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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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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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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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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February Favourites + Highlights

February has been a bit of a whirlwind, there’s been a few different things happening and a few different emotions to contend with. I haven’t read as much as I would have liked, I picked up a couple of books that I couldn’t get into and it slowed down the good progress I was making towards my yearly goal on Goodreads. I should be able to catch back up again though. I have started exercising on the exercycle again and my current goal is to ride 10km three times a week.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Melanie Brown – Brutally Honest – I was a little a young to remember the Spice Girls in their hey day but I started listening to them in 2007 when they reunited. I have always liked Mel B’s deep Leeds accent and fierce personality. I’d read her first book Catch a Fire a number of years ago and over the past few years I have heard stories about her second husband and their marriage in the media. Until I read this book I didn’t know the full extent of what went on and the amount of adoration I have for what she put up with went up tenfold. The title is clever, not only is Melanie blunt and honest but it also reflects how much she had to endure to come out the other side. This was a gripping read and there was a lot going on that people didn’t realise.

(The book doesn’t appear in the main image as I borrowed it from work).

2. Tanya Burr Selfie Lash Mascara – This mascara was sent to me by Dannii and I really like it! I’m not usually a fan of rubber wands and prefer natural bristles but this one isn’t flimsy and the bristles really get into all the lashes. One coat of this is perfect for an everyday look but two coats is what I like to go for. This mascara reapplies nicely as well and doesn’t make existing coats that have been applied earlier in the day look clumpy. The formula is not smudgy and wet which I like and it’ll be interesting to see if the formula stays like this or if it changes. The shiny gold packing is pretty too.

3. MAC Viva Glam II – Some days you can’t beat a beautiful nude lipstick. Viva Glam II has a satin finish and is described as a pinky mauve colour which is accurate. Pink nudes suit me better than brown and this particular shade is like a cross between a few other MAC shades in my collection; it’s like Blankety, Hug Me and Brave rolled into one. If you like any of those I’m sure you’ll like this! As this is part of the Viva Glam range, money from these lipsticks goes to the Aids Fund. Viva Glam shades also have a distinguishable red band around the middle of the casing so you can tell them apart.

4. Victoria’s Secret Vanilla Lace Body Lotion – Body lotion is one of my favourite products to apply on a daily basis. I usually buy lotions from The Body Shop as I find their scents last all day and don’t irritate my skin. I do however prefer body lotions that come in a squeeze tube like this or in a bottle with a flip top lid. I have used lotions from The Body Shop in the past that have a pump but some of the product tends to get wasted. I hadn’t tried Victoria’s Secret body lotion before, this scent is a mix of vanilla and musk and it smells really lovely on my skin. It is similar to the Vanilla Chai scent The Body Shop released a few years ago which I also loved. I would like to try more lotions from Victoria’s Secret in future so if you have any suggestions, let me know!

February Highlights

• I purchased a baker boy cap. I tried one on in a shop as a joke but I really like how it looked. Can’t wait to wear it properly!
• My signed copy of Claire Richard’s album ‘My Wildest Dreams’ arrived.
• On Valentine’s Day I picked up a parcel Nadine sent me. Everything is so sweet!
• One of the girls I work with brought me back a gift from her travels.
• I had a really lovely dinner date during the last weekend in February.

 

February’s Spotify Playlist:

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How was your month? Share something you have been loving or one of your highlights in the comments!

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MECCA Beauty Wishlist

MECCA is the Australia/New Zealand equivalent of Sephora (we have Sephora too, online at least) and the beauty retailer stocks and carries popular brands that aren’t all available elsewhere in New Zealand. I thought it would be fun to show you what’s currently in my cart and the items I’d like to add to my collection and try. Some brands I haven’t tried but I have heard many good things about in the beauty world!

Soap & Glory Hand Food | $5.00

Hand cream is one of my beauty staples and $5.00 for 50ml from Soap & Glory compared to $10 for 30ml from The Body Shop is a good deal. The hand cream contains shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow and features Soap & Glory’s original pink rose and bergamont scent.

Why I don’t need it: I want to use up the hand creams I’ve got before I buy more.

Urban Decay Original Primer Potion | $22.00

This is a classic among beauty lovers and one of Rachael’s – whose opinion I trust very much – personal favourites. I’ve never tried eye primer before and I personally don’t see it as a necessity in my beauty routine but I’d like to try this to see what the hype is about and maybe afterwards I will be converted.

Why I don’t need it: I often use concealer as my eye primer and I’ve already got a NYX eyeshadow base as well.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara | $36.00

I’ve tried the L’Oreal dupe for this mascara (Lash Paradise/Paradise Extatic) and it’s pretty damn amazing but it would be interesting to see how it compares to this mascara and if it’s worth paying twice the price for the Too Faced.

Why I don’t need it: I could get two tubes of L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise for the price of one of these and I’ve got two brand new tubes of my favourite Rimmel mascara waiting in the wings.

