Milani blush review….

When in New York…do what the crazy makeup crazy makeup artist/beauty blogger's do and collect all the makeup not available in the UK. First stop…drugstores and the coveted Milani stand. 

First up, the packaging is cute and compact, with a handy clear lid to see the colours at a glance making makeup decisions in the mornings a lot easier. 

The blushes are baked which means the colour's are quite sheer but don't appear powdery on the skin even when they're built up to achieve a stronger colour. 

I picked up shade 01 Dolce Pink which is a rose gold blush with a LOT of glitter. This is a blush that needs absolutely no highlighter added into the mix - it's a one stop glowing cheek shop. I also picked up (shock horror) 05 Luminoso which is seriously hyped in the blog and youtube community as being a glowy, peachy blush that is really subtle really tricky to get wrong. A quick swipe of this on the apples of the cheeks and up onto the cheekbones leaves a really healthy 'glowing from within' type finish. This is very rapidly becoming a holy grail product in my collection.

I wish I'd picked up more of these but I'll definitely be adding them to my next American drugstore haul list. I highly recommend these if you're heading overseas.

Loves

xxx

New dream mascara alert..

Now, I don't want to say anything rash here but I think I may have found something special. We're talking Benefit They're Real special. The newest offering from 17, the Falsifeye HD mascara, claims to lengthen and add volume to lashes creating something pretty special. I'll admit, the before and after picture on the box sold it to me (yep, an ex advertising student being sucked in my the packaging…awkward). 

The actual mascara packaging is spot on. Sleek, black, simple, nice and substantial. The wand is everything I love from a mascara wand. Plastic, short bristles, easily loaded up with loads of product to make a quick 'one swipe' mascara job a real possibility. The wand reminds me a lot of They're Real, minus the spiky ball on the end, but this one tapers down to a nice fine point which makes it really easy to get into the inner lashes and coat the bottom lashes nice and easily without making one big mess.

So, to business. Bare lashes on the right, two coats on the left. I've since loaded up with three to four coats of this stuff and, thanks to the wand, it doesn't clump at all. It's super black, easily to manoeuvre the wand around the upper and lower lashes and get right into the roots thanks to the super spiky wand. I saw no signs of flaking or smudging, and I've done the ultimate test of sweating it out in the gym for a solid hour after an 8 hour shift at work and it looked just as perfect as when I'd applied it at 5am in the morning. And at around the £6 mark (they always have offers on so you can probably pick it up a bit cheaper) it's probably my new favourite find and a staple in my makeup bag.

Winner

What other drugstore mascaras does everyone love?

Loves

xxx

L'oreal Extraordinaire glosses review….

In previous years, glosses have been way down on my list of makeup loves. Lipstick is my ultimate number one. But recently I've found gloss to be much more convenient for work (hello less touch ups and speedy application sans mirror) so decided to bulk up my gloss collection. I picked these up on an offer in Boots and am physically holding myself back from rushing out and buying the whole damn lot.  

I picked up Rose Symphony, which is a bright rosy pink that looks great with a bronze smokey eye or just as the only pop of colour on the face. My favourite of the two, though, is Nude Vibrato. Oh my this is perfect. The right amount of brown and peach tones combined, I think it's probably my perfect nude. I can see a makeup shopping trip coming on to swatch everything L'Oreal has ever made to find it's lipstick equivalent. 

So in terms of colour, these are perfect. Staying power is quite good, especially got a gloss. But saying that, if you like your glosses non-sticky and super comfortable to wear….these are your boys. I'm interested to see what their darker colours are like (there's a bright orange on the current TV ad that I've got my eye on) and am probably going to pick a few more Autumnal shades up soon for when the weather turns. 

Basically, it's love. Anyone else tried these? Anymore shade recommendations?

Loves

xxx

June favourites...

