My Birthday Round Up! 🎉

My birthday falls towards the end of January and if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a few pictures I already shared from the day. I intended to write a blog post as well sharing what I treated myself to throughout January. There were a few items I wanted to get my hands on and I totally used my birthday as an excuse!

A couple of days before my birthday I booked in for an hour long therapeutic massage and it was lovely to be pampered. My muscles were a little sore the next day but thankfully the day after that on my birthday the aching had subsided.

My birthday was very chilled out. I woke up at 4:30am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I got up around 6am to feed Halo, tried to go back to sleep for a little while but wasn’t able to. At 8am I got up properly and started the day with a coffee in my favourite cup. Mum and I went out to get a chocolate sponge cake and for the majority of the day I did chores around home. I showered, listened to music and did my makeup in the afternoon ready for my boyfriend to pick me up in the evening. We’d decided to do an evening treewalk through the local forest and it was magical, all the lights are beautiful! My favourite section was one that looked like the lights were specks of glitter. I took plenty of photos and videos and loved the experience. I’m not worried about heights so being up in the trees didn’t scare me and because it’s dark you can’t see the ground and it doesn’t feel like you’re up high.

I don’t expect presents from other people and it’s truly the thought that counts. People say that I’m hard to buy for but I joke in response they don’t know me well enough! I don’t mind spoiling myself anyway, it’s the whole independence thing. My mum gave me money and my boyfriend got me a beautiful pair of earrings. My brother is giving me a Sephora gift card which I plan on putting towards the Pat McGrath Mthrshp Mega: Celestial Divinity Palette.

Here’s what I treated myself to:

Bras from Triumph

I find bra shopping difficult as I have very narrow shoulders and I’m petite but curvy. A lot of straps are too wide set and slip off my shoulders. I purchased two bras from Triumph last year and they fit incredibly well, they’re stylish, comfortable, good quality and the straps don’t fall down. I purchased three bras at the start of January and the order came to less than $100 which is very reasonable for lingerie. Understandably I’m not going to share pictures of me wearing the bras but the collage above shows the styles and colours I chose.

BECCA Highlighters

BECCA highlighters have the most beautiful formula, they’re soft, buildable and blend like a dream! Pretty much all of my highlighters are BECCA and it’s fun to mix and match which shade I wear based on my makeup look that day. I purchased the BECCA x Barbie Ferreira set from Sephora which contains three mini shades: Vanilla Quartz, Rose Quartz and Champagne Pop. I already own a mini of Champagne Pop so I will gift this to someone. Vanilla Quartz is stunning and a great one for day to day.

I also purchased the full size of Prismatic Amethyst (not from Sephora). I love purples on me and the duochrome shift in this shade is surprisingly wearable and doesn’t look too intense. This can be applied with a subtle hand or really built up to intensify the purple, it looks great with all purple makeup too!

BECCA Lipgloss Trio

I actually made two Sephora orders in January and this lipgloss set was the basis behind the second order. This set is also part of the Barbie Ferreira collaboration and the glosses are absolutely stunning. There are three shades Sparkle (a sparkly gold), Facet (a sparkly purple and my favourite shade in the set) and Foiled (a sparkly pink). Foiled is the most pigmented in the set but honestly all shades are wearable and are great as lip toppers. The gloss is not sticky at all and the small size is great as it won’t be difficult to use these up!

Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow

I’m having a moment with lipgloss lately. I’m loving wearing glosses on their own on no makeup days to keep my lips nice and plump and applying glosses as toppers over lipsticks. Fenty Glow is the original gloss bomb shade and it’s supposedly universal and suits everyone. On first impressions I did find the shade a little warm but it’s still nice. I look forward to wearing it more and finding lipsticks in my collection to pair it with.

Benefit Pencil Sharpener

This is the most basic item to purchase but it’s a necessity. My old pencil sharpener from school days is cracked and everytime I’d go to sharpen my Rimmel brow pencil the lead would snap and I’d end up wasting a lot of product. This sharpener caters for three different sizes and it even comes with a handy little cleaning tool. This sharpener is also baby pink so it’s totally my aesthetic.

