Current Favourites

I don't think I have ever done a favourites post before so here goes my first one. You will probably notice a recurring theme in these products, I love things that have multiple uses. These favourites are in no particular order.

Current Favourites

Goodness Chia Seed Oil - I recently bought the Goodness Skin Care trial kit and I really love all of the products in the kit but I especially love the Chia Seed Oil. I use it morning and night, it really helps to moisturise my skin and calm my breakouts. I have also noticed since switching to the Goodness skin care range my lips have been a lot less dry. This Oil also works great on my cuticles.

Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner - I also picked up this toner when I bought the Goodness Kit, I had used it before and I remembered it being nice so I thought I'd give it another go. I think I love it even more this time around. I use it after washing my face before applying the Chia Seed Oil and moisturiser. I also use it before applying my makeup and after to set down any powders. Its also great as a refreshing mist throughout the day. Plus it has a lovely rose smell. I practically bathe myself in this mist twice a day.

Nars Albatross - Before I bought this I rarely highlighted my face and if I did I would just use an eyeshadow. Albatross has started my love affair with all things shimmery. I use this product as a face highlight as well as an eyeshadow. It is such a lovely colour although sometimes I feel it can be a little strong as a face highlight for everyday but it is great for a more glam look and makes a beautiful lid colour.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Barely Branded - I use this in basically the same way as I use the Nars Albatross, although this colour is more of a champagne gold and I find it gives a much more natural look for everyday. I also use this on the eyes either as a base for other colours or just on its own. I love this product as my everyday face highlight and if you want an extreme highlight you can layer the Colour Tattoo with the Nars Albatross. It is a cream product but it dries and lasts forever on the skin.

Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze - I also never really bronzed my face before getting this bronzer, I always thought I was too pale for bronzer and I would end up looking orange. This bronzer is  a great colour and the pigmentation is not too strong, so you can build up the colour to your liking. On a everyday basis I will just use this bronzer to warm up my face and skip out on the blush. I also love to run this bronzer through the crease of my eye to add a little definition. It also works great as a transition shade for most eye looks.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

F.O.T.D Friday: Pink and Purple Eye

Pink and Purple Eye

I did this make up for work, it is quite natural, but a little different with a bit of purple thrown in there.

I forgot to take a before photo but if you watch the video you can see my beautiful no make up face.

I started off with the Designer Brands moisturising primer because a few of my spots were a little dry and this primer helps to stop my foundation clinging to them.

Next I applied Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

I then sprayed my face with the Australis Make Up finishing spray and buffed it into my foundation a bit to make sure my foundation was blended well.

Next I applied a pale shimmery pink to my eyelid and then a bright purple shadow into my crease and outer V, I then blended it. I also applied a small amount of the pink to my brow bone. And defined my lower lash line by applying the purple to the outer corner of the lower lashes.

I then did a thin, slightly winged liner with my Maybelline liner.

I drew in my eyebrows using the Rimmel Eyeshadow in Dusk and then set them with the L.A. Colors clear mascara.

I set my foundation with the Rimmel Saty Matte Powder in Transparent.

I contoured with the L.A. Colors pressed powder in Cocoa.

I applied a pale pink blush to my cheeks and highlighted my cheeks with a skintone shimmery shadow.

On my lips I am wearing L.A. Colors auto liner in Nude and Wendy Hill Lipstick in Au Naturel, as well as a little bit of a nude Models Prefer Lip gloss.

Here is the video, if you want to watch me ramble on whilst I apply my make up.

F.O.T.D. Friday: 3 and a half minute make up

This post is a little different than my usual make up looks, I haven't been wearing a lot of make up lately so I thought I would show you what I do when I'm  rushing to get ready and want to look a little bit more put together.

Before and After

I timed myself when I was doing this and it only took me three and a half minutes. I started by buffing in some Maybelline Dream Matte powder to blur my blemishes, reduce my redness and make sure I'm not looking shiny.

I added a little blush to my cheeks, you could skip this step if you want to or swap it out for bronzer if you prefer.

Next I ran LA Colors clear mascara through my eyebrows to set them in place, sometimes I fill them in but if I'm in a rush I skip it.

I am wearing Maybelline Great Lash Mascara on my lashes which is a great mascara for everyday because it doesn't add too much volume.

I finished with a little gloss on my lips.

This is just my base look. You can add to it if you have extra time. Sometimes I will start with a BB Cream instead of moisturiser, or add some concealer before the powder.

The best way to do a quick make up look is to decide what is most important to you. If you love flawless skin, start by perfecting your skin with concealer and powder then just add mascara, but if you want your eyes to pop, start with your eyes then finish with a dusting of powder and run out the door.

A great way to make your make up look like you put in some effort is to wear a bright or dark lipstick.

F.O.T.D. Friday: Awake makeup

Somedays I wake up and I am shocked by what I see in the mirror. On this particular day I was feeling a little under the weather and very tired.

I wanted to make myself feel better and look more awake so out came the makeup.

Before and After

On my scary face days, when I want to look my best I always reach for my Revlon Colorstay Foundation. In this picture I am wearing Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff with Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in light on top. I am also wearing Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 Concealer and highlighter in Ivory.

On my cheeks I have contoured a little bit with L.A. Colors Pressed Powder in Cocoa. I have a little bit of both colours from my Wendy Hill Cheek Duo in Riviera as my blush. I have also highlighted with shimmery champagne coloured eyeshadow that I also used on my eyes.