Glossy lips have been my go-to this month, and I've completely adored Tanya Burrs lipgloss in First Date (and not just because it smells like milkshake, although that helped). I've also discovered the l'Oreal L'Extrodinaire glosses which are super long lasting, beautifully glossy with just the right amount of colour to wear on their own or over a lipstick. I want to pick up more of these they're just gorgeous. For the face I've rediscovered the famous Benefit High Beam dupe by Me Me Me, Beat The Blues liquid highlighter. It's a super subtle, pale pink highlighter that looks great under foundation for a really subtle glow, or over the top of a liquid foundation for a bit more impact. I've loved wearing it teamed with the Borjois Exlusif cream blush - a really interesting product that adapts to your own skin colour and gives a stunning pink glow to the cheeks. Another re-discovery this month has been my brow tastic Illamasqua Brow Cake in Gaze. Holy Grail brow product without a doubt and, as you can see, very well loved! I've been all about the winged liner and lashes for eyes this month, and have been pairing my Kate Moss for Rimmel mascara with the Maybelline Lasting Drama Black Shock gel liner…another Benefit dupe! And lastly for makeup…Essie Blanc has been firmly on my toes for the entire month. Nothing screams SUMMER to me more than white nails!

I've started a new job this month so I've been all about products that make my life that little bit easier. The Batiste XXL dry shampoo has saved my hair through day two, three, and sometimes even four when I've had no time to wash and dry it. The Body Shop Camomile cleaning oil has been a great quick fix to remove my makeup at night before bed, and to save my tired, stressed out skin I've been applying the Avon Clear Skin pore penetrating black mineral mask. It looks a bit odd as it's black, but leaves my skin looking and feeling fantastic, I get a really great glow when I apply makeup the day after I've used this! Another Avon product I've loved is their overnight foot renewal cream…I'm on my feet all day every day at the moment so they've needed a bit of extra attention. Lastly for June, is f course a tan. Again another quick fix product, the well blogged about Cocoa Brown one hour tan. It says one hour, but to be honest I apply this at night and wash off in the morning and get a beautiful, natural, non smelly, non streaky glowing tan that lasts a week on my skin if I keep up with good skincare between applications.

What has everyone else been loving?

Loves

xxx

Spring Empties….

It's pretty much Summer now, right? Here's a bunch of products I used up throughout the Spring (some of these have been ongoing for quite a while!)….. and a couple of thought's on my loves and hates!

I've actually dyed my hair twice this spring, but Berry Red from the Casting Creme Gloss range has been my favourite and I'll be going back to this one next time for sure. The L'Oreal Mythic Oil is my forever holy-grail favourite… this is my second bottle of this and I've already started number 3!

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer…say no more. Love this, and I have 3 back ups ready and waiting for me. I used to love the Bobby Brown corrector for under my eyes but my Body Shop Illuminating pen in shade 1 has overtaken this as my favourite and it's a lot less likely to settle into the fine lines around the eyes.  

My Clean & Clear deep action face wash is a staple in my skincare routine and I'm already half way through my back up! I also really enjoyed the Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It scrub and can see me purchasing this one down the line somewhere. Now I've heard a LOT about the REN skincare line and was excited to have the day cream to test out. You can imagine my disappointment when I hated it with a passion. I found it sticky and the smell was just unbearable. Not a winner, sorry REN!

I can't even begin to talk about how sad I am to have finished the D&G 10 perfume because it's discontinued and will always be known as 'my scent'. I have one bottle left and is getting seriously rationed! Another holy grail product that I actually haven't re-purchased yet (too many others to use up as you can imagine) is the Superdrug Vitamin E body cream. Such a bargain and sinks into the skin perfectly. 

I love reading empties posts because I think you get a really honest, true review of products so hope you guys enjoyed this!

Loves

xxx

Bourjois Blush Exclusif...

I've always been fairly sceptical of those 'colour changing' products to be honest. Remember that green Barry M lipstick? No I'm sorry I'd just rather pick the colour I want rather than trusting the judgement of a funny coloured lipstick…who knows what you're going to get?? When Bourjois re-launched their cult Java Rice Powder they bought out a few other products alongside that seemed to get overlooked, including this little beauty. I loved the formula of Bourjois cream blushers when they originally launched last year (or quite possibly the year before…who knows now!). The Blush Exclusif version is a cute pink cream blush that transforms to an individual pink shade based on the person putting it on. Don't quote me on this but I think it's something to do with skin temperatures. On my hand it appeared on the lilac side but on the cheeks came out a very subtle, pale rose coloured pink. 