Marc Jacobs At Lash’d Mascara

I added this mascara to my order on a whim so I could qualify for free shipping. I have really enjoyed trying sample mascaras this past year and this sample was $24 for 8.4g of product which was a lot fairer priced than sample mascaras from Tarte or Benefit. I haven’t tried anything from Marc Jacobs before but this mascara sounds good, it aims to lift and volumise which sounds great for my lashes. The black and gold striped tube is neat too!

Body butters from The Body Shop

Ever since The Body Shop store in my city closed down I have missed it greatly. I now am strategic when I buy and try to make a bigger order as I can’t pop into town for a look anymore. I wanted to utulise my 20% off birthday discount and I was running low on body butter so purchased two in scents I hadn’t tried before. I purchased a 50ml of British Rose as I didn’t know if the scent would be too strong (it’s not on first sniff) and a 200ml of Japanese Cherry Blossom Strawberry Kiss. I finished up the regular Japanese Cherry Blossom a little while ago and it’s one of the best I’ve tried. I love the strawberry range too so the combination of both scents is a match made in heaven.

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Do you treat yourself for your birthday? Have you tried any of these products?

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September Favourites + Highlights 2020

September has been an interesting month. A second wave of Corona Virus hit New Zealand’s shores in August and there has been a mixture of cases at the border and in the community. I feel as a country we will fluctuate between levels for some time. Also this month I received a letter with a date for my tonsillectomy – October 6th. I’m a little nervous anticipating what the pain will be like but in the long run I’ll be better off. I’ve got plenty of ice cream at the ready and I plan to rest and take it easy for a week or two. There’s been another hiccup with my mum, her magnesium levels have dropped right down again. The magnesium she was given in hospital isn’t available from a pharmacy and trying to find an alternative isn’t straightforward. Perhaps October will be a simpler month?

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Cotton On Body Cropped Fluro Hoodie – I purchased this hoodie last year and it is so comfy and cosy. I love the bright green colour and striped balloon sleeves, it’s certainly unlike anything else I own. The crop is not too short for my body and hits at the right place. It’s a good piece for the transitional months for layering too. I’ve included a picture of the hoodie below to give you a better idea what it looks like on.

2. Rimmel Magnif’Eyes Eye Primer – I only used this primer for the first time about a week and a half ago in my Full Face of First Impressions and boy am I impressed! I have not gone back to the Milani primer since trying this as it’s much kinder to my eyes. I don’t know if its seasonal but over the past few weeks the Milani primer has dried out my eyelids and made them sensitive. The Rimmel primer does set but not to the point where eyeshadow doesn’t apply on top and it feels like pigment is dragging across the eyelids. I like that this has a doe foot applicator, it’s easier to control how much to apply.

3. MAC Double Gleam Extra Dimension Skinfinish – Double Gleam is my highlighter focus for September and she is a beauty! I had heard so many rave reviews about this shade and it really is worth all the hype. If you have fair to light skin you will especially love this, it is the perfect lit from within glow and the type of shade that goes with everything. MAC describe Double Gleam as a beige that breaks silver and the unique cream to powder formula is lovely, it’s very soft and easy to build and looks flawless on the skin. It can be used wet or dry, I have only used it dry as I like the intensity that gives but I can imagine it would be even more glowy if applied wet.

4. GHD Gold Styler – At the beginning of the month I treated myself to a new straightener. In all honesty the straightener I had was fine and did the job but I would have to go over certain areas of my hair a few times as it is quite thick. Once my hair is straight it will stay that way until it is washed again. The reason I looked at a GHD is to cut down on the amount of time it would take to straighten my hair. I also really like that the GHDs remain at a constant temperature and you can’t accidentally hit a button on the side that bumps the temperature up. I have used the straightener once so far and it only took 10 minutes to do all of my hair, my other straightener would take about half an hour. The quality and technology is really top notch, the straightener plays a sound when you turn it on and another sound when it’s heated up (roughly 25 seconds later). Hair is left looking shiny, sleek and healthy.

Close up of the sparkly detail on the plates of the straightener.

September Highlights

• Steps released a new single and announced they are releasing a new album in November. Within minutes of getting the email announcing the album you can bet I had a signed copy pre-ordered!
• September has been a good month for new music in general with releases from Delta Goodrem and Kylie Minogue as well.