On my eyes I have a winged cut crease kind of look. For a closer look at my eyeshadow have a look here in my Revlon Mascara review. I used a champagne shadow all over my lid then used my Rimmel Mono Eyeshadow in Dusk in the crease in a winged shape. Whenever I am feeling tired I always do a winged look on my eyes to make sure they look open and not down turned at the outside. I also have a little liquid liner on my top lash line.

On my lips I am wearing L.A, Colours Lip liner in Pinky and Designer Brands Lip Gloss in Strawberry Sorbet.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder claims to give air soft matte perfection and to not clog pores. Maybelline says it will magically match the skins texture and never settle in to lines. You get 9g of product for around $20.

I have the powder in light. This powder has a slight shimmer when you look at it in the pan but this is not noticeable on the face. I think this is why it gives a more natural glowy finish to the skin. The Dream Matte powder does not give me the same matte finish that my Rimmel Stay Matte does, but it gets rid of my oily shine and leaves the skin with a glowing finish. It definitely does not last as long on the face as the Rimmel powder and I have to retouch every few hours depending how hot it is and what I am doing.

I don't really have lines on my face so I can't say wether or not it settles into lines, I can say however that on close up it does settle into my pores making them look larger.

The packaging is much better than the Rimmel powder. It is still plastic but has a hinged lid that locks into place it also has a swivel out mirror and powder puff underneath which makes it ideal for carrying in your bag for touch ups.

The powder gives a fair amount of coverage. During the day I will wear it with some concealer under the eyes and it blurs imperfections enough for a daytime look. It lasts slightly better over my Revlon colorstay foundation than over bare skin.
I have not had any issues with breaking out whilst using this product.

Overall this powder gives a more natural finish than the Rimmel Stay Matte but does not last as long on the face. The packaging is excellent which makes up for it being slightly more expensive. If you are looking for a powder that leaves the skin completely matte I don't think this is the powder for you but if you want a more natural finish light coverage powder foundation then this is great. I don't think I could choose between the Rimmel and the Maybelline because they both do different things for my skin. If I was forced to choose perhaps the Rimmel with a highlighter. But then I really do like how natural this powder looks I just wish it lasted a little longer on my face. All in all I recommend trying this product because its only $20 and is a great setting powder.

Maybelline Baby Lips Review

Cost
$3.99 on sale at New World

Product
Maybelline Baby lips in soothing cherry.
SPF 20
4g of product

Claims
8 hour moisture
in one week rejuvenated lips:
fine lines reduced
elasticity increased
suppleness increased
Centella essence increases cell turnover.

First Impressions
Feels creamy on my lips, smells nice, not over powering. I applied the Maybelline Baby Lips at 10pm it felt creamy on my lips and slightly tingly. By 3 am the product was completely gone from my lips and my lips felt dry again and still had dry skin. I will continue to use this product to see if it lives up to its claim of rejuvenated lips in one week.

Thoughts
On day two of using the baby lips, my lips feel softer they still have dry skin but it has softened. My lips feel softer even without balm on. I have been applying the balm to my lips morning and night and occasionally during the day if I feel I need it.  I don't think it provides 8 hours of moisture, my lips still get dry but not as bad as they used to. I feel it has softened my lips but not to any extreme.

Overview
This product has definitely improved the texture of my lips in one week. My lips do not get as dry as they used to but they can still get dry during the day. I don't think it provides 8 hours of moisture, I feel at most it gives 5 hours of moisture and then my lips start to feel dry and I need to reapply. This product has an SPF of 20 which will be great as we get into the summer months. Overall this is a good product that I would probably repurchase, the packaging is cute and its small size means its easy to keep with you.

10 Products I would repurchase - September 2012

I wanted to take a break from reviewing products and thought I would do a fun post. Here are 10 products that I would repurchase if my make-up bag was stolen or destroyed. In no particular order.

1. Revlon Colorstay Foundation for combination/oily skin. My favourite foundation ever, lasts on my skin wonderfully so I don't need to use a primer and I could probably get away without a powder if I needed to.

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. Keeps my skin matte all day, great for when i'm not wearing foundation but don't want to look like a greaseball.

3. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in the colour blackest black. Allows me to create a finished eye look with out eyeshadow.

4. Rimmel Glam Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in the colour Dusk. I use this as a brow powder, a contour and obviously sometimes as an eyeshadow. A multi use product that definitely deserves a place in this list.

5. Rimmel Sexy Curves Full Body Mascara. Great mascara, gives volume and length. Can get flaky towards the end of the day.

6. Wendy Hill Blusher Duo in Riviera. The blush is great for everyday and the bronzer allows you to warm up your skin when you need to.

7. Wendy Hill Lipstick in Au Natural. A great nude lipstick to give your makeup a finished look.

8. Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer. Brilliant cheap primer. Reduces appearance of pores, make up last longer and makes skin feel silky. Also evens out skintone.

9. Designer Brands Lip gloss. They add a nice gloss to the lip without being too sticky and leave the lips feeling soft not dry.

10. Rimmel Stay Matte Concealer Stick. Good coverage but catches on dry skin. Great for redness if your skin is in good condition.

Those are my 10 products, some i would repurchase over others but I had to pick 10. Any questions about any of the products mentioned just leave a comment.