GRWM: Trying New Makeup #2

Over the past six months or so since mask wearing became mandatory in New Zealand I haven’t been wearing a lot of makeup. It’s a double edged sword because I miss the chance to create and play with products before work but at the same time I don’t need to get up as early and it has made my morning routine simpler. As a result I haven’t been looking to buy new makeup but there are a few things that have caught my eye recently that I was excited by.

Authored Push Kit

Authored is Tanya Burr’s new makeup brand and I didn’t take much notice of the products at first until I started seeing some reviews and a few bloggers/YouTubers I follow sharing their thoughts on Instagram. In December I purchased the Push Kit which contains all four products the brand makes so far: tinted moisturiser, brow gel, mascara and lip balm. The idea of simple, effortless beauty drew me in and the products are good basics if you’re on the go and want something quick and easy or you want to look polished without putting on a full face.

1. Tinted Moisturiser – Shade 1 – Shade 1 is the lightest shade intended for those with light skin and neutral undertones. Not only did the shade description sound accurate for my skin tone but I figured if it was too light I can easily apply a bit of bronzer, better that than having a shade too dark. The formula is lightweight, on the runny side (I store my tube with the cap facing up) but very easy to blend into the skin and can be built up for more coverage. The product claims to give a soft matte, slightly dewy appearance and I agree, my skin looked like skin but with a healthy, natural glow. The product didn’t cling or settle into lines and other makeup applied nicely over the top.

2. Brow Gel – 1 Light Brown – I had never used a brow gel before so I had to look up how to apply one before doing my brows. Safe to say I needn’t have worried as it was very easy to apply and there was no excess product needing to be cleaned up. The colour is good, my brows are darker than my hair so it’s not hard to get a decent colour match I find. My brows still look natural which is what I like. Big thumbs up!

3. Mascara – When it comes to mascara I prefer natural bristle wands, a formula that is super black and gives length and volume. I don’t believe mascaras give an accurate representation of how they perform after one use so I tend to properly make up my mind after I’ve been using a mascara for a week or two. On first impressions this ticks the natural bristle wand, super black formula and length boxes but I would have liked more volume. Again, that may come once I’ve used it a bit more and the formula has got some air in it – I’m not disappointed by any means. The formula is on the drier side straight off the bat (which I also don’t mind) and it didn’t smudge or flake. It seems to layer nicely and not coat lashes with too much product at once. Looking forward to using this more to see if my thoughts change.

4. Lip balm – This was the product I was least excited to try but it worked out more worthwhile getting the kit and trying all products rather than buying two or three other items separately. I am pleasantly surprised by how much I like this. Normally I don’t need to wear lip balm often and my lips don’t get dry but I can see myself reaching for this to pop on around home or dabbing over top of my lipstick which is what I did for this look. The lip balm isn’t thick or sticky. I’m not a fan of cherry but the scent doesn’t bother me and disppears after a minute or two.

Max Factor Creme Bronzer – Light Gold 05

Is this bronzer still a favourite in the blogging world? I would see this everywhere a few years ago and I don’t know anyone who isn’t a fan! I’ve owned this bronzer for a year or two now but wanted to pull it out as I’ve only worn it a handful of times and it is very pretty. I’m loyal to my Body Shop bronzer as that was in my project pan last year (which was abandoned due to Covid) but this is also a winner and one I’m happy to reach for. Despite having creme in the name this is a powder bronzer and creme refers to the Max Factor range the product is from. The flecks of shimmer don’t make the face look shiny and it’s the type of bronzer that is hard to apply too much of, which is a good thing. I was doing a quick Google search whilst writing this post and I don’t know if this is available anymore. I’d urge you to get in quick if you’ve been wanting to try this in case it’s gone!

Huda Beauty Rose Quartz Palette

Cool tones work better on me and they are what I gravitate towards most often. This is my first Huda Beauty product and I purchased a kit from Feel Unique also containing a zip around case, three eye brushes and a Silk Balm as a birthday present to myself. The day after the palette arrived I knew I wanted to play with it immediately. All of the shades are beautiful and for the first look I went for something rather simple and classic. I applied Radiate as a base shadow, used Precious to deepen the crease, went in with Energized on my finger and applied it all over the lid and placed Love Stone in the inner corner.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick – 08 Pink In Confidence

I purchased this lipstick last year and had always wanted to try this formula, I’d heard many good things about how comfortable it is and how easy the shades are to wear. Pink In Confidence is a relatively neutral rosy pink with a subtle hit of colour. I am fair skinned and it looks pretty natural on me so it wouldn’t be the best for those with darker skin tones. I love bold, bright lip colours but wanted something on the neutral side from this formula as it is very soft and shiny and a bold colour would get messy. The lipstick is very balm-like without being thick and goopy and is super easy to apply. If you have dry lips this formula works well. The formula won’t have the longest wear time but it does wear evenly and will give you a decent number of hours before needing to reapply.

Other makeup used:

• Clinique Dramatically Different moisturiser
• Maybelline Pore Minimizing Primer
• L’Oreal More Than Concealer – 323 Fawn
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• MAC Double Gleam highlighter
• Max Factor Creme Puff blush – 10 Nude Mauve
• Pixi Rose Glow mist

The Finished Look

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of the finished look?