Like the original cream blushers in the line, the formula is perfect…not too sticky, tries to a powder finish and lasts really well. Also, the packaging is so damn cute and tiny you can afford to home the whole collection!

Anyone else tried this? What did you think?

Loves

xxx

Soap & Glory Archery brow tint and pencil…

I've recently fallen completely out of love with my eyebrows, and all my eyebrow products I have in my stash. I just can't seem to get them even, nothing is the right colour, and I can't get an arch to save my life. So when I needed a few bits in Boots the other day I took advantage of the 3 for 2 on (as you do) and picked up the much talked about Soap & Glory Archery brow tint and precision shaping pencil. I got mine in the shade Brownie Points, which is a really natural taupe brown shade that actually matched my brow colour perfectly, although I usually like to darken my brows up to match my hair. 

left - felt tip, right - crayon

I'm not too in love with the felt pen end as I don't get anywhere near enough colour out of it, but if you prefer a more natural brow then I think you'll love that part. The pencil, however, is an absolute dream. Just the right amount of waxiness, the perfect thickness to get a nice tapered end to the brows, and just generally really easy to use. 

This was the only shade on the shelves in Boots and I don't know if they do another, darker shade? If they do I think this would be beyond perfect for me, but for now I'm using this in conduction with a brow shaping gel with a tint and I've got the brows I've been looking for!

What other brow products does everyone recommend?

Loves

xxx

NYX natural palette...

So far, everything I've tried from NYX I've fallen in love with, most of the products making their way into my everyday makeup routine. This palette kept popping up on Pinterest (come follow me if you don't already!) and I'd never tried any of their shadows before so thought, for such great value for money I'd give it a go. My initial thoughts were, what a great range of shades! I thought this would be perfect to create light, shimmery day looks, and then the darker shades in the crease smoked out for a more dramatic night look. It's got two matte shades so great for subtle highlights, and the rest all have varying amounts of shimmer throughout them. 

My first thought on these was they were really hard to blend. I used the glitter champagne shade (second in from left) all over the lid, with the taupe satin shadow through the crease, and they just kid of sat there. I also really didn't think much to the consistency of them. Very powdery and chalky...when I wiped a clean finger over my lid the shadow just came away. Slightly better with a lid primer but still nothing to write home about. 

Pigmentation was pretty poor, the swatches above were done without a primer which, as I said, did help matters along a bit but they were no Urban Decay! The last thing was the glitter....the champaign shade was so glittery it took me back to my 15 year old self when I was glitter obsessed!

All in all, not great from NYX in my opinion; there are definitely better budget eyeshadow brands on the market (Rimmel and L'Oreal etc). I still love NYX for their cheek, base and lip products but I don't think I'll be reaching for the eye section any time soon!

Am I on my own with this?

Loves

xxx

Kryolan Illusion….

I feel about illuminators like a fat kid feels about cake just recently. Powder, cream or liquid, I'll mix them with my foundation, use them as an illuminating base, or use them as a highlight on the tops of the cheekbones and under the brow bone. Basically, they're my new makeup obsession. I went to the UMA expo at the weekend and spent ages browsing the Charles Fox stand checking out the Kryolan offering and, when I saw the Illusion highlighters were half price, I squealed. And I wish I could say that was an exaggeration. 

They're a creamy formula with lots of sparkle in them and come in various colours. I could have gone mad and got the lot (I think there's about 8 in the range) but to be honest I've got to the stage where I'd rather buy one great product and actually get to use it, rather than it being overshadowed in my ever growing makeup collection. I picked Organza which is a pretty pink shade (my cheekbone highlighter colour of choice). It looks quite scary in the pan but when it's on the skin and blended in it's so beautiful and leaves a lovely flush as well as being super light reflecting. A little goes a long way so I'm pleased I only picked up one (for now!)

Has anyone else tried the Illusion highlighters from Kryolan? What other illuminators do I need to try?

