Tag: Addicted to blush

I was tagged by my sweet Melbourne blogger friend Emma (aka emmabovarybeauty), and a self-proclaimed #blushfiend, to do the Addicted to Blush tag and the timing was ripe!  From a regular person with a meagre/normal collection of around 4 or so blushes when I started blogging in 2011, I now have in excess of 30 so I'd say that qualifies me as a blush addict, or to put it much more nicely, a #blushfiend! 

Now onto the questions and there are some toughies in there...

 

 

What colour blush suits you the most?

 (clockwise from top left:  theBalm - Hot Mama!, Tom Ford - Love Lust, Physicians Formula Happy Booster - Natural, Canmake - CL03, Face of Australia - Outback Nutmeg, Bloom Sheer Colour Cream - Coy, Smashbox Blush Rush - Chiffon , Revlon Photoready - Coral Reef)
 

I'd have to say any variation along the coral to peach spectrum because those shades add colour and warmth to my face and I don't look too dolly cheeked - and as you can see above I have no end of choices available in that colour family! I'll always gravitate to those colours first when I'm shopping for a new blush.  In spite of that...in my heart I would have loved to say bright pink because those blushes always look so pretty but in real life it just ain't happening baby!
 

 

Pressed/cream/loose blush?

Can I choose two out of the three options here?  I love pressed blush for the ease of application especially on bleary eyed mornings, when I'm getting ready for work before the sun comes up but then on the other hand I love cream blushes for how they give luminous life back to my sometimes flat and dull cheeks - cream blush gives me a very youthful dewy look.  If cream blush wasn't quite so fiddly I'd probably lean more towards the cream and I am collecting cream blushes more and more so once I have completely mastered the art of cream blush then you'll have to ask me again!

 

 

Favourite shimmery blush?

 (Left to right:  Physicians Formula Happy Booster - Natural, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush - Mood Exposure)

 

In terms of shimmery blush choices, after sitting around being admired more than used for the longest time Physician's Formula Happy Booster in Natural has recently become an almost daily favourite for adding that naturally peachy glow.  Also I have to mention the plummy Hourglass Mood Exposure for the cooler months as I'm picking it up again. 

 

Favourite matte blush?

 (Left to right:  Illamasqua Powder Blusher - Naked Rose, Laura Mercier - Fresh Peach)
 

Now this matte blush seems to be just about everyone's favourite but, honestly, the one I reach for most consistently is Illamasqua Naked Rose for just the lightest wash of dusty pink on my cheeks - and it literally does take the lightest pat of the brush into the pan to pick up enough colour. Just to add something different from everyone, Fresh Peach blush in my trusty old Laura Mercier Lingerie palette is also a favourite pat and go shade.

 

Favourite cream blush?

 (Left to right:  Bloom Sheer Colour Creams - Shy, Coy, Tint)
 

I'm going with my little trio of Bloom Sheer Colour Creams because they were my first cream blushes and they feel so emollient on the skin without being too slippery, providing just the right amount of colour for a natural glow - even that scary old pot of Tint on the right translates to a soft berry on the cheeks. Of course I have to single out one favourite from the trio of favourites and that has to be the peach toned (of course!) Coy seen below...

 

 

Favourite drugstore blush?

(Left to right:  NYX Mosaic Powder Blushers - Rosey, Plummy)

My NYX Mosaic blushes in Rosey and Plummy are my favourites because of their versatility and also for the ease of getting a multi-dimensional look just by swirling the brush around the pan.  After consistently using Plummy over the past few years I always knew I would have to buy more from the Mosaic range and Rosey hasn't disappointed either. 

 

Favourite high end blush?

(Tom Ford Cheek Color - 01 Love Lust)

 

Tom Ford's Love Lust is a favourite not just because it's from Tom 'freaking' Ford but because the colour is a beautifully wearable peach shot with a subtle golden glow.  I hoarded this for ages (because of the Tom 'freaking' Ford factor and being too pretty to use blah, blah...) but once I started wearing it I realised this really is a quality blush from the velvety texture to the flattering warm glow it gives me.  It's too pretty NOT to use!
 

 
 

Favourite bright blush?