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YouTubers Made Me Buy It

Let’s face it, we all have those purchases someone else has convinced us to buy! We hear about a product and want to try it for ourselves. I watch a few beauty YouTubers and recently there have been some items I’ve wanted to give a go. I am on a low buy for 2020 and I’m not doing badly so far but a couple of these items were on sale and I was sick so I decided to treat myself!

1. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara – Black

I have never tried anything from Benefit before because their products are pricey! I picked up Roller Lash as it was on sale on Makeup.co.nz for 20% off and while it was more than I usually pay for mascara it’s more justifiable than the regular price. Roller Lash is a mascara I’ve always been interested in trying and it seems to be a firm favourite in the beauty community. The packaging is cute and the mascara aims to grab, separate, lift and curl lashes. The formula contains provitamin B5 and serin, ingredients known for their lash-conditioning benefits. The mascara is also said to be water resistant and easy to remove. Roller Lash has a plastic wand which usually isn’t my preference but I’m hopeful the mascara will deliver.

Who made me buy it: Zoella and Shaaanxo

2. Australis Metallix Foiled Shadow – Guns ‘n Rose Petals

I am very much a single shadow girl. I love quick, easy looks that can be done in a couple of minutes. I’m also not afraid to use my fingers which is my preferred method to apply shimmery, metallic shadows as they appear more pigmented that way. Single cream shadows are not something I have a lot of but I was drawn to this shade because it looks super shiny and bright and will make my eyes pop. Guns ‘n Rose Petals is is a cool toned champagne pink and this will be pretty on it’s own or layered over powder shadows for a little more depth.

Who made me buy it: Arna Alayne

3. Colourpop Lilac You a Lot Palette

When this palette was released my first thought was It’s My Pleasure volume two… definitely don’t need it. When I watched the launch video for Makeup.Just.For.Fun’s No Shrinking Violet bundle made up of her Colourpop favourites and this featured I started to see the palette in a different light. Lilac You a Lot is much more lavender and cool toned whereas It’s My Pleasure is more warm toned. It’s My Pleasure is a beautiful palette but it’s my least favourite of the nine pans I have (I haven’t tested this palette out yet). The cooler tones of Lilac You a Lot will work really well in conjunction with It’s My Pleasure and hopefully make me enjoy it more.

Who made me buy it: Makeup.Just.For.Fun

4. Colourpop Still Crazy Lux Lipstick

This lipstick also features in the No Shrinking Violet bundle and it is described as a mauvey pink on the Colourpop site which is right up my street! I did consider picking up the entire No Shrinking Violet bundle to show my support for Amanda but I have similar products to the other three items and these were the two I was most drawn to. When I was reading reviews and looking at pictures, Still Crazy sometimes came across as brown-pink and other times just pink. I think it depends on skin tone to be honest, I am very fair so how a lipstick looks in the bullet is generally how it looks on me. I saw this labelled as a dupe for Craving by MAC which I included in my 1,000 Followers Giveaway in 2018. Craving also looks like a colour I would enjoy and this way I am getting a similar colour to Craving for half the price. I have another of Colourpop’s Lux Lipsticks in the shade Scorpio Moon and the formula is so comfortable and creamy on the lips.

Who made me buy it: Makeup.Just.For.Fun

5. Wella Oil Reflections Luminous Trio and Luminous Reboost Mask

Last month I got the layers cut out of my hair and got it cut to one length. The salon I went to had a stand full of Wella products and I’m assuming that was the brand of shampoo and conditioner used on my hair. Afterwards my hair felt so soft and lovely and I jumped online to research Wella products. I remember Melanie Murphy mentioning her love for Wella in the past and after looking online I was intrigued by the Oil Reflections range. The range is suitable for all hair types and is light and moisturising with white tea extract to leave hair cleansed, luminous and smooth.

The Luminous Trio contains shampoo, conditioner and a light reflective oil. I haven’t used a hair oil before but the oil in this set sounds like it adds a healthy shine without weighing the hair down. I opted to get the hair mask from this range as well as I read it can be used in place of the conditioner to deeply nourish hair and restore moisture and hydration. The conditioner comes with 50ml less product than the shampoo so this way I’ll be more likely to not to run out of one before the other.

Who made me buy it: Melanie Murphy

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What have you been influenced to buy either from YouTubers or other bloggers?

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xoBeauty Haul + Mini Heaps of Sweets Palette Review

xoBeauty was my favourite brand discovery of 2018 and The Remix Palette from Shaaanxo and BH Cosmetics is what I currently enjoy reaching for most. I have tried to keep myself on a low buy in 2019 but there have been certain products I can’t stop thinking about – the Heaps of Sweets palette is one of those!

This is xoBeauty’s first palette and Shannon describes it as “the perfect blend of warm and cool tones, colourful shades and every day neutrals, a one stop shop palette for day and night.” On first glance a few shades look similar to those in The Remix Palette but Shannon describes Heaps of Sweets as The Remix Palette’s cousin and it’s nice the two palettes compliment each other. I can already tell this palette has more of a purple focus and the formula of the shimmers looks a lot more intense than those in The Remix Palette.