Loves

xxx

Nars Adelaide Illuminator review...

Swatched and blended out

You know when you're having your makeup done and it's really distracting because the lady (or gentleman!) doing it is wearing something gorgeous on their face and you just want to ask them what it is? I recently went to get colour matched for Nars Sheer Glow and the lovely girl doing the honours had what I can only describe as pure magic on her cheeks. It was, as the title of this post suggests, the Nars Illuminator in Adelaide, which I believe is part the Final Cut Collection. 

Its a lilac toned bright pink with a silver shimmer running through it, which makes it really wearable as an everyday shade blended onto the cheeks and up onto the cheek bones. It really brightens my complexion and I think it would really suit most skin tones. 

I've also found it a really great product to pop on underneath a powder blush. It gives matte pink blushers a bit of life, and also makes them last a lot longer so perfect for a night out or if you prefer a brighter cheek.

This probably won't be the last Nars Illuminator I'll be adding to my collection! What do you think?

Loves

xxx

Jumping on the Nars Sheer Glow bandwagon...

I'm embarrassingly late on the bandwagon with this one but I finally picked up Nars Sheer Glow last week, and I found myself asking WHY did it it take me so long?? Non of my high street foundations were quite cutting it for me anymore, and I was getting fairly 'over' watching peoples top 2013 product countdowns and seeing Sheer Glow pop up over and over again and be completely clueless to it's amazingness. 

I was colour matched to Fiji which is a perfect match to my skin (although when I loose my tan I guarantee I'll be dropping a shade or two!) and blends seamlessly. Now, being an oily skinned, full coverage foundation kinda girl, the words 'sheer' and 'glow' struck dread into my very sole. After plenty of research it turns out Sheer Glow tends to be a medium coverage which I'm actually preferring, but can easily be built in layers if the need strikes me. 

As for the 'glow' aspect, it's not as glittery as Revlon Photo Ready or Rimmel Wake Me Up which was a good start. I found that buffing Sheer Glow into the skin then swiping a bit of Mac MSF Natural over my t-zone was the perfect coverage and gave the most beautiful 'my skin but better' finish to my face that just got better as the day wore on. 

This has won a firm place in my heart early on and I'm sure this isn't the last you'll hear from me about this foundation!

Loves

xxx

The Body Shop Vitamin E eye cream review...

I always find eye cream to be quite tricky. How do you know if it's working? What makes a good eye cream? Personally I look for something that makes my eye makeup apply smoothly, sinks in easily so I can use it morning and night, and doesn't make my eyes swell up (a problem I've had with many an eye cream in the past). 

I'm a huge lover of The Body Shop Vitamin E range and have used various items of the range on and off for years. I picked this up on a recent speedy shopping trip and am so pleased with it. It's nothing crazy, it doesn't perform miracles, but it's a soft light cream suitable for use morning or night, makes me under eye concealer slightly less prone to creasing, and no swelling!

In my, now less puffy and slightly brighter, eyes this is a winner and will be a future re-purchase for sure.

What eye creams does everyone else use and recommend?

Loves

xxx

Maybelline Colour Whispers (revisited)...

These have been mentioned on my blog before but seeing as I'm slowly building a collection and am head over heels in love with them, I thought they needed another post.

There's no doubt in my mind that eventually I'll own all of these. I'd liken them to the Revlon Lip Butters for consistency. They're a gel like balm with a nice wash of colour that you can build up but it never becomes too opaque. They're fairly moisturising, come in a nice range of colours, and are so simple to apply. No mirror needed!! The one down side is that, like a lot of this type of lip product on the market, they don't stick around too long. But being this easy to apply I'm not sure I'm too bothered about that. 

I have (left/top to right/bottom) Pink Possibilities, Oh La Lilac, and Lust for Blush. I'm not sure if these are out in the UK yet? But if they are, go try them. And if they're not, go try them as soon as they hit the shelves!!

Anyone else tried these?

Loves

xxx

Horrible hair days....