 (Revlon Photoready - Coral Reef)
 

Hmmm...I like blushes which may look deceptively bright in the pan but translate more softly on the skin and Revlon's Photoready cream blush in Coral Reef does just that.  I like applying this one with my fingers to melt the colour into my skin.

 

Biggest blush disappointment/regret?

(MAC Powder Blush - Immortal Flower)
 

I feel terrible knocking a MAC blush (of all things!) but MAC Immortal Flower was a disappointment because it just does NOT show up on me! It's extremely pretty in the pan but even for the once blush-shy me this is not enough.  I don't know...maybe I should try it again in the depths of winter?

 

Best blush packaging?

 (YSL Flower Crush Palette - Rosy Blush)
 

I'll interpret that as meaning the most attractive packaging and for me it was definitely YSL's Flower Crush Palette Rosy Blush from the 2014 Spring collection - I mean, just look at it *sigh*.  Those of you who've known me long enough will know just how obsessed I was with getting my hands on it and I don't regret it for one second.  And, yes, I have used it!
 

 

What's on your blush wish list?

I have two picks on my wish list:  Stila's  Field of Florals Convertible Color palette (hopefully on its way to me) and any of Milani's Rose Powder blushes.

 

Number 1 Holy Grail blush?

Ooh that's a toughie and I'm not going to stick my neck out that far - I'm still looking for that one perfect blush!! Until then I guess I'll have to keep collecting ;-)

 

****************************

Does anyone care to answer that last question?  What's your number 1 HG blush?

  

 

March's farewelled products (and beauty diet update)

 

This month's not just about empties - there are also a few product fails in here I finally psyched myself up to let go.  Read on and you'll find out why...

Skin care

 

24) Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes With White Tea Extract (30 towelettes) - These pleasant smelling wipes promised to "...remove makeup, cleanse and tone in one easy step". They were sufficiently moist to do a thorough job and leave my skin feeling comfortable afterwards.  Besides White Tea Extract other botanical goodies include Aloe Leaf Juice and Cucumber Extract. I liked the snap seal on the package too. 

 

25) Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturiser SPF 15 (75ml) - I normally go for moisturisers with higher SPF but I got this as a magazine freebie a while ago so I was happy to use it.  The oil-free, soy enriched formula felt light on the skin and two pumps were enough to moisturise my face and neck so the bottle lasted a few months.  It did leave a bit of sheen on my combination skin though so I needed to mattify afterwards.

 

26) The Face Shop Collagen Essential Mask Sheet - I loved this lifting and moisturizing mask because it did as it promised as my skin felt softer and firmer afterwards.  I will be repurchasing this (and my other favourite Pearl Extract) from The Face Shop the next time I need to replenish my sheet mask supply.

 

Hand and body care

 

27) Natio Meditate Hand Wash Yoga Scent Khus Attar (240ml/8.1fl.oz) - I loved this moisturising hand wash but I used it up far too quickly and now I'm pretty sure it's been discontinued.  As you can infer from the yoga reference the Khus Attar scent was distinctly relaxing and I'm sadly deeply inhaling the remnants of the bottle now as I prepare to throw it away.

 

28) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - My third bottle for the year. 

 

29) MOR Grapefruit Body Butter - This little tub was part of a 3-pack I bought for a Christmas gift a couple of years ago but then naughtily decided to keep! The truth is I found something more appropriate for that person and then I put these away and forgot all about them! The grapefruit scent has the perfect mix of citrus zing and sugary sweetness and it absorbed beautifully into the skin.  The small tub (say around 50ml) didn't last very long at all unfortunately and this scent has been discontinued.

 

Cosmetics

 

I decided to get a bit more brutal on my beauty diet this month and following Anissa's very brave and sensible lead (Norlin has also made fantastic progress!), so in addition to accumulating the empties I'm taking a long hard look at some of the makeup items which shouldn't be taking up space in my drawers.  Let's start with the empties first:

 

30) Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Treatment Concealer (20 Light) - Perhaps all the hype around this concealer set my expectations way too high because I was underwhelmed by it.  The coverage was too sheer for me, meaning I had to build it and sometimes even reapply it under my eyes later in the day.  I don't have anything against Maybelline concealers per se because I still swear by my old favourite Dream Lumi - I just won't be buying this one again because it doesn't stand up to my PANDA EYES!