September’s Spotify Playlist:

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How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!

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Last Colourpop Haul For 2019

It has only been a couple of weeks since I shared my most recent Colourpop haul and I’m back with another one! I have vowed to make this my fourth and final order for 2019 as I’m getting spoilt for choice when I apply makeup lately. I feel guilty when I buy makeup sometimes that I don’t need it but I do constantly evaluate what I have and if I no longer reach for a product I will try and pass it along or sell it, it won’t go to waste.

Let’s get started!

Fantasy Super Shock Pigment

You can see some mess where the shadow was damaged and I had to press it back together.

Fantasy is an electric neon red-violet topped with multi-dimensional glitter. Fantasy is a cross between Slave2Pink and Dare (I also own both of these) but this shade is more magenta than Slave2Pink and not as cool toned as Dare. I wanted to purchase Fantasy in my previous order but the product was sold out. Fantasy was part of a ‘Last Call’ sale and it has disappeared from Colourpop’s website so it looks like it has gone for good now – I’m glad I was able to get my hands on it! This shadow did arrive smashed but I was able to press it back together. Fantasy does stain the eyelids but that’s nothing Clinique’s Take the Day Off balm can’t fix.

Blending Sponge

I have declared in the past brushes are my favourite way to apply foundation but that doesn’t mean I detest sponges. I prefer brushes as they give more coverage and I haven’t been able to achieve a flawless, airbrushed finish with a sponge in the past. This sponge is part of the Pretty Fresh line which launched recently and I heard someone describe it as “the same shape as the Real Techniques sponge with the softness of a Beautyblender.”

Scorpio Moon Crème Lux Lipstick

Scorpio Moon is a plummy rose shade released as part of Kathleen Lights’ zodiac collection. I bought this as I thought it would be similar to my all time favourite MAC lipstick, Syrup, but Scorpio Moon is darker. It is still a lovely shade but it looks different in real life than how it appears online. When I swatched this shade the crème lux formula felt very smooth and moisturising due to the blend of acai, jojoba and pomegranate seed butters.

BYOP: 4 Eyeshadows & 2 Highlighters

Top row: Dreamscape and Made Me Do It
Bottom row: On a Whimsy, Beam Me Up, Quantum Sleep and Feathered

I had so much fun curating my own eyeshadow palette a few months ago but one shade it was missing is a deeper, darker brown. I was looking through other eyeshadow singles and I didn’t have enough shades to justify another 12 pan palette so I got two pressed powder highlighters to go along with the four eyeshadows.

Eyeshadows:

• Feathered (matte rich chocolate brown) – This is a classic transition shade perfect for the crease and adding depth to an eye look.
• On a Whimsy (vivid metallic silver) – Silver is one of my favourite eyeshadow colours to wear and it will be nice to have a pressed shadow to travel with instead of having to transport my MAC pigment which could get messy.
• Beam Me Up (icy blue-silver) – This has such a unique blue, lavender tone and it will pair well with On a Whimsy as well as looking good on it’s own.
• Quantum Sleep (metallic cobalt) – This shade is a bit risky but I want to pair it with Brunch Date from Zoella’s eyeshadow palette and I’ve been enjoying wearing bolder colours on the eyes lately.

Highlighters:

• Dreamscape (icy vanilla) – This is a shade that will go with any makeup look. I didn’t have a highlighter with this light beige tone that isn’t champagne or silver or white. It looks like a lovely shade for fair skin.
• Made Me Do It (champagne pink) – This highlighter looks like a cross between Royal Glow and Parisian Lights from Becca with it’s pinky peach tone. The champagne element stops the highlighter pulling too warm or cool.

Swatches:

Left to right: Scorpio Moon, Fantasy, On a Whimsy, Beam Me Up, Quantum Sleep, Feathered, Dreamscape and Made Me Do It.

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Have you tried any of these products? What was the last makeup item you purchased?

