WHAT'S IN MY TRAVEL MAKE UP BAG.......

Hello Make Up Lovers! 

 

Last month I travelled to Kingfisher Bay, Fraser Island for a wedding and I was lucky to have the bride arrange for me to stay the night prior, so while I was packing my make  up bag I thought I'd take a few snaps of what I took with me......

 

 

I didn't take a great deal of products with me as I was only staying one night and when I'm working I tend to keep my look pretty minimal.  My make up bag is a Revlon one and came with 3 different sized bags, on this occasion I only took the large and medium bags with me.

The medium sized bag held the brushes I took with me, the brands include Sigma, ecoTools, Urban Decay and elf.

The large make up bag holds all my make up and also the bag that includes my brushes!

So I guess the whole reason you're reading this is to see what products I packed.....

Face
Rimmel Stay Matte Primer
L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation in N4 Pure Beige
Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream for Oily Skin in Medium
Maybelline Fit Me Stick Foundation in 330 Toffee
Chi Chi 3 in 1 Eye Concealer in Light
Australis Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder in Darkest Brown
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Anastasia Beverly HIlls Contour Palette

Eyes
NYX Eyeshadow Base in Skintone
Physicians Formula Eye Booster Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Brown
The Balm Rockstar Palette "Balm Jovi"
Lancôme Hypnose Star Mascara in Black
Physicians Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Black
Physicians Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Nude
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown
Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium

Lips
Gerard Cosmetics Lipgloss in Coral Craze

So now you've peeked into my travel  make up bag.......what's in yours?

x

Empties........What Products I've Used Up and Will I Re-Purchase?

Hello Make Up Lovers! 

 

I'm on a roll with my posts!!  I've been collecting all my empties for the past couple of months and today I'll show you what products I've used up and if I will be re-purchasing them...... 

 

Empties!!

 
I'm going to split the products up into Face, Body and Hair......

FACE:

Q10 smartskin Anti-wrinkle Night Cream - I've loved using this night cream and I feel it's really helped my skin out, it's nice and thick, but not greasy, I've already repurchased this.

Garnier Perfect Blur 5 Sec Smoothing Base Perfector - I liked this product, I felt like it blurred out my pores and fine lines, I haven't repurchased it yet, but I  probably will.

Woolworths Select Face Sunscreen Very  High Protection SPF 30+ - I love this face sunscreen, it  doesn't break me out, it's matte, it's lovely under make up, I've already repurchased two (you can never have enough back ups of a favourite  product)

Nivea Pure Effect Thermo Daily Warming Cleanser - I picked this up in winter with a coupon from Priceline, while I liked the product, I don't think it did anything amazing for my skin, I probably won't re-purchase.

Garnier Pure Active Deep Pore Unclogging Wash - I loved this cleanser, used with my Clarisonic especially when I wear heavy make up it removes every trace and left my skin feeling so clean.  I can't seem to find this product in store so when I do I'll be re-purchasing it, however I have a feeling it's no longer available.  Let me know if you've seen it!

Swisse Argan Face Oil - another loved product, makes my skin so moisturised without being greasy, I only use this at night time, I will be re-purchasing it once I have finished up the other facial oils I have in my bathroom.

Lucas' Papaw Ointment - this is a staple product for me, I use on lips, sores, dry skin, burns.  I have this in my professional kit as well.  Of course I'm already into  another jar!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture  Lotion SPF 15 - a lovely facial moisturiser, it's light but hydrating.  However I've found another facial moisturiser that I love more.......you'll see that in my next empties!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser - another lovely Body Shop product, I love a cream cleanser for the face, however like the moisturiser I've found another cream cleanser I love more, sorry Body Shop.

St Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub - I still suffer from breakouts, while I don't get too many on my face anymore, my back and arms still get quite a few, this scrub I find is too harsh on my face, but perfect for my body.  I've already got another one on the go in the shower.

 
HAIR:

V05 Plump It Up Dry Shampoo - I like this product, but I don't love it, I've since found another dry shampoo I like more!

 
BODY:

Nivea Invisible Anti-Perspirant for Black and White - as you can see this is a favourite product as I have used up 3 of them, another re-purchased product.

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Lotion - a lovely vanilla smelling body moisturiser, I like this, but I won't be re-purchasing.

The Body Shop Strawberry  Body Polish - I love this body exfoliant, it's gentle and smells amazing, next time I'm near a Body Shop store I will be re-purchasing!

Imperial Leather Luxurious Cherry Blossom and Vanilla Body Wash - I love this body wash, it's so moisturising and smells so nice as well, I'll be re-purchasing when I've used up some of the stock I have in my bathroom!