31) Lancôme Hypnose Doll Eyes Waterproof Mascara (Black) - I was sad to let this mascara go and not just because it's limited edition.  Read my original mini review here.

32) Bloom Eye Base (3.5g/0.12oz) - I thought this was quite a good eye primer until I switched up products recently.  No matter as it's been discontinued anyway.

 

Culled...

 

Yup, I've finally taken the plunge and decided to get rid of a few products that didn't quite work for me.  At this point I'm deciding these won't count towards makeup empties and I won't use them as credit towards new products in my beauty diet - if they don't work they don't necessarily need to be replaced!

 

Styli-Style Timeless Lipstick (Beauty 1512) - I received this in a swap ages ago and unfortunately silvery matte beige lips are just not for me.  If this was glossy I could have used it as a topper and I suppose conversely I could have topped this lipstick with gloss but seriously I have too many lipsticks already to have to worry about making this one work!

 

L'Oreal Shine Caresse (Princess & Eve) - Ugh, I do feel bad about not loving these and I so wanted them to work for me. Another case of not being swayed by the hype perhaps - but for me they applied unevenly, felt weird on the lips and worse still, bled out in a tacky mess beyond the lip line. Out they go.

 

Essence Cherry Blossom Girl Lipstick Pencil (Cherry Cherry Girl) - Considering they are a budget brand Essence are usually surprisingly good quality so I was in a state of disbelief over the shocking performance of this pencil.  It applied way too thickly, virtually pilling into balls of colour on the lips.  Very hard to describe but trust me it was horrendous and unwearable.  The only positive was it didn't cost much.

 

Fragrance



33) Tom Ford Lys Fume EDP (1.5ml sample) - This is my second sample vial of Lys Fume so I don't need to say too much.   Top notes:  Italian mandarin, pink pepper, turmeric and nutmeg;  middle notes: white lily, ylang-ylang, Artemisia and rum;  base notes: Madagascar vanilla, labdanum, styrax and oak. 

 

Now that feels lighter!

 

VIDEO POST: Bloom Beauty Buys

Hi again :)

 

You may have read my post so now watch me chat about my new Bloom cosmetics bargains with Ling! Ummm...

 

Overall our first impressions were positive although I did say "ummm..." a lot! Don't let that put you off! Ling does a great job of saving me here and this was the second video we did on our first filming session.

 

 

 

Thanks for watching!

 

Remember you can refer back to my Bloom buys blog post here for more product details and swatches.

 

 

My Bloom buys...

A little while ago one of my favourite local beauty brands Bloom ran a one day 50% off sale on their site.  I was on a bit of a slow buy at the time but I checked it out and yep I went SHOPPING!  So, hopefully you want to see what I chose? Just in case you missed the Instagram show and tell?? As per usual I'll have a handy little justification for each item - Damn I'm good at that!!


Butterfingers Shea Butter Hand Cream

This was a repurchase so it didn't require any deliberation at all on my part.  I've had a tube and a large pump-dispenser bottle of Butterfingers so I know what this hand cream's all about.  It moisturises with Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil and is naturally scented with Lavender and Geranium essential oils.  Rich, but not greasy and easily absorbed.  OMG I do have a lot of hand cream now! I've got them everywhere too...


Lip Gloss - Sweet Pea

Another repurchase.  This time a repurchase of a favourite shade - or so I thought.  The name's the same but the shade was distinctly different and wasn't the mauve-pink cream that I remember.  The reinterpretation of Sweet Pea has resulted in a deep honey, slightly shimmery shade.  I probably should kick up a fuss about it because it's not the same - really I should - but it's a wearable shade and something I'll wear anyway so I'll just warn you and keep this one for myself.  Again this contains natural oils and is flavoured with Mandarin and Vanilla oils so it smells delicious on the lips.  Pigmentation is medium and the gloss consistency is fairly thick without being annoyingly sticky.