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Shopping My Stash

I don’t know about you but whenever I purchase new makeup I always reflect and analyse what I have in my collection. I think it’s a way of me trying to justify the purchase and evaluate what I really need. The more I use makeup and experiment I come to know what I like and what I’m missing. I was rearranging products in my makeup drawer and I put some aside that I haven’t worn in a while that I want to pull out and use again.

1. Chi Chi Metal Foil Eyeshadow – Spice

This range from Chi Chi is described as, “highly pigmented shadows with brilliant metallic shine that are super moisturising, long lasting and enriched with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil.” I agree with the claim that Spice is highly pigmented and moisturizing but I find the product slippery and it has difficulty adhering to the eyelids. Eye primer and applying a powder shadow as a base first helps but the product occasionally creases and is affected by heat/sweat. I don’t reach for this often because I’m not sure how the product works best which is a shame as the eyeshadow is a gorgeous shimmery cranberry-pink.

2. Teeez Cosmetics – Smokey Rose

This single eyeshadow is one I know I like, it’s just a case of it being tucked away and not in my line of sight as to why I haven’t used it for a while. Smokey Rose really is an appropriate name as this shade is a beautiful duochrome with hints of pink, grey and green. When this shade is on the eyes they look stunning and the pigmentation and buttery smooth texture are lovely. My favourite way to apply this is all over the lids with my finger.

3. Covergirl TruNaked Roses Palette

Naked 3 dupe alert! I’m not going to lie out of the three original Naked palettes from Urban Decay I find the Naked 3 least appealing. I don’t tend to be a fan of light pinks and mauves on my eyes as I have fair skin and personally I don’t find they look as nice as browns or neutral colours. This palette is very pretty though and it seems Covergirl picked the best shades from Naked 3 and did their own interpretation of the palette. The pigmentation of these shades is nice but I find the formula almost a little too soft and product can blend away easily. There’s not much variety between shades either. Each time I use this palette I can’t bring myself to part with it though as I won it in a giveaway.

4. xoBeauty Radiant Glow Highlighter Powder – Lucent

This highlighter is in no way bad and in fact it’s a lovely, light gold for fair skin tones. The powder is finely milled and gives a beautiful lit from within look. The highlighter can be built up to make it more blinding and the product can also be used as an all over face powder – I have been using the other xoBeauty highlighter in the shade Aurora this way recently. Lucent sits in my drawer and theBalm’s Mary-Lou Manizer sits in my everyday makeup bag so I tend to reach for that one more often. Both shades are different however, Lucent is more golden and Mary-Lou is more on the champagne side.

5. The Body Shop Metal Lip Liquid – Pink Nickel

I actually forgot I owned this! I purchased Pink Nickel along with Plum Titanium (a berry red) towards the end of 2018 and when I tried this shade on again I was pleased the formula was still mousse like and hadn’t dried up. Pink Nickel is a very wearable shade with a subtle metallic finish. A lot of you know by now I don’t like liquid lipsticks but this formula is an exception to the rule. This is a pretty nude that goes with a range of looks and I really need to pull this out more.

6. xoBeauty Kairos Lipstick

Kairos is described as a medium, muted peachy-pink which I think is slightly incorrect – Kairos is more of a muted coral-red. The matte formula is comfortable but not as comfortable as MAC’s matte lipsticks. I find with xoBeauty matte lipsticks lips have to be super smooth or else product sticks to little flakes of skin and gets into any lines. I will try this with a dab of Dainty Doll’s Wonderbalm underneath to see if that makes any improvement. Not my favourite lip colour that I own from xoBeauty.

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Funnily enough most of the products mentioned are pink. Pink isn’t my favourite colour to wear on the eyes being fair skinned and that’s possibly why I have neglected some of these. Pink tends to be my go to lip colour and that’s usually how I incorporate it into a makeup look.

Are there any makeup products in your stash that you’ve neglected lately?

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Black Friday Shopping Haul

Black Friday shopping is becoming more popular in New Zealand and while a lot of brands and stores have good deals I didn’t actively go seeking anything out. The weekend before Black Friday I’d gone shopping and the products I ended up buying during the Black Friday sales were impromptu purchases. Earlier in the day I commented on an Instagram post saying I hadn’t caved and bought anything… I tempted fate. Let’s get on with the haul!