Australia doesn't love my hair. Seriously. It's gone from being relatively healthy, if a little dry on the ends (nothing a good deep moisturising mask and a hair oil or two can't sort out) to greasy as it gets. Before I could get away with two-three washes a week with a shed load of dry shampoo in between as and when it needed it. 

Since coming back to Australia I'll be lucky to get an every-other-day wash out of it, it's turned to greasy and limp yet super frizzy on the ends. Don't ask me what happened because if I knew, I'd be able to solve it and I wouldn't be sat here typing this up. 

So in my distress I popped to Hairhouse Warehouse (yes it's as cool as it sounds) and asked their advice. 

I've dabbled in the KMS California brand here and there over the years but it's always been a bit high end for me when it comes to hair care. I thought if it works then it's worth the hefty AU$22.50 price tag so I went home, shampooed, and waited....

This stuff is serious business. My hair's a bit delicate to use the clarifying shampoo more than once a week at the absolute most, but it does what it says on the tin (bottle). It completely stripped my hair of product build up as well as a little of its natural oils. No bother, as I just use it along side a moisturising conditioner on the ends of my hair. If you're struggling with your hair like I was, I recommend this beauty to the moon and back. 

I won't say I'll be repurchasing because this will probably last me forever, but this one is a winner.

Can anyone else recommend any other good clarifying shampoos?

Loves

xxx

Rimmel Scandaleyes eye shadow stick....

This thing is an absolute beauty. I'm a black kohl liner girl through and through, and I love applying it to my upper and lower lash line then smudging out for a grungy undone eye. I find some liners do this better than others, and with a standard kohl pencil it can take some work to achieve the look I'm going for. I bought this hoping for smokey, grungy, messy results with minimal effort and it delivers all that and more. First, the colour...

left - solid colour, right - smudged out

Dark black with an iridescent shimmer under light (although not that noticeable on the eye) it glides on super easy, smudges controllably, then stays put once set. I've heard that these things can crease on the lid but I don't have the problem using them the way I do as it's just a quick line on the upper and lower lash line. I then smudge with a pencil brush, neaten up the edges with a cotton bud where needed then go. Instant rock chick, grunge, super model on a night out, eyes. 

Has anyone else used any other colour in these pencils?

Loves

xxx

Lets get oily....

So all this hair oil fuss has escalated in the past few years and I have to say, I was a little late on the bandwagon. Favouring a messy, matte texture to my hair I dismissed hair oils as not being for me. I'm now facing up to the fact that I was completely wrong. Here's my current collection (I have more back in the UK I wasn't able to transport back over here).

L'Oreal Mythic Oil - This was my first oil I tried after receiving it in a GlossyBox. I'm now on my third bottle and I adore it. It's super light and is so great on curled hair to separate curl and keep hair extensions is top condition. It contains avocado and grape seed oil and is probably the closest consistency to an oil out of these five.

Organix Macadamia Oil - This is a very rich, thick formula which I find can weigh my hair down a bit, especially on day two after washing it. It contains macadamia oil so is completely different to Mythic Oil, and claims to mend split ends, which to be honest I'm sceptical about.

Orofluido - Again a sample from a beauty box this one is extremely hydrating. If anything I find this a bit too hydrating on my hair, I save this one for three day old hair to tame the ends before I pop it in a top knot. It's pretty expensive (around the £25 mark depending one where you buy it from) and I won't be repurchasing. 

Schwarzkopf Hair Repair Daily Oil Elixir - What a little beauty. First I love the packaging as it has a lock top to stop spillage and leakage if you take it out in your handbag. It's a similar consistency to Mythic Oil and has similar ingredients, I find this one doesn't weigh my hair down at all. I also love this one on damp hair before I let it air dry to cut out the frizz. At around £4/£5 I'd say buy immediately. 

Lastly is the Tresemme Argon Oil salon smooth serum - the clue's in the name. This one is much more of a serum than an oil; I don't find it nourishes at all but it does give a nice shine to freshly straightened or curled hair, also suits my hair extensions without weighing them down. 

What other oil's would you recommend? As something I use daily in my hair I'm always looking for new oil's to buy and try out....especially bargains.

Loves

xxx