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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$1,000 Fantasy Sephora Cart

Last year Lily tagged me to share what products would be in my fantasy cart if I had $1,000 to spend at Sephora. In the couple of years Sephora has been around in New Zealand I have placed a handful of orders and it’s great to be able to get my hands on brands not all stores carry. I think the items I’ve chosen for my cart are practical and there’s a variety of different products.

1. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm | Price = $65 – This is my favourite makeup remover! The texture turns from a balm to an oil when it is touched and it melts makeup off the skin. I understand this way of cleansing with fingers might not appeal to everyone but I always wash my hands first and I’m not a fan of using cotton pads and micellar water or makeup wipes to remove makeup. I have dry, sensitive skin so a balm works best for me and this one is unscented which is even better! I do go in with a facecloth to wash everything off after before applying moisturiser.

2. IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream in Fair Ivory | Price = $72 – I have tried the mini of this in the shade Fair and while I could make it work something a touch lighter would work better, enter Fair Ivory. Whilst I have spent more than this on a foundation I’m waiting to see whether Sephora release this shade in a mini so I can try it before committing to the full size. I love the formula of this CC Cream, it’s easy to blend and gives such good coverage. The hype is real!

3. Zoeva Authentik Skin Foundation | Price = $28.50 – Since this foundation launched I have been curious to try it. I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews and the shades have a ‘w’, ‘c’ or ‘n’ in the shade name so it’s easy to identify who that shade is best for. This foundation comes in 44 shades and aims to give medium, buildable coverage with a weightless, natural-looking, luminous finish. Once I’ve used up some foundations in my collection I’d like to try this.

4. YSL Mon Paris Eau de Parfum | Price = $113 – This is waaaaay more than I’d be willing to pay for a 30ml bottle of perfume but if I had $1,000 to spend at Sephora I would totally indulge and buy it. The bottle is simple and cute and the notes of the fragrance sound really pleasant and like something I’d want to try. If this has the same longevity as Black Opium and is of the same quality you can’t go wrong.

5. Lancôme Idôle Eau de Parfum | Price = $139 – This is quite a recent launch but the sweet, floral descriptions of this scent make me think it would be right up my street! The design of the bottle is stunning, it’s a very sleek and classic and the pink and rose gold tones are so pretty. Lancôme fragrances are popular and I’d love to try one and see what they’re like for myself, this one grabs me the most.

6. Estée Lauder Pure Envy Lipstick in Dominant | Price = $63 – This is my favourite type of lipstick colour and I tend to go for fuschia shades with a little bit of microshimmer but this looks like pure bright pink goodness! I own a few shades in this vein but they are all slightly different and I get so much wear, it is my go to colour and I must wear it at least once a week on average. I have another Estée Lauder lipstick of this formula and it’s lovely.

7. YSL Volupte Shine | Price = $67 – I don’t have any specific shades in mind that I’d like to try from this range but I have heard a lot about these lipsticks and the bullet and tube are iconic. The formula is creamy and shiny and not opaque, it’s more like a lip butter. Leave any shade recommendations you think I’d like in the comments!

8. Tarte Maracuja Miracle Mist Setting Spray | Price = $23 (30ml) – I haven’t heard of this mist before or tried anything from Tarte but having a good setting spray in your makeup arsenal is a must. I have heard a bit about Tarte’s Maracuja Oil and people seem to like it so this mist sounds interesting. The mist is infused with maracuja, papaya, rose flower and cucumber fruit water. This is supposedly waterproof as well.

9. BECCA Skin Love Glow Shield Prime & Set Mist | Price = $56.00 – Everything I’ve tried from BECCA I’ve liked, their highlighters in particular are my favourite! This mist is designed to prime, set and refresh and sounds like a great multitasker. It is infused with Hawaiian sea water and desert spring water to boost hydration, goji berry, blueberry extract, cranberry extract and Vitamin E to nourish skin as well as being fuelled by glow nectar brightening hydra complex. The  bottle is visually pleasing and would be easy to tell exactly how much is left.

10. Sigma Iconic Brush Set | Price = $95 – This looks like the perfect makeup brush starter set. So often people buy more brushes than they need (sometimes because more brushes means having to wash them less) but only end up using a handful regularly. This set contains three face brushes and two eye brushes as well as a little pouch to house them in. The rose gold colour looks super luxe and Sigma brushes are meant to be really good quality!

11. Pat McGrath Mthrshp Mega: Celestial Divinity Palette | Price = $161 – Compared to all the other Pat McGrath palettes on Sephora NZ this is a bargain! I have seen people talking about this palette all over my Instagram and I agree it looks absolutely stunning and I love all the different coloured shimmer shades. I’m considering asking my brother to give me a Sephora gift card for my birthday so I could put it towards this palette but I’m also on the fence as to whether these shades are different enough to what I already own – it’s a lot to spend on a palette. The palette is $32 cheaper on the Pat McGrath website but annoyingly only US customers can purchase and redeem gift cards there.

12. Tarte Tartelette Tease Palette | Price = $35 – I was tossing up between putting this six pan mini palette in my cart or going for the Tartelette In Bloom Palette. In the end the Tease palette won out due to how gorgeous the two shimmer shades look. In Bloom looks like it would lean warmer whereas I tend to like how cooler, neutral tones look on me.

13. Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara | Price = $40 – I have tried my fair share of new mascaras over the past year and for the most part I’ve been impressed. I enjoy trying new mascaras as you form an impression quickly and know whether you like it or not. Formulas can change as mascaras dry out but usually if I like a mascara when I open it it tends to get better when it dries out. This aims to give length and volume which I like and the splattered effect on the tube is cool.

14. HUDA Beauty Mint Obsessions Palette | Price = $46.20 – This palette is a bit of a wildcard and not something I’d usually go for. The pastel shades and shimmers look absolutely beautiful and I’d be curious to see if these mint tones would suit my fair skin. I haven’t tried anything from HUDA Beauty before but these nine pan obsessions palettes would be a good place to start.

Total of items in cart = $1,010.70


Have you tried any of these products? What would be in your fantasy Sephora cart?

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