Starting with The Iconic:

1. Alexis Fluffy Knit – I already know jumpers are one of my weaknesses but fluffy jumpers I love even more! This white jumper is super soft, has long blouson sleeves and doesn’t feel heavy. I do think I could have got away with sizing down as it is a relaxed fit, especially around the neck, but having it slightly bigger allows me to tuck it in or wear layers underneath.

2. Missguided Chunky Sole Trainers – The Spice Girls are back and so are chunky trainers! I saw a friend post a picture of trainers similar to these and instantly fell in love. These will look nice with jeans and the metallic silver detailing breaks up the white. I originally ordered a UK size 6 but also ordered a size 5 to see which was the better fit. I kept the 6 as there is more room around the toes. Because these are white I don’t think I’ll wear them all the time, I want to keep them clean.

Onto xoBeauty:

3. Radiant Glow Highlighting Powder – Lucent – I purchased the pink, champagne shade, Aurora, a few months ago and I’ve been loving it; I knew I wanted to pick up Lucent as well. Lucent is a glowing, sandy golden shade and the more pigmented of the two, but both suit any makeup look. The powders are soft, easy to blend and can be built up if you want a more intense highlight. These also double as all over face powders to give your skin a natural radiance.

4. Detail Face Brush – I picked up this brush because it will be perfect to use with the xoBeauty highlighters as well as my others. This brush lets you pinpoint exactly where you want to highlight. The bristles are lovely and soft and I see myself reaching for this brush often. It reminds me of the Setting Brush from Real Techniques, a small, fluffy, multi-purpose brush.

5. Philocaly Lipstick – This lipstick is one of xoBeauty’s best-selling products and I can see why! It is in a similar vein to Brave by MAC – a mauve toned down pink – with less of a satin formula. The lipsticks all have a creme brulee scent which doesn’t linger if you don’t like scented lip products. This shade also looks pretty with a light pink gloss dabbed over the top to make lips look fuller and less matte.

6. Kairos Lipstick – I have eyed this shade up a few times when I have browsed the website and I finally took the plunge and added it to my cart. Kairos is described as a medium, muted peachy-pink but it looks like a bright coral on me. I like the colour and it will be fun for summer, I’m excited to experiment with toning down the boldness and wearing this shade muted. xoBeauty has a similar liquid lipstick shade called Nam Jai which is more pink and one I can see myself picking up in the future. The liquid lipstick formula is creamy, comfortable to wear and doesn’t dry completely matte.

xoBeauty swatches:

Top to bottom: Philocaly, Kairos and Lucent.

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Leave a comment with what you picked up in the Black Friday sales!

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November Favourites 2018

November has been a whirlwind! I got offered a new job, began training for the new job whilst I was still working my old job and officially started my new job last week. I have been listening to music and singing most days which is still my most favourite thing to do and similar to last month, I haven’t read much during November. My mind feels very full with information and I’m already looking forward to the Christmas break to have a rest and wind down.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. xoBeauty Radiant Glow Highlight Powder – Aurora – This is the most recent addition to my highlighter collection. (Post on my collection *HERE*). The powder is very finely milled and so soft and easy to apply. This is the most subtle of my highlighters and it can also double as an all over face powder. Applying with a big fluffy brush works best and allows the product to really be swept over the skin. I am considering picking up the other shade of this powder too which is more golden.

2. NARS Mini Orgasm Blush Highlight Duo – I don’t often wear blush and highlighter together but with this mini duo I can’t go wrong. Orgasm is a flattering shade for a lot of people and if you want a blush shade that is versatile and a little glam, you should try it! The highlight looks quite plain in the pan but once it’s on the face it gives a lovely glow. The highlighter is exclusive to this mini, it’s a special Orgasm highlighter which I’d class as a peachy-pink champagne shade.

3. The Body Shop Metal Lip Liquid 018 Plum Titanium – It’s common knowledge I’m not a fan of matte liquid lipsticks but this formula from The Body Shop is super comfortable and velvety smooth. The pigmentation is good, the colour lasts all day and the formula isn’t streaky to apply. This has a slight fruity scent that is nice and doesn’t linger if you’re not a fan of scented lip products. Plum Titanium is a gorgeous deep red, perfect for Christmas! It’s a wearable red that doesn’t look strictly metallic, making it a safe option all year round.