Heaps of Sweets is vegan, cruelty free, talc free and comes housed in light purple cardboard packaging adorned with gold foil detailing and cute illustrations of sweet treats. The palette contains a mix of 12 incredibly pigmented, super soft, blendable mattes and shimmers and also features a mirror. I don’t mind if a palette has a mirror or not but it does add to it being travel friendly along with the fact the palette is compact, lightweight and promises versatility.

Shades & Swatches:

Top row:

Gumdrop – A matte medium, warm purple with bright undertones. A fun pop of color for the lower lash line or crease.
Sugar – A pale champagne shimmer with pink undertones. Perfect for highlighting or brightening any look.
Brownie – An essential matte chocolate brown. Use this to darken the outer corners or to create a smokey eye.
Vanilla – A light cool toned neutral matte that leans purple. Perfect for an all-over look or in the crease.

Middle row:

Lollipop – Shannon’s dream purple. A medium/deep purple shimmer with slight cool undertones.
Bonbon – A medium/deep indigo matte purple. Perfect for smoking out any eye look.
Pretzel – Shannon’s dream copper shimmer that makes any eye color pop! Apply all over the lid for a gorgeous look.
Caramel – The perfect all-over matte to make your eyes pop. Apply in the crease and outer corner to deepen your look.

Bottom row:

Macaron – A light warm neutral matte. Perfect for in the crease or all over for a simple look.
Cupcake – The perfect taupe shimmer that goes with any skintone. Gorgeous all over the eye lid for a smokey look.
Apricot – A medium coral shimmer. Gorgeous paired with warm shadows and a bronzed complexion for a summery look!
Hokey Pokey – A bright yellow shimmer with warm undertones. Gorgeous on any skin tone for a golden finish!

In addition to the eyeshadow palette I picked up two lip colours and three makeup brushes.

1. Luxe Liquid Lipstick  – Aroha

I have spoken in the past about my love for this lipstick formula and if like me you don’t like matte liquid lipsticks I can’t recommend it enough! The formula is soft and feather light and dries down to a comfortable cream finish. If colour needs to be reapplied the product layers easily and doesn’t cling to any dry skin. You easily get 4-5 hours wear before reapplication is needed, more if you avoid greasy foods. Aroha is a muted deep plum and is a cross between a berry and a red, it’s got more of a pink tone which I like. This is the fourth liquid lipstick I have purchased from xoBeauty and I think these are even better than their regular bullet lipsticks.

2. Creme Lipstick – Rescue Me

The regular lipsticks come in two finishes; matte and creme. Rescue Me is a creme which I prefer out of the two and is a wearable soft pink. I was looking at my lipstick collection recently and I was missing a pure pink, I have bright pinks, mauve pinks, brown pinks but not a lot in the way of soft pinks. The best thing about this lipstick is that for each sale 50% of the profits go to HUHA which is an animal shelter. HUHA stands for Helping You Help Animals and is a charity close to Shannon’s heart.

Lip colour swatches:

Left to right: Rescue Me and Aroha.

3. Crease Detail Brush

This brush is perfect for precise application of powders, creams or liquids. The brush is tapered to allow for more precision when applying colour and the small size means application can be more concentrated. I have small eyes so I also thought this would be great for packing colour onto the lids rather than a flat eyeshadow brush which is too big to use on my eyelids.

4. Crease Blender Brush

This is a dense, less fluffy version of the next brush which makes it great for applying eyeshadow through the crease and blending it out. This brush can also be used to apply shades in the outer V and on the lower lash line.

5. Blender Brush

This brush is good for adding a soft wash of colour over the eyelid or through the crease. The bristles are longer and fluffier than the Crease Blender Brush which means it will give a more diffused, blown out look. All three brushes are made using synthetic hairs and feel super soft.

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Share one of your favourite makeup brands in the comments below! Also, let me know if you like the look of anything in this haul and if you’d be interested to see me create a couple of looks with the eyshadow palette!

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Colourpop Strawberry Shake Palette – Review + 3 Looks

When the Strawberry Shake palette launched it flew under my radar and my initial thoughts were ‘it’s nice but I don’t need it.’ The more I saw the palette I realised I actually didn’t have shades like this already and the way all the shades work together is seamless. The versatility this little palette has is incredible, there’s mattes and shimmers, brights and neutrals, pinks, reds and even peachy tones. The strawberry theme appeals to me as strawberries are one of my favourite fruits and whilst I haven’t worn a lot of pink on my eyes in the past the pink tones Colourpop have used here are really lovely.

Colourpop also have the Ooh La La palette which is full of bright pinks and are the type of colours I love but a number of shades in that palette are similar to The Remix Palette by BH Cosmetics and Shaaanxo which I already own. I see myself reaching for Strawberry Shake a lot over summer and I know I will have fun creating both bold and wearable looks.

Strawberry Shake is comprised of three shimmers and six mattes. All of the nine shades are pigmented, blendable and long-wearing. The shadows aren’t powdery and I haven’t experienced any fallout or kickback. The shimmers are all super smooth (especially Delish) and none of the shades are patchy. This palette does come with an eye safe warning, three shades, My Milkshake, Take a Sip and Daiquiri, are pressed pigments and shouldn’t be used near the immediate eye area but I haven’t experienced any irritation or sensitivity.