Sheer Colour Cream - Coy

I have a couple of these in cooler pink tones (my favourite being the soft pink cream Shy) but I've seen Coy around the blogosphere, tempting me with its pretty peach.  I love the Sheer Colour Creams because of their versatility - they can be used on eyes, lips and cheeks.  I must admit I won't use them on my already oily eyelids but they blend out beautifully on my cheeks and I'll use them on cheeks and lips for a single tonal look.  I prefer a light touch of colour on my cheeks but the pigmentation is buildable for a stronger look.  For someone who had a definite preference for powder blush I am crossing over more and more to creams these days because I enjoy the healthy dewy glow I get from creams and I particularly love them for weekend wear.  The Sheer Colour Cream formula is enriched with natural oils including Calendula Flower oil and Evening Primrose oil.


Shadow Liner - Charcoal Grey

Right, finally something I had no prior knowledge about!  I was interested in the concept of the flat edged eyeliner/eye shadow hybrid pencil I could use to line my eyes or colour my lids. Being the first time I've purchased one of these I went for a more neutral shade, although Charcoal Grey does have a lot of silver sparkle in it so I don't think I'll be using it as an every day product.  The pigmentation is on the softer side so I need to go over the line more than once to build the colour and this doesn't glide on as easily as some of the other eyeliners out there.  It's not necessarily budge-proof either which on the plus side means I don't have to rush to blend it out but I'm not sure of its longevity - I think I need to wear it a few more times to form a solid opinion on the performance.  What I do like is that the Shadow Liner is multipurpose so if I wanted to travel extremely light I could throw this into my makeup purse for a soft grey liner during the day or a sparkly grey lid at night.


Swatched Left to Right:
Sweet Pea, Coy, Charcoal Grey x 2

 

 

 

Nail Polish - Emily Green Collection Navy

Of course if there's nail polish on sale I'm going to have to consider that too! Bloom nail polish normally retails at $19.95 each so 50% off is a good time to buy.  I opted for a shade from Bloom's latest collaboration with Melbourne based artist Emily Green.  The website described Navy as a bright navy and from the swatch I think that's a pretty accurate description. 


So that's all for this little haul folks!

 

Bloom: Claudia

Happy Sunday - the sun has actually been shining around here today too!

I went stash diving a few weeks ago for an autumn-appropriate pink and Claudia from Australian beauty brand Bloom is what I came up with.  The Bloom website describes this as "a carmine" and I see it as a deep pink cream with just a kiss of coral to give it some warmth.  It's bright but not in your face so it's a good everyday pink and work appropriate.  The standard two coats was enough to provide good coverage and as per usual I topped it with fast drying top coat for added shine and durability.  I have a few Bloom polishes floating around in my collection and I think I need to show them some more love really.  Anyway, onto the pictures of this Bloom polish that I am showing my love for...

Sun

Indirect daylight indoors

Have you tried Bloom's nail polish or cosmetics?

Until next time

REVIEW: December's farewelled products & the 2012 tally!

Finallyyyyyyy!!!! My last empties for last year!  I'm going to try and keep it brief -

Skin care

128) L'Occitane Cleansing Refreshing Cloth with Shea Extract (Sample)

I don't have much to say about this because the sample pack contained only a single wipe.  It did cleanse my skin gently without any tightness but there was nothing remarkable about it other than me knowing it contains shea extract.  I can't find any further information on these on the L'Occitane website so I don't have any idea how they would compare to other products in terms of price, and further research suggests these may only be available as hotel amenities rather than for general retail.

129) Neutrogena Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover (112 ml)

I bought a bottle to try after seeing it on lovely Larie's blog because it's another one of those dual-action makeup remover formulas that I'm so addicted to.  It was just as effective as my usual Maybelline remover, taking off waterproof mascara easily and without any tears - what I didn't like is the open necked bottle, and yes clumsy me did manage to spill it once.  Good product, minus the non spill-proof packaging.

130) Nivea Soothing Cleansing Mousse for Dry & Sensitive Skin (150ml)

I totally enjoyed using this soft mousse cleanser and my skin felt moisturised after rinsing it off in my morning shower.  If I had to fault it in any way I'd say it wasn't travel-friendly but honestly, I just loved it! See a more detailed review here.

131) Bloom off, off and away cleansing wipes (24 wipes)

This was my second pack simply because of they were a bargain at 3 bucks but I wouldn't buy these at full price.  My full review is in my November post here.

Hand and body care

131) Puretopia Glowingly Smooth Body Polish (200ml/6.8 fl.oz.)