4. Andy Brown – Cedarmont – I feel a little naughty having a copy of this CD. I originally pre-ordered a signed copy from the artist’s official store but the album release got cancelled and my money was refunded. I caught wind Amazon US had copies available and one buyer left a review confirming the CD arrived and is genuine. I ordered a copy myself and it arrived less than two weeks later. In short, the album is really good and I have been playing it on repeat since it arrived! I have loved and listened to Andy’s voice for years (he’s also the frontman of British band Lawson) and this album further proves his talent. The lyrics are heartfelt, catchy and this album makes me happy when I listen to it. I hope it gets the proper release it deserves. Standout Tracks: Talk of the Town, Put That Record On, Hold On, Keeper and Breaking Your Heart.

November’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in November?

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My Highlighter Collection

Highlighter has taken the makeup world by storm in the last 2-3 years! It is one of my favourite makeup products and I wear it more frequently than blush. I tend to wear either highlighter or blush, rarely both together. I’ve got a small, round face and my blushes have shimmer in them so they can almost double as highlighter – I don’t always feel I need to apply both.

Highlighter is one product I don’t want a huge number of, I prefer shades that are versatile and go with almost every look rather than unique colours I won’t wear often. My collection consists of five single shades and one cream highlighter palette.

1. I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter

For fair skin tones in particular this highlighter is lovely but it would also be beautiful on deeper skin tones. I feel like this would also suit lighter hair colours rather than dark. This looks good on me as a redhead because it has purple hues and purple suits me. Despite the purple tones this highlighter still goes with almost every look. The formula is soft, not chalky or powdery and there’s no kickback when you swirl a brush around. The highlighter applies the same with fingers and a brush. Value for money wise this is the least expensive highlighter here ($10 NZD) and it is just as good as the others!

2. BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal 

I won this Opal mini in a giveaway in 2017 and as you can see from the picture it looks like I have barely used it! This is a gold-champagne colour and I was worried it would be too warm for my skin tone but being a redhead saves the day again. The highlighter pulls on the warmth from my hair and freckles and makes the colour work. I do prefer to apply this with my fingers as I only use the smallest amount and some of my brushes are too big for the pan. The formula is very soft and buttery. I’ve tried this over gold eyeshadow and it looks really pretty, I love multi-use products!

3. theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

Mary-Lou is a cross between Opal by Becca and Soft & Gentle by MAC. This highlighter is one that suits a lot of people and if you don’t own any other highlighters or you’re looking for a good staple highlighter for your collection I recommend this one! The formula is smooth, not chunky or powdery and you can wear Mary-Lou Manizer subtly or build it up for a more intense shine. The pale champagne colour lends this to being a great base eyeshadow shade all over the lids as well. This applies the same with a brush and fingers.

4. Chi Chi Unicorns & Mermaids Cream Highlighter Palette

When it comes to makeup, I’m not really a palette girl but my mum spotted this in May and it was love at first sight! The colours are a little unusual but they are still pretty wearable. The blue shade, Rainbow, is my favourite. It’s a purpley-blue so it’s not too out there. I haven’t delved into the bottom row much apart from Stars and I’d love to give the greener shades a go sometime! Unicorn is pretty but a little too pink if you’re not wearing any other pink and Sunshine is a white-pink that is subtler than Unicorn and one of the more neutral shades in the palette. Chi Chi do a powder highlighter palette similar to this with eight shades so you can pick which formula works best for you.

5. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle

Soft & Gentle is a cult MAC product and it’s easy to see why. MAC describe this shade as a gilded peach bronze and if you are pale or have a lighter skin tone this will be stunning! I got this back in August and it is what I have used most days on my cheeks. This is the most versatile highlighter here in my opinion and it also works as an all over face powder – it’s not too shimmery with a light dusting and it gives a nice glow. On minimal makeup days this would be lovely over top of moisturiser, with a little bit of lip gloss and you’re good to go. Soft & Gentle and Goddess of Love are both baked highlighters but unlike Goddess of Love, Soft & Gentle does have kickback when you swirl a brush (as you can see in the photo – that’s why I didn’t wipe it off). This is also the most expensive of the bunch at $66 (NZD) but if you look at how long a product like this will last and how many uses you get, it evens out.