Swatches:

My Milkshake – Vibrant berry pink. A nice mix between the lighter pinks and the red pinks in the palette. This makes a great transition shade.

Whipped – Rosy pink with silver and pink sheen. This type of shimmer shade applies best with a finger.

Woke – Baby pink. A nice soft neutral.

Paper Straw – Soft coral pink. The perfect base shadow colour.

Take a Sip – Vivid hot pink with gold and pink sparkle. The sparkle doesn’t translate onto the eyes. I need to play with this shade more to be honest.

Delish – Icy pink. This shade works as an inner corner highlight or a nice pop of shimmer when worn with a couple of the darker shades applied through the crease.

Berry Fine – Bright peach with golden flip. This is kind of like NARS Orgasm in eyeshadow form.

Daiquiri – True red. This shade isn’t as intimidating as I thought and pairs surprisingly well with the others. This looks nice along the lower lash line.

Shake It Up – Mauvey berry. A great shade to use all over the lid or more concentrated in the crease.

I have been putting the palette to the test for about a month now. Each combination I come up with I love and I really feel like this palette doesn’t have any bad shades, they’re all beautiful! Each shade works with the other eight and deciding on three looks for this post wasn’t easy.

Look #1

Woke is applied all over the lids as a base eyeshadow. I then go in with Shake It Up to darken the crease before Delish is applied over the lids to finish off.

Look #2

Paper Straw is used as a base shadow before going in with a mixture of My Milkshake and Daiquiri in the crease. My Milkshake is applied all through the crease whilst Daiquiri is concentrated on the outer half. Daiquiri is also applied to the lower lash line. Berry Fine is patted over the eyelid to tie in with the peachy tones of Paper Straw.

Look #3

Woke is applied as a base shade all over the lids. My Milkshake is used to deepen the crease followed by Take a Sip. Whipped is applied on top of Woke. Delish is applied as an inner corner highlight to finish off the look.

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So, how does Strawberry Shake compare to the other nine pan palettes I have from Colourpop? This is definitely up there with Sol and I do prefer this over It’s My Pleasure. There is versatility with light and bright shades and two different finishes (shimmer and matte). The pigmented, blendable formula is a dream to work with. This palette is the guilt-free sweet treat you need!

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Another Colourpop Haul!

I think I can officially say Colourpop has become my obsession for 2019! This is my third order since February and I genuinely have been impressed with the quality of products and the price point. The constant releases can be a little overwhelming but I’m nowhere near as intimidated by the brand as I used to be. Part of the reason I waited so long to try Colourpop is because they didn’t ship to New Zealand and I had no clue which products I wanted to try. I find myself meeting the $50 international free shipping mark easily but at the same time I’m getting a decent amount of product.

From the time I ordered until the items arrived at my door it was around two weeks. Everything arrived in perfect condition and nothing was damaged.

On with the haul!

Strawberry Shake Palette

Swatches:

Top to bottom: My Milkshake, Whipped, Woke, Paper Straw, Take a Sip, Delish, Berry Fine, Daiquiri and Shake It Up.

The Strawberry Shake palette is the main reason behind this order and the item I most wanted! When the palette launched I didn’t take much notice but I started to see more pictures of it, watched eye makeup tutorials and read reviews and it skyrocketed to the top of my wish list. The pink hues are not normally what I go for on my eyes but the majority of the mattes are neutral tones and great transition shades. The shimmers are really pretty and I couldn’t wait to dive in and start using this palette – I’m very much enjoying it so far. I think this will also pair nicely with Sol as that has orange-red warm tones too.

Ultra Glossy Lips x 2

Top: Easy Bake
Bottom: Berry Good

I am totally on the lip gloss/lip topper trend at the moment and am loving juicy, glossy looking lips. Originally I was only going to purchase Berry Good but once I’d used the coupon I was sent after receiving a damaged Super Shock Shadow in my last order I wasn’t over the $50 free shipping threshold so added Easy Bake to my basket to get me over the line. These glosses are so beautiful and smell divine! The brush applicator is growing on me and does help product spread evenly. Easy Bake is described as a sheer strawberry pink and contains small flecks of shimmer. If you have shades like this already I wouldn’t say you need this but I’m happy to have it. Berry Good is described as a pinky peach with gold pearl and has much more of a tint than Easy Bake. Both of these are comfortable to wear and will pair nicely with the palette. The strawberry packaging is super cute!

Super Shock Shadows x 3

I am very much a single eyeshadow lover, if I can get away with doing a look using one or two shadows, 80% of the time I will. Super Shock Shadows are definitely great to swipe on the lids if you’re short on time and want a pigmented wash of colour. At the time of this post I have seven Super Shock Shadows and I love how glittery they are, I’m not sure I’d like matte shades in this formula. I’m glad to say none were damaged this time around.

I picked up:

Dare (shockingly neon purple with hot pink and violet glitter) – This shade would fit perfectly in the It’s My Pleasure palette. I will say this shade isn’t as pigmented as other Super Shock Shadows but it’s not overly noticeable on the eyes. I also want to try wearing this alongside a few shades from It’s My Pleasure to really make a statement.

