Black Friday/Cyber Monday Haul

I’ve never seen these big sales as an excuse to go crazy and buy items for the sake of it but if there is a sale on something I’ve been looking at purchasing or spot a good deal I’m likely to go for it! I have done a few hauls this year but the majority have only contained a handful of items. (I count less than 10 haul posts throughout 2019). I personally enjoy seeing what people pick up and what has either been on their wishlist or they’ve been intrigued to buy in the spur of the moment. Let’s get started!

1. Kylie Minogue Logo Hoodie (Peach)

Jumpers are one of my favourite clothing items, they are super comfortable and make me feel all snug and cosy. Band/artist merchandise is one of my favourite things to wear and I didn’t have any Kylie stuff. This is a simple peach coloured hoodie with Kylie’s logo on the front and back. It will look great with blue jeans and it will be good to pop on between seasons when the weather can’t make up its mind.

Note: This item hadn’t arrived when the photos for this post were taken.

2. The Body Shop Warm Vanilla Body Butter

Vanilla is one of my favourite scents and The Body Shop tend to release a vanilla line as part of their Christmas range. I prefer musky, spicy vanilla scents when it comes to body lotions but this one is quite sweet. I tested a little bit of this body butter when it arrived and I like the scent once it’s had time to sit on the skin for a while. I can’t comment on how moisturising the formula is compared to others I’ve tried as I won’t be using this straight away but it seems to be up to The Body Shop’s usual standard from the small amount I sampled. This is the only item in this haul that wasn’t on sale.

3. xoBeauty Luxe Liquid Lipstick – Impavid

I’m sure you know the story by now, the xoBeauty liquid lipstick formula is my favourite – it is not drying at all and so comfortable on the lips. The liquid lipsticks were 40% off which took them down to roughly $15 (NZD) which is super affordable. Impavid is a deep, rich, cool toned red. I have a few red lipsticks in my collection and I’m currently in the process of evaluating them all by wearing a different shade each day to figure out which ones I most enjoy. As Impavid is new it will be sticking around.

4. xoBeauty Luxe Liquid Lipstick – Ineffable

I also picked up the shade Ineffable which is a neon, hot fuchsia and is the perfect Chanelle colour! Funnily enough I have less bright pink lipsticks than reds yet this is my favourite colour to wear. This kind of shade is my go to when I’m stuck and don’t know what to pick and I know it goes with whatever makeup I pair it with. This shade is a creme finish whereas other bright pinks in my collection are more of a satin/shiny finish and contain tiny sparkles.

Lipstick swatches:

Left to right: Ineffable and Impavid.

5. xoBeauty Round Eye Brush

I have been loving the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush lately for applying transition shades all over the lid and through the crease. The Real Techniques brush has nice dense bristles which really places the shadow where I want it to go and brushes like this work best for my small eyes as I don’t have a lot of lid space. Fluffy brushes are fine if I want a soft, natural look but I do like definition in the crease. I’m hoping due to the shape and look of this brush it will perform in a similar fashion.

6. xoBeauty Angled Eye Brush

I haven’t tried an angled eye brush before but the reviews on this one were really good. The head isn’t overly big so I think this will work well for carving out my crease and applying eyeshadow to the outer half of my eyes. This brush can also be used to apply and blend out concealer underneath the eyes or to apply primer to the eyelids – a good multitasker.

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Did you pick up anything in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales?

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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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August Favourites 2018

August has been the first month in a while where I have felt positive again. I am not crying and wallowing and I feel like I am moving on. I am listening to music a lot and singing which always helps and I take joy from small things. Time is a healer and I hope each month continues to get better.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle – Hands up who knew this would feature! I have used this item pretty much every day since I got it and the colour adds such a gorgeous, subtle glow to my skin. I’ve tried it as an all over face powder a few times too which also looks nice. This is quickly becoming one of my favourite makeup products for daily use.

2. L’Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation in W1-2 Porcelain Ivory – I purchased this foundation back in March and while I am focusing on using Rimmel’s Match Perfection as part of my Project Pan I have delved into this foundation numerous times since purchasing it. The formula is lightweight and thin in texture which I like as it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. This gives a dewy effect without too much shine and is a really lovely foundation.