This was like exfoliating with scented river sand!  It did an average job of exfoliating my skin and made a heck of a mess in my shower - granules everywhere! Buy this again? No.

132) OPI Original Polish Remover ( 120ml/4fl.oz) - I guzzled my way through 11 bottles of this brand of remover in 2012!

133) Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (1 litre) - My everyday in-shower cleanser - I finally upgraded to the jumbo bottle! This was my 5th bottle of Cetaphil for the year.

Cosmetics

134) Revlon Wet/Dry Shadow Quad (Tickled Pink LE) - This vintage Revlon quad comprised four shimmery highlight shades so I used it every other day. Not surprisingly, it's gone!

135) Revlon Lip Butter (Peach Parfait) - I got caught up in the lip butter hype and bought a few of these. Peach Parfait was my favourite because of its soft pink/peach shade and yep, I literally wore through it like butter too, actually disconcertingly fast for a lip product so I don't think these tubes are great value for money because they wear down so fast. The fuss about these has since been overtaken by Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains - and they ARE worth the hype in my opinion.

136) Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (Pinkerbelle) - I was sad to see this pretty blue-toned pink lipstick go because it was another LE.

137) Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara (Waterproof - Black) - Good, genuinely waterproof formula for a natural-looking lash look but I hated the prickly brush!

And that's it for the year - somehow I used up 137 products compared to 2011's total of 96 and well exceeded my goal of 100 empties. To satisfy my own curiosity mainly, here's the detailed breakdown by category (includes sample sizes):
Skin care:

• 11 x packs of cleansing wipes
• 7 x cleansers
• 6 x bottles of makeup remover
• 6 x moisturisers
• 3 x serums
• 3 x lip balms
• 2 x facial sunscreens
• 1 x night cream

Hand and body care:

• 13 x bottles of nail polish remover
• 8 x bottles of body lotion
• 8 x tubes of hand cream
• 7 x bottles of body cleanser
• 4 x body exfoliants
• 4 x bottles of top coat
• 3 x body creams
• 2 x bottles of nail polish drying drops
• 1 x bottle of base coat
• 1 x bottle of nail colour
• 1 x cuticle treatment
• 1 x bottle of hand wash
• 1 x tube of foot cream
• 1 x dry shampoo
• 1 x hair volumising spray
• 1 x pack of soap sheets

Fragrance:

• 5 x sample/travel size bottles or vials
• 3 x full size bottles 

Cosmetics:

• 9 x lip glosses
• 7 x lipsticks
• 6 x tubes of mascara
• 5 x concealers
• 3 x eyeshadows
• 1 x translucent pressed powder
• 1 x powder foundation
• 1 x powder blush
• 1 x lipliner pencil
• 1 x eyeliner pencil

Whew! That is IT for now!

 

Vita :)

 

A typical week's worth of makeup?

What does a typical week's worth of makeup look like for me?  How many individual makeup items do I actually use in seven days?  That's what I was wondering one day when I had a little too much time on my hands... 

Of course that makes for a good makeup blog post so I set about finding out, dutifully writing down everything I wore over a seven day period - Monday to Sunday.  I figured it was going to be a pretty small and boring post because I was in a little bit of a makeup rut but it turned out not to be so boring after all - being this time of year it's been all about office lunches, parties and special dinners - all in all it was a more colourful week than I expected!

Now, this is a bit of a makeup porn post - lots of product shots coming up - but it's not a favourites post per se.  There are lots of items I use for varying reasons, not necessarily because I love them best.  You'll see what I mean as I go through the list.

I'm going to start with eye makeup because that's what I actually apply first, rather than my base.  I managed to use 16 different eye makeup items which probably isn't a lot for some of you but it's quite a variety for me!  That 16 comprised 8 eyeshadows, 5 eyeliners and 3 mascaras:

Here's the rundown on what I wore on my eyes:

•  L'Oreal Shadow Minerals (10 Gold) - I dug this out to use as a warm lid shade to counter a cool blue accented eye I wore for an office pre-Xmas lunch.  I don't love this eyeshadow at all because of all the fallout and it literally disappears from my lids halfway through the day.  The good news is it's been discontinued.
• Revlon quad (Tickled Pink) - You can see this eyeshadow quad is on its way to finished.  I've been wearing the last remaining shade everyday as an inner highlight because I'm on a mission to try and kill it before the end of 2012!
• MAC (Phloof!) - I wore this as an inner corner highlight (instead of Tickled Pink - yikes!) for my Saturday night eye.
• MAC (Shale) - I love this neutral grey-purple shadow and wore it as a crease colour a few times during the week.
• Essence (Cappucino, Please!) - A staple browbone shade, a real workhorse neutral, and I wore it nearly every day.
• MAC (Deep Truth) - I wore this deep blue as a crease shade twice, stretching my colour boundaries for a colourful smoky eye.
• MAC (Tempting) - This golden brown shadow was a crease shade for me a few times during the working week.
• MAC (Satellite Dreams) - I wore this purple shadow all over the lids on Saturday night.
• MAC Powerpoint (Bordeauxline) - this plummy liner's a staple and a favourite of mine.  I used it a few days during the week.
• MAC Powerpoint (Handforged) - I used this gold liner one day as a lower lash liner to contrast blue liner on the upper lid.  I've had it for an absolute age, love it and ration how I use it cos it's no longer available :(
• MAC Powerpoint (Duck) - Another staple I used a few times during the week because this grey-brown is the perfect everyday liner.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Perversion) - I don't normally wear inky black liner but I wore this for a Saturday night rock chick look.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Ransom) - A lovely violet-blue liner that I wore for a pop of colour when I went out for lunch with the girls.
• Christian Dior Diorshow Mascara (Black) - One of my all time faves of the luxe mascara variety, I wore this a few times for a feathery, defined lash look.
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto Waterproof Mascara (Black) - This coated my lashes on the days I exercised after work.  I hate the prickly brush but refuse to waste it because the formula itself is a pretty dependable everyday waterproof mascara.
• Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultimate Curl Mascara (Black) - I wore this a few times too just to mix it up a bit.  I've been enjoying this creamy drugstore mascara because it thickens my lashes with no clumps and makes them reach for the sky!

Eyeshadows shown clockwise from left:

Tickled Pink, Phloof!, Shale, Cappucino, Please!,

Deep Truth, Tempting, Satellite Dreams

Eyeliner shades from left:

Bordeauxline, Handforged, Duck, Perversion, Ransom

My base routine is a little more, erm, routine I guess and I varied it very little over the week.  I generally keep it very simple during the working week and will try to get away with as little as concealer, powder and a little cream blush if I can:

• L'Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation (Light Ivory) - My mind changes about this product constantly but now I just want to finish it.  I wore it on the days I felt I needed more coverage and a bit of extra SPF.
• Nyx Mosaic Powder (Plummy) - I swirled my blush brush in this a few times during the week for a natural flush.  It has a weird chalky scent but I do love the natural shade I get on my cheeks.
• L'Oreal True Match Blush (125 Nude Pink) - This literally sits on the border of nude and pink and I wore it to work because it's so easy to wear and again looks natural on me.
• Bloom Sheer Colour Cream (Shy) - I can see I don't like wearing bright cheeks much (at least on that particular week!).  This soft pink cream came out to play on my cheeks on those days I didn't bother with any foundation.
• Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer (02 Nude) - I wore this every day to cover up my under-eye circles.  I love this product and I'll tell you that again and again...
• No. 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighter Powder - I managed to wear highlighter once during the week on Saturday night.
• theBalm Sexy Mama Anti-shine Translucent Powder - I wore this colourless, one-size-fits-all powder every day to keep my skin looking cool rather than slick.

Blush shades clockwise from left:

Plummy, Shy, Nude Pink

I very nearly managed a different lip colour for every day of the week but not quite because I wore an old Revlon lipstick on a few consecutive days, trying to finish it for my November empties!