Weenie (ultra metallic true rose gold) – Weenie is like Bellini from the Zoella x Colourpop collab in powder form and is so pigmented when swatched. This shade was first released as part of the Where the Night Is quad in collaboration with Kathleen Lights.

I Heart This (taupe with silver ultra-glitter) – I have always adored silver eyeshadow and the taupe in this shade warms up the silver and makes it slightly more warm toned. This shade is also on the sheerer side but it will be great to layer on top of others and I can see this being a go to everyday colour.

BFF Volumising Mascara – Purple Prose

Coloured mascara is not something I have ventured into much before but I was intrigued by all the different colours of this mascara. From watching reviews and hearing people talk about the shades, Purple Prose stood out for a number of people. The purple isn’t a pastel and on the eyes it’s quite a natural looking shade, it doesn’t look out of place. I have tried this on but not with a full makeup look. The formula is good, not too dry or too wet and the wand is a nice hourglass shape and easy to work with. The tube however does feel a little weighty.

Fun fact: my mum only wears cobalt blue mascara so I picked up a tube of Blue Ya Mind for her (not pictured).

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Have you tried any of these products? Have you got your eye on anything from Colourpop at the moment?

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My First Colourpop Haul! Review + Swatches

At the end of February I placed my first ever order with Colourpop! Colourpop is a brand I have seen and heard a lot about but the reason I hadn’t placed an order in the past is because the brand constantly releases lots of new products and I’ve never known what to order.

For my first order, the experience was positive. I qualified for free shipping and wasn’t charged customs when the package arrived in New Zealand. The products took one week from the order date to be shipped out but once I got the shipping notification the products were at my door within four days – that’s a quick turn around! No products arrived damaged and everything was well packaged.

Onto the haul:

Zoella x Colourpop Brunch Date Palette

When I saw Zoella announce her collaboration with Colourpop I checked out the products and the more I looked at the Brunch Date palette I knew I wanted it. Yes, it is a relatively neutral palette but I can’t see this palette being around forever and I do wear a lot of neutral eyeshadow. I did also buy this with the intention to declutter a couple of my Makeup Revolution palettes but after trying this the palettes are all different enough to warrant keeping them (for now).

Three out of the six mattes are easy to blend: Mimosa (warm red-brown), Maple Syrup (milk chocolate brown) and Americano (cool matte brown). The other three, French Toast (burgundy), Brunch Club (blue) and Extra Slice (dark brown with glitter) take a bit more work. The light satin pink, Sunny Side Up, takes some building to get the pigmentation to show on my pale skin. It’s the shimmers in this palette that are the standout shades. The first two shades Champagne Toast and Pancakes Please may look ordinary in the pan but once applied they pop and look really lovely. Cinnamon Sugar is a gorgeous bronze that has the right amount of bronze and gold. Sundae Funday is a more pink version of NARS Orgams for the eyes and Skinny Latte is another good shimmer.

A few people have commented this is ‘just another neutral palette with a pop of blue’ but I can see why Zoe chose these colours. Neutral shades will appeal to more people and suit a wider range of skintones. The brunch theme of the palette and the shades names are fun. When you look at all the shades swatched together there is versatility to create different looks. One thing I find this palette lacks is a lighter base shadow colour. A couple of the lighter brown mattes could be used but those are my favourite transition type shades and what I normally use in my crease. I am a little intimidated by the blue if I’m honest, I tried using it lightly one day in my crease but I didn’t use the right brush and I had to cover it with one of the darker browns. It’ll be trial and error but I would like to find a way to incorporate it. Certain shades last better throughout the day than others but overall I like the palette and I’m glad I picked it up.

Standout shades: Champagne Toast, Pancakes Please, Cinnamon Sugar, Mimosa, Maple Syrup and Americano.

Swatches:

Left hand side, top to bottom: Champagne Toast, Pancakes Please, French Toast, Skinny Latte, Cinnamon Sugar and Mimosa.

Right hand side, top to bottom: Maple Syrup. Sundae Funday, Sunny Side Up, Americano, Brunch Club and Extra Slice.

Sol Palette

The Sol palette is one I have lusted over since I first saw Rachael showcase it on her blog. The warm bright oranges and reds are completely different to anything else I own but the colours are surprisingly easy to wear and create looks with. The palette used to come in white packaging but it has since changed to fit with the theme of Colourpop’s other monochromatic palettes.

This palette would make a great one for travel, it has a mixture of mattes and shimmers and isn’t bulky. You can create neutral everyday looks with the mattes or add a touch of shimmer for some evening glam. If you want a pop of colour, this palette delivers in spades! The mattes in the Sol palette (New Digs, Dynamite, OOO and Unwind) are easier to work with than the darker mattes in Zoella’s Brunch Date palette. The bronzes in both palettes are similar but I prefer the one in Zoe’s palette slightly more, Hotel is more orange and Cinnamon Sugar is more golden-bronze. A few shades in this palette also have a pink tinge depending what they are paired with. Anthem and B+B have hints of rose gold and Motel is a stunning coral pink-red. Sol does have the edge over Brunch Date in regards to how well the shadows last throughout the day.