3. Roxy 33 Black Glasses – When I toyed with getting new glasses a couple of months ago I knew I wanted a black pair. I went on many trips to the optometrist and tried on numerous pairs of black frames – I had a criteria. I wanted satin-matte black frames, plastic arms (my previous pair had metal arms and the coating was peeling off which is why I was hesitant to have metal arms again) and the lenses couldn’t be too deep otherwise they’d touch my cheeks and look too big for my face. I settled on this pair from Roxy as the pink metal on the inside of the lenses and bright pink arms are very me. I was so close to choosing the Kylie Minogue 04 frames in black though. I’ve received a few compliments on this pair of glasses and I feel pretty when I wear them.

4. xoBeauty Liquid Lipstick in Serendipity – In my June Favourites I featured another of these liquid lipsticks in the shade Carpe Diem. I absolutely love Carpe Diem and Serendipity is beautiful too. Serendipity is a lovely peachy-pink nude and the formula is amazing, they don’t dry down matte and stay slightly creamy once applied. They fade evenly throughout the day and last through eating and drinking at work. They have a lovely creme brulee scent too.

5. ‘The Breakup 💔’ – Earlier this month I shared my most personal and intimate blog post yet detailing my breakup. I am so proud of this post and since writing it I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest and I’m not carrying around this big secret anymore because I shared what happened and how the breakup came about with my blogging friends. Everyone has been so supportive and the comments on this post make me smile, people really poured their heart into what they said. *CLICK HERE* if you haven’t read ‘The Breakup 💔’ yet.

August’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in August?

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June Favourites 2018

Not going to lie, June has been up and down for me. On the whole it hasn’t been too bad, I had some time off work and got to sleep in lots and catch up on things I wanted to do but on the other hand I thought I was getting sick again and there are still days I get emotional over the breakup. Makeup has been something I’ve enjoyed spending more time applying this month and trying some new looks and products.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Anti-Flamme – I am sure other countries must have creams similar to this; they provide relief to sore, tense muscles and they contain herbal ingredients. Any bad headaches or tension I’ve felt in my neck and shoulders I have been applying this lately and it works so well. It smells like peppermint but the smell isn’t strong and a little goes a long way. This kind of product helps with injuries, joint aches and strained muscles too.

2. xoBeauty Liquid Lipstick in Carpe Diem – I haven’t had this liquid lipstick very long but already I can tell it is a shade I want to wear a lot! I’m not a fan of liquid lipsticks but the formula of this one by xoBeauty is creamy as opposed to matte and it’s very comfortable to wear. Carpe Diem is described as a muted wearable lilac and on me it looks like a light purple/nude all in one.

3. OPI – The I’s Have It – This nail polish is another product that I have purchased in the last month. I tend to gravitate towards blue nail polish (and blue jumpers) and this is the most beautiful blue polish I have tried. The I’s Have It is a lovely, creme polish from the Alice In Wonderland collection released in 2016. This is more of a baby blue rather than a pastel blue. I can’t wait to wear it again soon!

4. The Body Shop Moringa EDT – I got this eau de toilette last year and I bought it because I really like the convenient travel size of these scents from The Body Shop. I previously had the strawberry eau de toilette and I went for the moringa scent this time round because it’s fresh and floral and at the time of purchase it was spring and summer was coming up. I highly recommend the moringa range at The Body Shop if you haven’t tried it.

5. Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush – I have had this brush for a couple of years now and over the past couple of months I have been loving it for cleaning up around the eye and blending out any harsh lines. I haven’t tried using this brush to apply shadow or used it to apply crease shades – it’s funny how we don’t always use brushes the way they’re intended and how we come up with our own ways we like to use them. This brush isn’t available on it’s own, I bought it as part of a five piece eye set.

June’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in June?

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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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September Favourites 2016

Is it just me or have the past two months felt like a blur and flown by so quickly?! My September has been just as busy as August, probably busier and as a result I don’t have too many items to share with you. I feel like September has been a really positive month and I’ve been smiling a lot. I’ve really been enjoying myself, living in the moment and experiencing more new things. I know that’s so vague but some things should be kept to yourself and as long as you’re happy that’s what’s most important.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Revlon Lip Butter – Peach Parfait – September was the month I decided to go on a lip product buying ban. I mentioned this in my New In: Revlon Lip Butters post but I wanted to make one last purchase before committing to the ban. Peach Parfait is one of three lip butters I bought and it has fast become my favourite shade out of the three. It’s a colour suitable for everyday wear and a shade I imagine would suit a range of skin tones. The formula is just as impeccable as my other lip butters and I look forward to wearing Peach Parfait a lot more!