• Wet 'n' Wild Lip Liner Pencil (666 Brandy Wine) - This is my lipliner of choice so it was the only lipliner I wore during the week.
• Chanel Extrait de Gloss (51 Insouciance) - I wore this creamy nude lip gloss over Rimmel's Undressed once for a work-appropriate lip. 
• Revlon Colorburst (Raspberry) - This sheer red was another work-appropriate pick for the start of the working week.  
• Revlon (Pinkerbelle) - I wore this lipstick on three days because it was down to the stub and I just wanted to FINISH IT! I didn't quite make it for November - because I got bored and needed a change from blue-toned pink lips - but it's in the bag for the December empties!
• Rimmel (Undressed) - I wore this to work one day partnered with the Chanel gloss.  It's one of my favourite daytime lip combinations (see here).
• MAC (Gem of Roses) - I wore this subtle blush pink for a weekend daytime lip.
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Smitten) - I wore this bright raspberry pink to a pre-Xmas office lunch when I was in the mood for OTT eyes and lips.

The lipsticks from left:

Raspberry, Pinkerbelle, Undressed, Gem of Roses

(see here for a closer look at Smitten)

So, to get to the point of this long-winded exercise I used 30 different colour products over seven days.  Is that a lot?  Or simply average? I don't really know - this wasn't scientific in any way - but in any case it kept me occupied for a week!

How do you think you compare?

I'd love to know! 

Until next time

Vita :)

REVIEW: November's farewelled products

So this is my second last empties post for the year - without further ado let me get right into it!

Skin care

114) L'Oreal Youth Code Lumiere (aka 'Luminosity') Extraordinary Serum (30ml)
I've got back on the wagon with serums as I figure my middle-aged skin can do with all that extra penetrative skincare!  L'Oreal's serum was the first because it promises to correct my dreaded dark spots and I've been using this along with Luminosity Day Cream because, well, it can't hurt! What can I say about it??  The formula is loaded with Vitamin Cg and has a faintly citrus scent.  It absorbs instantly as you'd expect and did give my skin an instantly more luminous veneer as promised because of its light-reflecting formula.  As usual, even after using this for just over a month I can't really detect that this product has reduced my pigmentation but it hasn't got any worse either! Is that a win? I guess so.  Would I repurchase? Probably, because this is well priced at $35.95AUD for quality skincare - although I have a backlog of three other serums to get through first!

115) Coca-Cola Vanilla Lip Smacker (4.0g/0.14 oz)
I didn't know just how to categorize this so let's just go with skincare shall we? I bought this for a bit of fun and ended up using it as my nightly lip balm.  I actually liked this fun product very much - it did a really good job of moisturising my lips and the scent/'flavour' was more cinnamon than Vanilla Coke so I quite liked that too!

116) Bloom off, off and away cleansing wipes (24 wipes)
After around a year of trying out different facial wipes I'm feeling a bit like the connoisseur, lol!  As you can see I picked up this pack (and another) at the reduced price of $3.00 and to be honest I'm glad I didn't pay full price.  These wipes are probably the smallest wipes I've used and on several occasions I've found a second wipe necessary to cleanse my entire face.  What I did like was the gentle, alcohol-free formula and the pleasant cucumber scent.  Would I repurchase? Not at the full price, no.

Hand and body care

117) Sally Hansen Mega Shine Extended Wear Top Coat (12.7ml/0.43fl. oz)

This top coat is an old favourite of mine from my pre-blogger days when I didn't need my polish to dry in 60 seconds flat!  Sure, this isn't the fastest drying top coat, although it still is reasonably quick and touch-dry in a matter of minutes, but heck the shine is fantastic!  I still love it and will definitely repurchase.  The only thing which bugs me a little is the opaque bottle.  I've got no way of knowing exactly how much product is left in the bottle until it runs out - sometimes mid-manicure!

118) OPI Original Polish Remover ( 120ml/4fl.oz)

My tenth bottle for the year. 

119) Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion with Alpha/Beta Hydroxy & Shea butter (250ml - 8.5fl. oz)

I've raved about this body lotion many a time because of the genuine skin smoothing formula and this is my fourth emptied bottle this year.  

120) OPI RapiDry Top Coat (3.75ml - 1/8fl. oz)

I've always got full sized backups of this top coat on hand because it's quick drying and non-shrinking.  The mini bottles like this one do frustrate me though because there's about a quarter of the bottle wasted as the brush simply cannot reach that far.