MAC Sized To Go Strobe Cream | $25.00

This product aims to refresh, perfect, hydrate and brighten skin, smooth texture and replenish moisture. The travel size comes in the shade Pinklite. Not only does this keep your complexion looking fresh and flawless, the cream is infused with powerful botanicals, vitamins and green tea. The sized to go Studio Moisture Cream lasts me a while and the small size means you get a good amount to try to decide whether or not you like the product.

Why I don’t need it: I see myself picking this up sometime in the near future to use as a base under foundation instead of primer.

NARS Mini Orgasm Blush Highlight Duo | $38.00

NARS seems like such a high quality, well-loved brand and their Orgasm blush is another classic for bloggers. I have a dupe of Orgasm and it is one of my favourite makeup items out of everything I own. The blush gives such a lovely flush to the cheeks and a little goes a long way.

Why I don’t need it: Again, I can also see myself picking up this duo. My favourite blush is a dupe for Orgasm and to have a backup and be able to try the real thing would be cool. The highlight in the duo, Hot Sand, also looks stunning.

MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ | $22.00

Lately with face mists I have been enjoying applying the mist to my face before moisturiser and massaging the face mist in alongside the moisturiser to give my skin more hydration. With warmer weather on the horizon this product would help set my makeup and keep it in place during the day. I also want to try the trick of spritzing an eyeshadow brush with Fix+ to really pack on shimmery shadows.

Why I don’t need it: I’m using one of the new face mists from The Body Shop but I can see myself picking this up once that’s done.

Too Faced Hangover Primer | $23.00

Fellow New Zealand blogger, Angela, loves this primer and I’d like to try it after hearing her mention it on her blog. One thing that does worry me though is the coconut scent, does it linger after application?

Why I don’t need it: I wouldn’t buy this primer and the MAC Strobe Cream. I don’t need both if I use the strobe cream as a primer.

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Have you tried any of these products? What’s on your makeup wishlist?

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L’Oreal Lash Paradise: An Honest Review

Ever since the launch of this mascara by L’Oreal I knew I wanted to try it! Every beauty review I read mentioned how good it was and even now I still haven’t heard any negatives about it. The mascara is called Lash Paradise in America and has a light pink metallic tube. In The UK, The EU and New Zealand it goes under the name Paradise Extatic and has a rose gold tube.

I purchased my tube of mascara in March off of a website and it cost $19.95, which for a drugstore mascara in New Zealand is very reasonable. In store it costs $25.00 which is still not bad but I’m all about saving money where I can. The website I purchased from actually has the pink tube which I like as pink is my favourite colour. The mascara comes in five different shades that I know of: Blackest Black washable, Black washable, Blackest Brown washable, Blackest Black waterproof and Black waterproof. I purchased Blackest Black washable, I adore super dark lashes and I don’t like waterproof formulas as they are hard to remove. I don’t know if this is true but I’ve heard washable formulas also hold a curl better – can anyone confirm or deny?

A distinctive comparison has been made between L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise and Too Faced’s Better Than Sex. I haven’t tried the Too Faced mascara so I can’t comment but the wands are the same shape and they both have pink, metallic tubes. I’m happy with how Lash Paradise performs so I’m not rushing to try Better Than Sex. Lash Paradise is also half the price.

This mascara has my favourite type of wand, it has proper bristles, not a rubber wand with plastic bristles. The wand is an hourglass shape and is a nice size, it’s not fat and chunky so mascara doesn’t get all around the eyes. The wand is lightweight as well as being easy to hold and manoeuvre.

The formula is great too! I am firmly in the camp that prefers drier mascaras to wet mascaras but even when I first opened this tube and the formula was wet it was fine. I did notice after using the mascara for a couple of weeks the formula changed and it wasn’t as good but when the formula started drying out it went back to applying well again. The not so good period was short lived and hasn’t put me off the product at all.

Two coats is optimum for me – lashes look long and fluttery without clumping and sticking together. The washable formula is a breeze to remove, I simply use a face cloth and it wipes away. The formula doesn’t flake, smudge or wear off throughout the day.

One thing I will say is that the pink metallic coating on the tube does peel away. I’m not sure if the same applies to the rose gold tube, that seems to have a frosted metal finish rather than metallic coating so I wouldn’t assume it does.

I have been using the mascara for four months now and it still performs as well as it did when I first wore it. I’m not someone who keeps mascara for three months then throws them away. As long as the formula isn’t dried up and doesn’t irritate my eyes I will use it. I tend to change mascaras roughly every six months.

Overall I love this mascara! This is on track to knock my favourite Rimmel mascara off the top spot. I definitely see myself repurchasing this which I don’t say for many mascaras and once I’ve been through a couple of tubes I will know if it’s worthy of holy grail status and whether I’ve found a replacement for my Rimmel. I’d like to try Paradise Extatic to see if there are any differences between the two apart from their name – you wouldn’t think so but you never know.

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Have you tried this L’Oreal mascara?

