a wet toothbrush, dip the bristle tips into the powder and brush your teeth in circular motions for two minutes. Then spit carefully (it gets EVERYWHERE) rinse and that's you done. You can use it as often as you like (i've stuck to twice daily - morning and night) and there's no need for additional toothpaste as the charcoal has properties which strengthen enamel, get rid of bacteria and balances the ph in your mouth. The charcoal is tasteless, so if you're like me and like that fresh minty taste after brushing your teeth just use some mouthwash afterwards. The cost is $55 AUSD which works out about £29 or there abouts, but shipping is free and this is going to last you months, so it's definitely worth it. 

Photo: VDM instagram @marialitiziaxo

Next in my little trio of perfection is Bondi Sands. If you're a pale little ghost like myself, then you'll understand the absolute struggle of wanting to be tanned and lovely but burning to a crisp if you try sunbeds/sunbathing. Or you know, if you live in England where warm weather in nothing but a myth these days. Self tanner seems to be your only option, but they either make you smell like a digestive biscuit, or leave you looking like you've had a fight with some orange paint and the paint won. Well fear no more, because I've found the holy grail. Bondi Sands is the tanning range that dreams are made of. You can choose a lotion, mist or foam in either light/medium or dark and wash it off in as little as an hour if you're really in a hurry. I chose to try the light/medium foam, just because 1) foam is SO much easier to apply and dry and 2) I'm extremely pale and didn't want to go straight to dark in case it didn't mix well with me. After applying one coat, I had a bit of a dance around to Drake in my bedroom for 30 minutes and applied a second coat. My initial thoughts were that the product smelled of coconuts and was amazing. Like, seriously good. My flatmate/best friend even walked into the room and asked what I had just sprayed because she wanted some. After applying the foam I let it dry for another 40 minutes and went to bed to catch up on some beauty sleep. Eight hours later I wake up and can't get over how tanned I look - but not in an obvious 'oh she's just put fake tan on' kind of way. This really did look browner than any other foam i've tried so Bondi Sands was getting serious brownie points by this point. I also noticed that it still smelled amazing, even after developing. One other thing I noticed was that the tan on my hands looked as natural as self tanner can get, and wasn't clinging to my knuckles or wrists the way that other tans tend to do with me - no matter how much I moisturise prior to application. All in all, i've decided that this product is going to be my favourite thing for the remainder of time and I'm just so glad that it's now available in Superdrug in the UK so that I can pop into town whenever I run out. For £14.99 I can't get enough of it.

Photo credit: B O N D I V E N U S instagram - @bondivenus

Lastly, a Bondi piece inspired by foreign shores. Bondi Venus is the Aussie swimwear brand that I've been lusting over ever since I planned the move down under a few months ago. From the models they choose for shoots, to the location and the one piece/bikinis on offer, everything about the brand is sexy, stylish and everything I would want in a swimwear brand. There were so many styles to choose from, but in the end I went for the black (obviously) MIAMI one piece, which has super low V back/sides. I don't normally wear a one piece if i'm on holiday etc, but I fell in love when I saw this and thought that it would look really great as part of an outfit as well as just something to wear to the beach. It's priced at $49, with a $22 shipping charge to the UK, but if you use the promo code CHEERS at checkout it should take off $25 for you; so you are effectively getting free shipping a little extra off the price too. I can already tell that I'm going to have so much fun with this little number already - and probably other pieces that I'll undoubtedly be buying.