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturizing Body Oil - I love body oils, especially in winter when your skin is ultra dry, I find in summer though it's too oily for  my skin, so next winter I'll definitely be re-purchasing.

Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser - what's not to love about these spray moisturisers?  Non-greasy, fast absorbing, lovely cocoa smell, another re-purchase here!

 

So what products have you been using up?

 

x



BATTLE OF THE CONTOUR KITS ........Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit VS Australis AC On Tour Contouring & Highlighting Kits

 

Hello Make Up Lovers!!  It's peak wedding season, so I apologise for my lack of posting, I really need to pencil blog posts into my diary!!

 

Today I'm reviewing two Contour Kits that are very similar.......

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit and Australis Contouring & Highlighting Kit

 The Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit has been available for well over a year and can be purchased from www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com for $40.00 and shipping to Australia is around $18.00 and takes a week.

The Australis AC ON TOUR Contouring and Highlighting Kit has only just been released in the past 3 weeks and can be purchased from www.australiscosmetics.com.au or Priceline for $16.95.  Australis do not ship internationally so this is only available for those of us in Australia.

Left: Anastasia
Right: Australis
 

So you ask me what's the differences......ok let's get started:

Packaging:
Both have very similar black packaging
Anastasia: hard cardboard, magnetic closure, sturdy
Australis: hard plastic, clip closure, sturdy, How to guide on the back
Winner: Australis

The Product:
Both have the same amount of product in each pan
Anastasia: Creamy, very pigmented, no fallout, pans are able to be re-purchased, each colour has a name and you can also pick the standard kit or make your own
Australis: Creamy, very  pigmented, small amount of fallout, pans are not able to be re-purchased, slightly chalky
Winner:  Anastasia

Price:
Anastasia: $40.00 plus shipping
Australis: $16.95
Winner: Australis

Now for some swatches:

Top Row Anastasia (Vanilla, Banana, Sand)
Bottom Row Australis 1, 2 and 3)

 

Top Row Anastasia (Java, Fawn, Havana)
Bottom Row Australis 4, 5 and 6

Results from swatching:
The highlighting shade 1 and Vanilla are very similar, shade 2 is chalky whereas Banana is more finely milled, shade 3 and Sand are also very similar.

The contouring shade 4 is too dark whereas Java is perfect for bronzing and contouring, shade 5 is a good contouring shade, very pigmented so use a light hand and Fawn is also another shade perfect for bronzing and contouring, shade 6 is too warm but Havana is perfect for bronzing.

The Anastasia Kit is more cool toned and I think more suitable to my NC25 colouring than the Australis Kit, however I do think that the Australis Kit is excellent value for money!

I do prefer the Anastasia Kit  and it will be going into my professional kit and the Australis one will be for my own use, I'll just be using the contouring shades with a duo fibre brush and a light hand.

Will you be picking up one of these to try?

Both products were purchased with my own  money and all opinions are my own.

MAC LIPSTICK COLLECTION

Hello again!!

So following on from my last post here is my MAC lipstick collection.....

I'll just do a little side note here, all of these items that I'm listing in my collection are my own lipsticks, they do not form part of my professional kit and are only used on myself.  In my professional kit I have a whole lot more MAC lipsticks! 

MAC lipsticks come in 9  different finishes, Matte, Satin, Frost, Cremesheen, Amplified, Amplified Creme, Dazzle, Glaze and Lustre.  That's a lot of different lipstick types.

So what made the cut for my collection......

Now a couple of these colours are not wearable everyday colours, but I like to mix things up a bit.....



L - R: Rebel, Pink Popcorn, Candy Yum-Yum, Saint Germain, Vegas Volt and Myth

• Rebel - a dark berry red, this is a cult favourite among the make up community, it's one of those colours that suits everyone (satin finish)
• Pink Popcorn - a sheer glossy warm toned light pinky-purple (lustre finish)
• Candy Yum-Yum - a true hot pink, another cult favourite (matte finish)
• Saint Germain - a light cool toned pink, think Nicki Minaj pink, not the most wearable colour, but good for an ombre lip or layering with a darker pink lipgloss (amplified finish)
• Vegas Volt - a hot orange, my collection wouldn't be complete without an orange lipstick (amplified finish)
• Myth - nude, almost concealer like, another colour that can be hard to wear but good for lightening a dark colour or layering under a darker nude lipgloss (satin finish)

I buy all my MAC lipsticks from the MAC Pro store in Melbourne (email orders for pro card members only) but you can buy them from the on-line store or the closest MAC store is Brisbane.

MAC lipsticks retail for $36.00 AUD so yes they are on the pricey side, but nothing beats pulling out the iconic black and silver MAC tube of lipstick.  Plus the scent of their lipsticks reminds me of what lipstick is supposed to smell like.....you know that smell of mum's or grandma's lipstick, takes me back to my childhood and trying on mum's lipsticks!