Standout Shades: Anthem, Dynamite, B+B and Floaties.

Swatches:

Top to bottom: New Digs, Anthem, Dynamite, Hotel, Motel, B+B, Floaties, OOO, and Unwind.

Super Shock Shadow – Slave2Pink

Before I made the Colourpop order I posted an Instagram story asking for product suggestions and one of them was the Super Shock Shadows. I have seen these on a number of blogs but never in the shade I purchased. Fuchsia lipstick is my absolute favourite and I thought, why not buy an eyeshadow to match? I stepped out of my comfort zone with colour for this order as I wanted to experiment.

The shimmer and pigmentation of Slave2Pink is gorgeous. The texture is soft and bouncy and this shade works best by applying a light wash of the shadow with a dense shading brush then layering and topping up the colour with my finger. The colour is vibrant (the photo above captures the shimmer effect perfectly) but there’s very little fallout and the lasting power is superb! This colour does stain the eyelids but it’s nothing Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm can’t fix. The glitter and shimmer doesn’t feel scratchy or irritate my eyes – the texture of the shadow itself is smooth. I’m planning a post dedicated to using this eyeshadow for a themed makeup look soon.

Swatch:

This is only a light swatch as I didn’t want to stain my arm.

Where The Light Is Super Shock Shadow Set

Last up is this set I purchased as a gift so I can’t review it. The colours are up my alley but I have enough shades similar to these. I decided to buy the set for a friend who hadn’t tried Colourpop before either.

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I have a second part to this post coming to showcase some looks I have created with the Brunch Date and Sol palettes next week.

What Colourpop products have you tried? Have you got any on your wishlist?

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July Favourites 2018

July has been memorable, there have been changes and significant purchases this month and in some ways I feel like I’m moving forward. My mood and emotions are still up and down but parts of me feel more confident and I’m less willing to put up with shit to put it frankly. I’ve reached a point where I’ve got to think of myself and look after my needs.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Shaaanxo The Remix Palette – A couple of weeks ago I dedicated a whole blog post to this palette – CLICK HERE to read it. The palette contains 18 shades (nine on each side) and has a great mixture of mattes, shimmers, neutrals and pops of colour. All of the shades are beautiful, the pigmentation is good and the shades are a dream to blend and apply. In short, I love this palette! Since my review the palette has been restocked on xobeautyshop.com.

2. Trilogy Very Gentle Restoring Oil – I purchased this facial oil at the end of June and I’ve been loving it as part of my evening skincare routine. I apply this product last and my skin has been feeling softer than usual. This oil contains maqui berry, apricot, and sea buckthorn and is unscented so won’t affect people who are sensitive to smell. Trilogy describe this oil as ‘a delicate, fragrance free blend of pure plant oils that gently nourishes and protects sensitive skin against free radical damage while helping to visibly smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants for soft, smooth, comfortable skin.’

3. My car – I bought a car this month and I am excited to start driving! My neighbours were selling their silver Nissan March (a little hatchback) and my mum said it would be perfect for me to learn to drive in, the car is small and the visibility will be really good. The car is well equipped for it’s age, some of my favourite features include remote central locking, electric mirrors, driver and passenger airbags, CD player, tape player and radio and the key is shaped like the actual car. I have already had a couple of turns driving the car around a car park, albeit very slowly.

4. The Body Shop Vanilla Chai Body Lotion – I finished up my previous body lotion a couple of weeks ago and decided to opt for this lotion from The Body Shop next. Vanilla Chai was one of The Body Shop’s festive scents for Christmas 2016 and I purchased the lotion in early 2017 as part of a haul for my birthday. This scent has a spicy, warmth to it and it’s quite light so it will layer well with perfumes and other scents. The lotion also has a light texture and soaks into the skin quickly which I like as I apply body lotion to my arms before getting dressed.

July’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in July?

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Shaaanxo The Remix Palette

Shannon Harris more commonly known as Shaaanxo is one of New Zealand’s biggest YouTube stars. Shannon also has her own makeup line called xoBeauty and in June I placed an order. I had been eyeing up The Remix Palette as I wanted to incorporate more colour into my eyeshadow looks. Shannon and BH Cosmetics teamed up to bring together nine earth toned mattes and shimmers as well as nine new neutrals and pops of colour.

I don’t own many eyeshadow palettes and the reason is all the different shades confuse me and I don’t have time for 10 different neutral palettes. If there’s an eyeshadow palette I like and use regularly I don’t feel the need to own dozens of palettes. Many eye looks go with my lip colours so I’d rather stick to tried and tested combinations and switch up my lip colour every day.

I have been using this palette almost non-stop for a month now and my first impressions haven’t changed. The texture of the shadows and the pigmentation on the eyes is lovely. The palette didn’t swatch well (I’m putting that down to the palette being new at the time) but the shadows apply well with brushes and fingers on the eyes. Personally, I feel this palette has it all, a mix of mattes and shimmers, neutrals and colour. The shadows blend like a dream, they last throughout the day without creasing and I don’t experience fallout. The double sided palette is good for someone like me who doesn’t like to feel overwhelmed and both sides work in conjunction with each other. This palette suits a range of people from beginners through to avid makeup collectors.