121) MOR Marshmallow Hand Cream (50ml - 1.7 fl. oz)

This was my handbag hand cream and it's certainly attention-getting!  The scent is a rather strong and lingering musk candy which can be smelt metres away, so I discovered one day at work when one of my friends asked what I was wearing.  The cream itself is rather thick and reasonably moisturising but I found the scent just a little too distracting for me.

Cosmetics

122) Essence Glossy Lip Balm (Sparkling Cherry)

Cheap and cheerful, and a really pretty sheer cherry red on the lips.  Unfortunately these little cuties have been discontinued.

123) Wet 'n' Wild Lip Liner Pencil (666 Brandy Wine)

This little stub doesn't tell the full story (or does it?) but this pencil lasted me years and I loved it so much that I requested a backup.  See here for a swatch and a little more of my raving over this drugstore gem.

124) Napoleon Perdis Mascara/Lipgloss

I got this as a magazine freebie some time ago and this two-in-one was a hit and a miss in one.  The sheer icy pink lipgloss was surprisingly flattering and I loved it but the mascara was another story altogether - I hated it!  The mascara was clumpy and not water-resistant in the slightest - panda eyes anyone???  At least I didn't actually buy this.

125) L'Oreal Lumi Magique Touch of Light - Highlighting Pen (2 - Medium)

Unfortunately, this product was one of the makeup disappointments of the year for me - you can read all about it again here.

Fragrance

126) Tom Ford Violet Blonde EDP (1.5ml -.05fl.oz sample)

Complimentary samples, the the only way I can afford Tom Ford fragrances *sigh*.  When I first smelt this I thought it was a little too mature and bold for me but on a second, and third sniff I changed my mind - I like the unusually dramatic powdery floral scent.  This fragrance has top notes of "...violet leaf, Italian mandarin and pink pepper;  middle notes of Tuscan iris absolute, Tuscan orris butter, Sambac jasmine and sampaquita;  and base notes of musk, suede, cedar, vetiver and benzoin".  If only I could afford to buy one of TF's fragrances...

127) Narciso Rodriguez Essence Eau de Musc EDP (75ml)

I loved the softness of this fragrance and it was suitable for every day wear.  This has, "...dominant aromas of musk, with aromas of ylang-ylang, jasmine and orange blossom".  It's simply very pretty in my opinion and I would definitely repurchase.

That's it for another month!

Vita :)

My weekend face (Spring 2012)

On weekends I still enjoy wearing makeup -  I always enjoy wearing at least some makeup -  but away from the harsh office lighting I endure during the week, once the weekend arrives and I'm free (yay!), I pare it back to basics.  Normally that means a neutral palette of nude and beige, but now that spring has well and truly sprung I'm moving away from pure neutrals and embracing soft and pretty pinks, peaches and greens to introduce a bit of no fuss colour.  It's still simple, still looks like me but it's a prettier, fresher springier version of me.  I guess it's my spring blossom palette if you like!

These are the colours I've been loving lately - I'm embracing my inner girly again!

Eyes

MAC Duck Powerpoint Eye Pencil - I've blogged about this eyeliner pencil many times.  It's a soft grey-brown which softly accentuates my eyes without screaming 'eyeliner'!

MAC Vex (frost) - This eyeshadow looks grey in the pan right? Wrong! This pretty little gem is a silvery green with pink duochrome.  I love wearing Vex solo as the complexity of this shade makes it look like I've made a little more effort. It contours and highlights my eyes all in one but still looks soft rather than made up.

Essence Cappucino, please! (shimmer effect) - I recently did a MAC Shroom dupe post and Cappucino, please! was the closest dupe in my collection (see original comparison here).  I'll wear this soft mushroomy beige as an all over lid shade to brighten my eyes or on the inner corners to add a little extra brightness to Vex.

Cheeks & lips

Revlon Peach Parfait Lip Butter -  This soft peachy pink pearl is the right shade to give my lips just a hint of colour and sheen in one quick swipe.

Bloom Shy Sheer Colour Cream - I bought this quite a few months ago but only just 'discovered' it as I've started my love affair with cream blush in earnest.  It's a sheer rosy pink which can built up for an added natural flush on the apples on my cheeks.  Pretty in pink much?

Swatched L - R:
Peach Parfait, Shy, Duck, Cappucino, please!, Vex     

 

What's in your spring makeup bag?

That's it for now.

Vita :)