Are you going to invest in a MAC lipstick for your collection?

 

xx

Lime Crime Lipstick Collection

Hello!!

Now that Spring is finally here I can start to wear some fun colours and today I thought I'd start a little series of my lipstick collections.

First up is the iconic lipstick tube that is orchid and features a silver unicorn.....of course it is Lime Crime.

Lime Crime is a cruelty free vegan make up brand from California, USA.  Their slogan is to be "a kick ass, true to colour, cruelty free cosmetics".  Sounds fun hey!

I love their lipsticks and so far I have 6 of them in my collection, well 7 really, but that one got melted down and joined my make up kit (Geradium was the colour if you wanted to know, plus Babette was passed onto my cousin).

So let's see some swatches and descriptions.....

L - R: Retrofuturist, Glamour 101, Centrifuschia, Countessa Fluorescent, Poisonberry and Airborne Unicorn

• Retrofuturist - a true red, has slight orange undertones, one of the most wearable reds you'll ever find
• Glamour 101 - a dark berry red with brown undertones, a very old Hollywood glamour colour
• Centrifuschia - as the name suggests Fuschia, this is a mid toned pink
• Countessa Fluorescent - on the darker end of a cool toned pink, much more wearable than most cool toned pinks which tend to be too light
• Poisonberry - a very dark true purple, this is not for the faint hearted, love this colour for making a statement
• Airborne Unicorn - if you ever wanted to try a lavender coloured lip, then this is it!

All Lime Crime lipsticks are very  creamy and moisturising.  They glide on so well and the colours are really pigmented!  The colour names are really fun too......

Lime Crime lipsticks can be purchased on line through a number of shopping sites, I mainly buy mine through Crush Cosmetics or Modelrock -  gotta love a pro discount ;)

Do you want to add any of these to your collection?

 

xx

 

PS - when my 6 year old daughter wanted some lipstick of her own I gave her an old Maybelline lipgloss, oh no she didn't want that "no Mummy I want the purple one with the unicorn" - she's got great taste already :)

July Favourites



July Favourites!

Hello Everyone!  Can anyone else actually believe it's August already?!?! 

Today's blog post is a round up of all my favourite and most reached for make up

and body products during the month of July....let's do this......

Make Up Products

• MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush - this is the ideal blush when you don't want an actual colour on your face or you're rocking a bold eye or bold lip, it's just adds the perfect amount of natural colour to your face.
• NYX Eye Base in Skintone - what could be better than a eye primer that cancels out any veins or redness in your eye? This can be used alone or pop your eyeshadow over the top.  I love this and have it in my professional kit as well.
• Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color in 04 Violet Addict - I am loving this lip product, the colour, the opacity and the formula - tick, tick, tick!
• Benefit The Porefessional - this is the perfect primer for foundation and the fact that it helps fill disguise pores is a winner in my books.
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer - this is the perfect matte bronzer perfect to add warmth to your face or to contour with.
• Lancôme Hypnose Star Mascara - I have this in a trial size and I would definitely re-purchase this mascara, great formula, easy to remove and I love the brush.  It gives me long and full voluminous lashes!
• Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation Sticks in 115 Ivory and 330 Toffee - I'm not a big fan of using these sticks all over my face, but for some reason when I use them over the top of another foundation to highlight and contour it works.  I'll be doing an upcoming post about how I use these sticks.....stay tuned!

Top - NYX Eye Base, MAC Blush, Milani Lip Intense
Middle - Benefit The Porefessional, Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation Sticks, Benefit Hoola
Bottom - Lancôme Hpnose Star

Body Products

• nu-pore Moisturizing Under Eye Treatment - after seeing these eye masks online I was curious to see what they were like.  I've tried the face masks and really enjoyed them, so I was super happy when I used these under eye masks.  They leave your under eye area moisturised, no more puffy bags and my skin is so refreshed and awake....LOVE!
• Le Tan Gradual Tan Moisturising Body Lotion - as winter is slowly coming to an end my self tanner is coming out.  I love this one because I'm not allergic to it, which is always a good thing as in the past I've had some not so fun reactions with other brands of self tanners.  I find using a daily moisturiser with gradual tan a lot more natural than using an instant tan, with dry winter skin fake tan can accentuate the dryness so using one with moisturiser just makes sense.
• Nivea Thermo Daily Warming Cleanser - I love using this cleanser on a cold morning, the warming effect is so nice on your face and the thick formula is really moisturising on the skin.
• Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - cult favourite right here, this product removes every single trace of make up, even waterproof mascara.  It leaves your skin so nice and refreshed without feeling like it's stripping your skin of natural oils.  It's another product in my professional kit.
• Woolworths Select Face Sunscreen SPF 30+ - sunscreeen is very important to wear every single day and this one is the first I've ever  come across that actually leaves your skin matte (even in summer!) and it doesn't break me out!
• Lee Stafford Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray - I've got very fine thin hair and any excuse to use a product that gives me more texture and add in that beachy sun dried look I love! 