In short, I love this palette and I see this quickly becoming one of my favourites! I was lucky enough to received a palette signed by Shannon in my order which is even more special. The palette is currently SOLD OUT on xoBeauty. I am not sure if it will be restocked.

About the palette:

• Vegan
• Cruelty free
• Gluten free
• Dermatologist tested
• 18 colours – nine on each side
• Mirror on each side

Shades:

‘The Original’:

Row 1

Clarity – matte ivory

Holy Grail – champagne shimmer

Glow Baby – rose gold shimmer

Row 2

Buttercup – warm, matte yellow

Beach Babe – bronze shimmer

Terracotta – matte red-brown

Row 3

Toasted – taupe shimmer

Avocado – duochrome shimmer with flecks of blue-green and brown

Silhouette – charcoal matte

‘The Remix’:

Row 1

Island Glow – light golden shimmer

Need U – medium brown perfect for the crease

Dark Horse – cool toned matte brown

Row 2

Dream Girl – duochrome peach-pink

Stalker – matte maroon

Vampette – matte purple-brown

Row 3

Bestie – matte muted pink

Lover – matte lilac

Baby Girl – matte hot pink

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Eye Looks

Look 1: Moody Grunge

I applied Clarity as a base shade before running Terracotta through the crease. Using a flat eyeshadow brush (also from xoBeauty) I patted the darker duochrome shade, Avocado, all over the lid.

Look 2: Love Is Pink

Again using Clarity as a base shade, I then ran Baby Girl through the socket and crease and buffed out any harsh edges. Using my ring finger I patted Glow Baby over the lid.

Look 3: Ruby Sparkle

Clarity was applied first as a base. Stalker was blended through the crease and the first layer of Holy Grail was patted onto the eyelids. I added a smidge of Glow Baby over the top before going in with a second layer of Holy Grail to brighten things up. Vampette was the final step to deepen the crease and take away some of the redness of Stalker.

Look 4: Gilded

Surprise, Clarity is the base shade once again! Buttercup was blended into the crease before a light application of Island Glow was smattered over the lid.

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As you can gather I’m usually a three or four shadow girl – I don’t like complicated looks that take 20 minutes to blend out. I have experimented with all of the shadows in this palette but I picked my favourite looks to show you. Ironically they all feature a base shade, a matte crease shade and shimmer on the main part of the eyelid. The four looks were applied without primer, I wanted to test the longevity of the shadows on their own. Let me know your favourite look from the ones I created!

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I hope you enjoyed this review, I don’t often review products in depth on the blog but I loved writing this post and sharing my new favourite palette with you!

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Decluttering My Beauty Drawer

When I was deciding what I wanted to try and use up for Products I Want To Finish In 2018 I also came up with a list of products I barely use and a few that don’t work for me. We all love a good declutter and seeing what other bloggers don’t get on with! Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products. Perhaps you fared better than I did.

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#1. Chi Chi Billion Dollar Palette in Heiress

Getting rid of this palette makes me a little sad as it was my very first eyeshadow palette. The matte shades in this palette aren’t great but two of the pink metallic shades, the white and the two silvers got a lot of love. The silver is so amazing – I even hit pan – and I was tempted to keep the palette for this shade alone but I purchased a silver pigment from MAC to take care of my silver shadow needs.

(The silver referred to is the one next to the white).

#2. The Body Shop Swinging Silver Palette

I purchased this palette at the start of 2017 for $15 (NZD) because of how lovely the shades looked online. I thought this palette would be great as it has two backup silvery shades, a metallic peach and a gorgeous navy blue. The navy disappointed me the most as it doesn’t transfer pigment to the eyelid and the light silver applies well but doesn’t have staying power. The only decent shade is the peach. I don’t wear the peach enough to warrant keeping the palette though and like the Chi Chi palette, the MAC silver pigment will take care of my silver needs.

#3. Tanya Burr Sweet Lip Creams

These were a failure. I regret purchasing these but they did make me realise I’m not a matte lip cream/liquid lipstick fan. I don’t mind matte lipsticks in a traditional bullet but not the ones in tubes. The red, Santa’s Little Helper is the better shade out of the two application wise. It gives nice pigment but you can’t apply more than one layer without messing up the first. The dark purple, Blackberry Fudge is gorgeous but very streaky and I struggle to apply one even coat. I have tried these on different occasions and each time quite frankly, they have been shit.

#4. Smashbox – Bawse

I will correct myself and say I don’t mind the formula of this liquid lipstick. It’s more like a mousse and doesn’t dry down instantly giving you time to apply another coat if needed and perfect your pout. I won Bawse in a giveaway and I am incredibly sad to have to get rid of this product, not because I don’t like it but because it has dried out! I had this a little more than a year and it is such a lovely red. I may re-purchase at some point to see if it lasts longer a second time round but I have got other reds I can turn to.

#5. Revlon Lip Butter – Tutti Frutti

I love bright lips and orange lipstick looks so good on other people. The problem I have with Tutti Frutti is it’s not a bright orange, I’d prefer it to be along the lines of MAC Morange. Because of the sheer formula it doesn’t pack enough of a punch to be bright. I have other Lip Butters which are more pigmented. I don’t reach for this colour so it’s time to go.