2. kikki.K Notepad Cube – Stationery has always been one of those things that I love! At the start of the school year, stationery shopping was always one of my highlights! Over the past couple of years kikki.K has become one of my favourite places to shop, the themed stationery and the items they sell are beautiful. My brother bought my mum a notepad cube (not this exact one) and it’s such a practical idea because the paper size is ideal and there is a hole cut out for a pen. These are good to keep by the phone or on your desk at home/work. This particular cube has 500 sheets of paper, a flower pattern and a gold trim on each sheet of paper – so pretty.

3. Me Before You – Jojo Moyes – I bought this book back in June and I finally got around to finishing it this month. I started it back in June but everything got busy and hectic and I couldn’t find the time to sit down properly and read it. I took this to work a couple of weeks ago and I motored though it in no time. I’m not going to spoil it for those of you who haven’t read it but it does live up to the hype. It’s a real page turner and you’ll have it read in no time! I plan on watching the movie to see how it compares to the book and reading the follow up novel; After You.

4. Lilly Singh x Smashbox – Bawse – I won Bawse in a giveaway back in July and it arrived this month. Bawse is the perfect fierce, red to wear when you want to exude confidence. This shade is part of Smashbox’s range of matte liquid lipsticks and was created in collaboration with YouTuber Lilly Singh. I don’t know what else to say really apart from I love it! I did a mini review on Bawse so if you’d like to read more about the product and see swatches, CLICK HERE.

September’s Spotify Playlist:

This is one of my favourite monthly playlists I have made in a while. There’s something perfect about the way these songs are ordered and flow into one another.

Lilly Singh x Smashbox Bawse Liquid Lipstick

In July I was selected as the winner of Nerdy Librarian Girl’s giveaway and I won a Liquid Lipstick by Smashbox in the shade Bawse. Bawse arrived all the way from Canada last week and it really was love at first sight! Today, I will be talking all about this shade and giving a mini first impressions/review. Let’s get straight into it!

About the product

Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks are designed to be long wearing and water resistant so they stay put and look as fresh as they did upon first application. The liquid matte formula is infused with lip-smoothing Primer Oil for suede soft lip colour. Smashbox teamed up with YouTube megastar Lilly Singh to create her own special shade; Bawse. This no-rules red is fierce, featherweight and should be worn whenever you want to make things happen!

Packaging

The packaging of Bawse is pretty unique as it comes in two boxes. The first houses the lipstick and the second is more like a cover that houses the box and lipstick. The packaging is very neat and sleek. The shade name is printed on one side and Lilly Singh’s signature and the Smashbox logo on the other.

The actual product itself also looks nice and sleek. I like the matte black lid and that you can see which colour you get straight away. I find the cardboard housings more interesting than the packaging of the actual product though. It’s quite simple and maybe Smashbox could have done something special for this shade; given it a red lid or put Lilly’s signature on the lid.

Formula + Application

Bawse is the third liquid lipstick product I’ve tried and the formula applies super smooth and glides over the lips. The pigmentation of this shade is incredible and one swipe over each lip is all you need, you don’t need to dip the applicator back in to get more product. The formula does feel very soft and suede-like as it claims but I don’t quite agree with the 8 hour claim. Yes, you will probably still have product on your lips but it won’t be perfect and look as fresh as it did, unless you don’t eat or drink, which is hard to avoid. I noticed around the 4-5 hour mark the product started to flake on the inner corners of my mouth and feel a bit uncomfortable. I’m sure it’s nothing blotting wouldn’t fix though.

As for the applicator, Smashbox have got it spot on! To put it into perspective, the Smashbox applicator is larger than those of NYX’s Soft Matte Lip Creams and Bourjois’ Rouge Edition Velvets but it is made to fit the shape of your lips. The applicator is tapered at the top to allow you to really get into the corners of your mouth.

Colour

Bawse is definitely a fierce red that pulls no punches. If you like bright, bold shades you will fall in love this one! When I entered the giveaway I thought, “Do I need more red lipsticks?” but the truth is red lipstick is a classic and Bawse is unlike my other reds as it is slightly deeper.

Pros

+ Formula dries down quickly on the lips.

+ Extremely pigmented.

+ Applies easily without any mess.

Cons

– Doesn’t last ‘perfectly’ for 8 hours as claimed.

– Tube packaging is a little uninspiring.