Top - nu-pore Moisturizing Under Eye Treatment, Le Tan Gradual Tan, Nivea Thermo
Cleanser, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
Bottom - Lee Stafford Sea Salt Spray and Woolworths Face Sunscreen

 

What have been your favourite products in July?

xx

Chi Chi Cosmetics Haul

Hi!!  Today's blog post is a haul of a number of items that I  purchased from Chi Chi Cosmetics.  The items were part of a special deal with Chi Chi and Shaaanxo (a gorgeous You Tuber from NZ).  She created a look using a number of these products (and others) and then you had the opportunity to purchase them at a special price......so of course I jumped at the chance to  test out some new products at a fantastic price!
 
So, what did I get.......

 

• Glamorous Rich Gems Eyeshadow Palette
• Natural Wall of Shimmer Face Powder
• Mosaic Blush in Pink Peach
• 3D Magic 3 in 1 Mascara
• Living On A Prayer Matte Single Eyeshadow
• Fabulous and Flawless Foundation in 5 Neutral Beige
• Metallic Eyeshadow Stick in Barbarella
• Eye Brightener
• 3 in 1 Eye Concealer in Light
• High Definition Eyebrow Pencil in Light Brown

NOW FOR SOME SWATCHES....

 

Blush, Face Powder and Single Eyeshadow

 The blush is a nice rosy pink colour, I swatched it by swirling my finger in the whole product however with a small blush brush you could concentrate the colours for a more peachy look, pink look, bronze look or rose look.  The face powder is more like a highlighter, as it is very shimmery and you don't want to have a completely shiny face (unless that's the look you are going for).  The matte single eyeshadow is very  pigmented and easy to blend out.  You could easily use this one colour for a matte gorgeous smokey eye!

 

Eye Highlighter, Eye Brightener, Metallic Eyeshadow Stick and Brow Pencil

The Eye Brightener is one of those cool multi use products, you can use the Highlighter on your brow bone and inner corner and the Brightener on the waterline, brow bone and inner corner.  Both are very pigmented and do not crease.  I would recommend you use it on your hand before you first use it, as it's very sharp and needs the end to be blunt so it doesn't scratch your eye.  I love using the Metallic Eyeshadow stick as an all over eye base (just make sure you use a primer first to stop creasing) or as an inner corner highlight.  The Eyebrow pencil is fantastic, I wasn't sure which shade to get (there are 3) so I went for the middle shade and the colour payoff is amazing, used with a light hand to fill in at the front of the brow and then a touch more pressure to create actual brow hairs, the spoolie to comb out the brows on the other end is excellent for dispersing the product through your brow.

 

Foundation (top) and Concealer (bottom)

For once a foundation that lives up to it's name, you have flawless skin that  still actually looks like skin.  I use a Beauty Blender (BB) to apply this and I only need 1 pump of product to give medium coverage, 1 pump usually gives me 1 layer of product and enough to  add a touch more coverage where I need it.  I would expect that with 2  pumps and 3 light layers of product it would give full coverage.  There are plenty of shades of the foundation and they have a great colour matching system so it's pretty fool proof not to choose the right shade.  I chose the Light Shade in the Concealer to use as a highlighter.  It's a lovely creamy concealer that's not too thick or too thin.  Blends out easily with fingers, a brush or BB.

 


Rich Gems Eyeshadow Palette



The Rich Gems Palette is very pretty with lots of lovely gem colours, all colours are shimmer or satin finish.  When I purchase a palette, I usually like to have 2 or 3 matte colours and a dark brown or black.  This palette has none of these, but it's still a lovely palette, you will notice from the swatches that lighter colours in the middle of the palette are not very pigmented and required a few swipes for any decent payoff.  My favourite colours from  the palette are the navy, copper, burgundy, purple and light cream. 

As you can see I haven't opened up the Mascara yet, I'm currently using 4  different ones at the moment and as it's best to toss a mascara after 3 months, I'm waiting to use up the ones I have.  I'll let you know what I think of it when I start using it.

So what products would I re-purchase? The Foundation and Eyebrow Pencil. 

All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.  Let me know if you would  like to see a look using all of these products so you can see how they work together.......

You can find Chi Chi Cosmetics at your local Target store or online at http://www.chichicosmetics.com 

Have you tried any products from Chi Chi?