#6. W7 Raspberry Ripple

I have no issues with this lipstick, I just have similar colours and don’t reach for this particular shade often.

#7. Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquer in Solstice and Stellar

Solstice looks so pretty in the tube and when I first purchased it I used it a lot. Now I find I can get a similar colour using Blankety by MAC topped with Revlon’s lipgloss in Super Natural.

Stellar I purchased for my mum as she also loves bright, bold colours! She didn’t like the formula and gave it back to me. I don’t find this shade wears well over the course of a day and it’s a coral-red which aren’t my favourite.

#8. Dainty Doll Powder Blushes in Hippy Shake and My Girl

Blush isn’t a product I wear every day and I have two shades I do use regularly  I tend to use blush or highlighter and prefer highlighters to blushes. The lilac shade on the left, Hippy Shake looks highlighter-esque and is so soft and lovely but I have a similar coloured highlighter and don’t need this anymore. The pink shade on the right, My Girl again is a lovely formula but I cannot wear pink blush, it doesn’t suit my skin and looks harsh.

#9. Covergirl truBlend Liquid Foundation in L2 Classic Ivory

This foundation is weird. The bottle instructs you to shake before each use which I did but when I pump this out onto the back of my hand it’s watery and separated and runny. The colour isn’t exactly a perfect match but I was able to work with it and apply a light layer to avoid an orange tinge. The coverage wasn’t particularly good either.

#10. Revlon Rose Glow Highlighting Palette

This is pretty and I have used it numerous times but the highlight looks chunky and powdery on the face which is a little odd because this isn’t the most pigmented highlighter. Strangely this doesn’t look harsh on my cheeks like the Dainty Doll My Girl blush despite being pink (maybe because it’s sparkly and less pigmented?) It’s not a product I’ll miss having in my collection.

#11. Rimmel Climax

I think what makes me not like this nail polish is the wide brush, my fingers are small and I like a brush that’s not too big or small. I purchased this in 2012 and the colour is beautiful but I don’t wear the polish and only ever have a handful of times. I have newer polishes from Rimmel that don’t have as wide a brush and I like those more.

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I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading! Have you had a declutter recently?

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First Impressions: Maybelline ‘The Nudes’

Happy Friday lovelies! I am extremely excited to share today’s post with you. I mentioned on Monday I recently purchased Maybelline’s ‘The Nudes’ palette and I couldn’t be more happy with my purchase! I have used this palette solely for the past two weeks and I’ve gotta say I’m impressed. If you’re wanting to pick this palette up for yourself, looking for swatches or just want to know my thoughts, read on.

I first spotted this palette in a magazine and loved the idea of using the shades as duos, trios, quads and even on their own to create beautiful, nude looks. If I’m honest, eyes confuse me a little bit and normally I’m a one shadow girl. Lately, I have been experimenting with my makeup and using a few different shadows to create day-to-day looks. I have been getting into nude shades more and more and thought this would be the perfect palette for me begin with.

Claims

• Ultra-blendable pigments.
• Create infinite looks with bold beiges, sultry sands, brazen bronzes and over-the-top taupes.
• Use as duos, trios or quads.

(Source: Maybelline)

Packaging

I like how sleek and lightweight this palette is. It’s not bulky and would easily fit in your handbag in case you needed any touch ups throughout the day. I like the clear window as it allows you to see what each of the 12 shades looks like before buying the palette. There is a diagram on the back showing you how to create the duos, trios and quads but all the shades are versatile so you can also come up with your own combinations. The palette doesn’t have a mirror which isn’t a problem for me as I use a full size mirror to apply eyeshadow anyway. This palette also comes with one applicator which I have been using and in my opinion it does a satisfactory job. It’s not rough on the eyelids and because the shades are of similar tones, they blend well and you don’t need a new applicator for each colour.

Application

Each shadow applies the way it looks in the palette; the colour is the same in the palette and on the eye. The shades are very soft, blendable and quite pigmented on their own. You don’t have to spend great lengths of time packing on the shades to get pigment. The black shade on the bottom right of the palette is the only shade that felt different from the rest and felt slightly chalky. I don’t use a lot of black eyeshadow so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Swatches

Top Row*

*The shade in the top left corner of the palette didn’t show up very well in the photo but you can make out a few sparkles on my arm. It’s not that sheer in real life and looks lovely applied as a base shade all over the lid.

Bottom Row

Pros

+ Super soft, blendable colours.

+ Versatile shades to take you from day to night.

+ Good mix of shimmer and matte shades.

+ No fallout.

+ Compact and easy to carry round.

Cons

– There is only one and it’s nothing to do with the actual eyeshadows themselves. On the back of the palette there was a huge gold sticker covering the pictorials showing you how to achieve the looks. After removing the sticker it left residue.

Overall Verdict

I am so pleased I purchased this palette. The colours are absolutely beautiful and I know I will get a lot of use out of this palette and each of the colours (except maybe the black). If you have similar palettes, you probably don’t need to purchase this one but if you’re a beginner or want to try this palette out I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed!

Have you tried ‘The Nudes’ palette by Maybelline? If you’d like to see me create some looks with this palette do let me know!