Overall Verdict

If you’re a fan of Lilly Singh, liquid lipsticks or red in general I would encourage you to give this shade a go. I presume it won’t be around forever so get your hands on it while you have the chance! The colour and the formula of this product definitely make up for the slight drying feeling. That factor is not going to deter me from wearing Bawse as it is such a beautiful shade and this is one of those products that makes you feel good (like a boss) when you wear it!

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Are you a fan of Lilly Singh? Have you tried Bawse or any other of Smashbox’s Liquid Lipstick shades?

First Impressions: NYX – Buenos Aires

NYX is one of those brands that bloggers rave about, especially their Soft Matte Lip Creams. When I was in Auckland a few weeks ago my curiosity got the better of me and I had to pick one up! I looked at all the shades online and narrowed it down to a shortlist. I didn’t want to go down the traditional nude route and decided on Buenos Aires (a soft coral). Read on to find out whether or not I think this shade lives up to the hype!

Product Description + Claims

NYX’s Soft Matte Lip Creams are available in 34 different shades comprising of neutrals, bright pinks, reds and everything else in between – even blue! Described as velvety smooth, these soft matte lip creams aim to deliver a burst of creamy colour which sets to a stunning matte finish. The sweetly scented formula along with durability and a lightweight feel make these a NYX fan favourite.

Packaging

I find the packaging of these simple but nice. The tubes are coloured to match the shade they represent and each shade is clearly labelled on top of the applicator with it’s name and number. Buenos Aires is SMLC #12 for example. Each tube contains 8ml of product and I like that these tubes are quite compact and won’t take up a lot of room in your purse or makeup bag. The soft grip applicator adds to the luxurious feel but I’m not sure how practical it is. I imagine it could get grubby and scuffed if you’re not careful.

Scent

If the scent of a product is important to you, I’m almost certain you won’t be disappointed with this one! The scent is sweet without being sickly and reminds me of cakes, cookies or some other baked goods. The scent only lingers during application so if you’re not a fan, it doesn’t stick around for long.

Formula

Buenos Aires is one of my first forays into the matte liquid lipstick trend and I am impressed. The formula feels nice to apply and takes a few minutes to dry down completely. My lips didn’t feel dry or uncomfortable and I didn’t develop any cracks or areas where the product wore off. I did develop a sort of ring on the inner corners of my mouth but I think that is more to do with this particular shade than the formula.

Colour

Possibly the most vital part of this post is how the colour looks and fares on me. Buenos Aires does look rather light in a few of the swatches I’ve seen online and I think a more accurate colour description would be a pastel coral. The colour of the tube is deceptive and the product comes out lighter than you would think but it is still bright at the same time. I’m a little undecided if I like the colour on me or not. It doesn’t wash me out completely but I wonder if Buenos Aires would look better on someone with a darker skin tone. I will try wearing it with my Max Factor foundation which is slightly darker than my Rimmel one to see whether my thoughts change. Maybe it will look better in summer when I’m not quite as pale?

Application

To add insult to injury, application of this shade isn’t the best either. I don’t know if it’s because this shade is light but it applies patchy and is hard to get an even coat of product. The applicator itself is a good size and picks up the right amount of product but I’ve noticed it looks worse when you try to fill in the patches or apply another coat over the top. I will have to try blotting before applying a second coat to see if that improves anything.*

*I tried blotting for the lip swatch image in this post and it made a difference, the colour is slightly more opaque.

Pros

+ Reasonably inexpensive. NYX is an affordable brand and depending on where you shop a Soft Matte Lip Cream will set you back somewhere between $12-$16 NZD. That may sound like a lot compared to the $6 they retail for in America but it’s justifiable and you are getting a decent product for the money.

+ Each colour is named after a different city making them easy to remember and identify.

+ Good selection of shades. With 34 colours to choose from, you can pretty much guarantee there’s something for everyone.

+ Sturdy, lightweight packaging.

Cons

– I can’t speak for all shades but Buenos Aires has the tendency to apply patchy.

– Actual shade may vary from the packaging.

Overall Verdict

I don’t regret purchasing Buenos Aires. I’m still experimenting with it and my thoughts could change. I would be wary of other light shades in the range and would advise you to swatch to test the consistency and pigmentation before purchasing. I do enjoy the matte formula and don’t find it drying or uncomfortable on the lips. I would consider purchasing another Soft Matte Lip Cream in the future so if you have any recommendations, let me know!

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Have you tried Buenos Aires or any other of the Soft Matte Lip Creams? What are your thoughts?