6. xoBeauty Radiant Glow Highlighting Powder in Aurora

I have only had Aurora for a couple of weeks but so far so good! I don’t have a light pink highlighter and this fills the gap nicely. It’s a very neutral shade once applied and will go with almost anything. The silver chrome packaging is pretty and like Opal and Mary-Lou Manizer, Aurora comes with a mirror. No mirror is not a deal breaker for me personally but the size of the mirror you get with this product is good, it’s bigger than the mirrors in Opal and Mary-Lou. The formula is silky smooth and looks beautiful on the skin. Similar to Soft & Gentle, Aurora can be used as an all over face powder and gives a beautiful sheen. I find this highlighter applies best with a brush and I use the Real Techniques Bold Metals 300 Tapered Blush Brush because it has dense bristles.

Swatches:

From left to right: Goddess of Love, Opal, Mary-Lou Manizer, Soft & Gentle and Aurora.

Chi Chi Unicorns & Mermaids Palette:

From left to right: Sunshine, Unicorn, Rainbow, Stars, Atlantis and Mermaid.

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Is highlighter one of your favourite makeup products? How many do you own?

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May Favourites 2018

Hi everyone! It’s been three weeks since my last post and in all honesty I have enjoyed not posting. It’s been one less worry on my mind and one less thing I have to think about. I am back with my May Favourites and I’ve got a few posts lined up for the next week or two. I’m still very emotional after the breakup and some days are better than others. I also got sick this month which is probably due to my emotional state and feeling rundown.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Chi Chi Opalescent Glow Unicorns & Mermaids Highlighter Palette – It was actually my mum who spotted this palette and convinced me to buy it! The palette contains six, duochrome cream highlighters (white-pink, pink-purple, purple-blue, champagne, blue-green and yellow-green). They glide on and give a beautiful dewy glow. The pigmentation is good and these are definitely buildable, the fact they are cream is less intimidating than if they were powder. I personally like cream products and they work well on my dry skin.

A closer look at the shades in the palette.

2. Kmart Jacquard Fleece Gown – Dressing gowns are not the easiest garments to buy but I’ve been loving this one I picked up on my first trip to Kmart. The material is soft and cuddly and I like the grey colour and pink star pattern. This has been keeping me warm and I will be reaching for it constantly over winter.

3. Olay Complete UV Lotion Sensitive – I have used Simple face moisturiser for a number of years and was curious to see how something else would perform and compare. I’m very cautious about facial moisturisers, parts of my face are dry/sensitive and other parts aren’t. I have heard good things about Olay and the fact this is for sensitive skin and contains SPF drew me in. This contains Vitamins C, E and B3, has a light, non-greasy formula and is non-comedogenic meaning it won’t clog pores. I have used this for a couple of weeks now and upon first impressions my face feels more moistursied and the moisture lasts for a longer amount of time. I’m really happy and hope this continues to work wonders.

4. Body Fleur Sugar Petals Body Lotion – I have had this body lotion for two years and have used it off and on in that time. I used to think my skin reacted with it but I now realise it was a heat rash as I’d often apply this in summer. The scent of this is absolutely delightful, a mixture of fruits, flowers and shea butter. This also contains aloe vera and leaves the skin feeling very soft. The scent lingers all day and if there was a perfume with this scent I would wear it everyday! The lotion itself is a light purple colour which is neat.

5. Sorbent Velvet Tissues – I got six packets of these tissues as a joke present from my mum for my birthday back in January. With being sick and all the crying I’ve been doing over the past month they have been really useful. The tissues are so soft and thicker than most other tissues that come in packs like this.

May’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in May?

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Beauty Joint Experience + Haul

Three weeks ago I placed an order on BeautyJoint.com. I haven’t been able to find my holy grail Rimmel mascara in New Zealand for about a year now. I wear and love the Extreme Black shade (003) and I have only seen Black (001) in stores. I purchased a tube of Black in September 2017 but it’s just not the same. I hunted high and low and this site was the only one I found that had Extreme Black in stock so I purchased two tubes! I browsed the rest of the site and ended up adding a few other items to my cart.

This was the first time I had ordered from Beauty Joint but the experience was a good one and I would definitely consider shopping with them again. The website has a variety of brands, mostly drugstore but there is Korean beauty as well. I really have no complaints. I received a shipping notice 1-2 days after placing my order and in total the package took two weeks to arrive from the date I ordered. That impressed me because I know packages from the US can take longer and New Zealand only gets mail three days a week. The items arrived bubble wrapped in a bubble bag, nothing arrived broken or damaged and everything I ordered I received. If I purchased all of these in New Zealand I would have paid $30-$40 more – the prices are so good! If you’re looking for some great discount drugstore makeup, check this site out!

NB: All opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored by Beauty Joint and all items were purchased by me using my own money.

1. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara – Extreme Black x2

Rimmel is one of my favourite brands and I have been using this mascara for almost four years. I’ve tried other brands and other mascaras from Rimmel but this is the one I always go back to. The formula is great from the get go and when it dries out it’s even better! The brush is big but I’m used to working with it and this mascara gives length AND volume.

2. Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter – Molten Rose Gold

I love highlighters that give more of a subtle, natural glow and have less of a warm tone. I could not go as warm/golden as Becca’s Champagne Pop. This is only my fourth highlighter and honestly I feel that’s all I need. Highlighters last a long time and I’d rather have a couple that I regularly use rather than 20 that sit in my makeup drawer and get used every once in a while. I don’t wear highlighter everyday and I tend to go for blush or highlighter but I feel like this shade could double as both.

3. NYX Eye Shadow Base – Skin Tone

Eyeshadow seems to apply on one eye better than the other and I thought it was about time I tried an eye primer or an eyeshadow base. Katie from Kate’s Vanity has talked about an Essence eyshadow base before but Essence isn’t sold in my city. I needed an item to add to my order to qualify for free shipping and this was it. I chose the skin tone shade to create a good foundation to apply eyeshadow over. The base aims to intensify the impact of eyeshadow and help colour last longer.

4. Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick #12

I bought this shade of lipstick after Nadine from Ladies and Lace mentioned it was a dupe for Morange by MAC. I previously had a Revlon Lip Butter in the shade Tutti Frutti but this lipstick is everything I wanted Tutti Frutti to be and more. The lip butter was sheer which made the colour look strange on my lips – I love how opaque this Rimmel lipstick is. The formula is not drying and not patchy. Rimmel do lipstick really well in general. I tried this lipstick on when the order arrived and I’m a big fan! I’m sure you will see me wearing this soon.

5. Revlon Lip Butter – Cotton Candy

I have eight of these Revlon lip butters in total. I don’t think they are made or sold in stores anymore but as far as formula and pigmentation are concerned you can’t go wrong. I have a mixture of bright and everyday shades in my makeup drawer. Cotton Candy is such a cute name and as it suggests it’s a girly, pink shade. Cotton Candy is a light pink with golden shimmer and leans more towards the cooler side of the spectrum. This reminds me of Nivea’s Pearly Shine lipbalm which I love.

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As well as showing you what I purchased I wanted to do a little first impression try on with some of the products.

• NYX Eyeshadow Base – Skin Tone – I used this and applied MAC’s Tan pigment over the top. The pigment didn’t last longer than usual but maybe I didn’t apply enough of the eyeshadow base. Perhaps I need to let it set for a minute before applying eyeshadow over the top. I will keep experimenting.
• Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter – Molten Rose Gold – I applied this using a fluffy blush brush but didn’t like how little the highlighter showed up on my skin. I switched to a more densely packed tapered blush brush which worked better. The glow was very pretty and not too pink or too golden.
• Revlon Lip Butter – Cotton Candy – I like how natural this looks on the lips. I can see myself reaching for this when I want to apply something and I’m not sure what lip colour to wear.

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Have you ordered from Beauty Joint before? Have you tried any of these products?

P.S. This is my last blog post for a little while. I’m not sure when my next one will be but I still plan to share my monthly favourites and daily happiness highlights at the end of May.

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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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