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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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March Favourites 2018

My March favourites are very beauty oriented, I have been using some great products and purchased a few new ones too! I love putting on my makeup, creating looks and seeing the final result. I’ve got a couple of fashion bits to share as well. This month compared to some others really made me think about what I’ve been using and what would warrant being included. It’s not always easy to include new things that I haven’t previously mentioned if I haven’t acquired anything new.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara – I have had this mascara for a fortnight now and I blimmin’ love it! All the good things people say are true and I highly urge you to pick this up if you get the chance. I’m not normally a product pusher but this is a really great mascara. I’m not sure how long the formula will stay ‘good’ for but I can see myself repurchasing this if it continues to impress me as much as it already has. It may even knock my favourite Rimmel mascara off it’s perch if it lasts as long as that one does.

2. MAC pigments in Tan and Silver – I bought both of these off of New Zealand’s eBay equivalent. Tan is the type of shade that would suit most people and has hints of pink, bronze, gold and brown. Silver is pure silver, no grey or blue tinges. The colour payoff is incredible and my favourite way to apply these is with a finger. If you want a hint of sparkle brush application is good but not as good as a finger in my opinion. I haven’t tried applying either of these wet but that is something on my mental makeup to do list.

3. Glassons Black Cropped Jeans – These jeans arrived on the same day as the L’Oreal mascara and they are just as wonderful. The jeans are 97% cotton so they are comfortable and stretchy. They are a skinnier fit but they’re not tight. Black pants go with everything and these can be dressed up or dressed down. Even though they are cropped they are the perfect length for short girls like me. I have already worn these a bunch in the two weeks I’ve had them.

4. The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream – I know in my Autumn Beauty Edit I mentioned I would be reaching for The Body Shop’s Frosted Plum hand cream but I have had this mango one longer than some of my others and I wanted to use it up first. I’ve had it open for a couple of weeks now and when I opened it the weather was still very much warm and the fruity scent suited the weather. I haven’t tried anything else from the mango range but I will take a closer look at it in future.

5. ASOS Grey Fluffy Twosie – I made my first ASOS order of 2018 back in January and I am still in love with the fluffy twosie I got. The material is super soft and cuddly and I have found myself wearing the jumper quite a lot already. This will keep me toasty in winter and I look forward to putting it on on chilly evenings after work.

March’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in March?

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Beauty Bean + Glassons Haul

Hi everyone!

I have been on an unintentional makeup low buy this year and have barely purchased anything new… until last week. I first heard about Beauty Bean through a work colleague. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular at the time and it wasn’t until I was Googling foundations that the website popped up again.

Long story short, I made an order and purchased three items. The prices are really reasonable and if you buy three or more items shipping is free. Everything is stocked locally in New Zealand and shipping was a breeze, my order arrived within days.

1. L’Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup W1-2 Porcelain Ivory

If you saw my recent post about Rimmel’s Match Perfection foundation you’ll know that I used to adore it until the formula changed and my shade was discontinued. I’m not a fan anymore and I am simply using it up because it’s not bad enough to throw away and I don’t like wastage.

Buying foundation on a whim isn’t something I normally do but I know a lot of people enjoy L’Oreal’s True Match and I’m guessing this is meant to be the more dewy, luminous version. According to the ingredients the foundation is 40% water for all day hydration and contains antioxidants, Vitamin C and Vitamin E for improved clarity. Sounds like a dream for dry skin, right? I was a little worried about the colour match but I looked up swatches online and they don’t look any darker than my Max Factor foundations which I’m a big fan of.

First Impression: The shade doesn’t look dark for me at all. The formula feels light and blends easily. It seems to layer nicely as well. I’m impressed!

2. L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara (Blackest Black)

Ever since this mascara launched I have heard nothing but rave reviews for it! The mascara goes under the name Paradise Extatic if you live in The UK and it has gold packaging. I recieved the American version of the mascara in a gorgeous, metallic light pink tube which I am glad about – I love pink! This is supposedly a dupe for Too Faced’s Better Than Sex and while I haven’t tried that, this L’Oreal mascara is half the price of Better Than Sex (in NZ). The wand isn’t plastic and is big which I like – I am used to working with a similar size wand on my favourite Rimmel mascara. I ordered the washable mascara and opted for blackest black because I love my lashes to be super dark.

First Impression: The formula isn’t wet which I like and the mascara doesn’t smudge or flake as the day goes on. My lashes look similar if not better to how they do when I use Scandaleyes Lycra Flex from Rimmel.

3. Real Techniques Sculpting Brush

This brush was added to my cart because I needed a third item for free shipping. It was a toss up between this brush and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Since I prefer to apply foundation with a brush I went for this. The brush has really good reviews and like many of the Real Techniques brushes has multiple uses. This brush can be used to apply foundation and also to highlight and contour. The shape of the bristles means the brush fits perfectly under the cheekbones.

First Impression: The bristles on this brush are so soft! It blends foundation quicker than my Expert Face Brush also from Real Techniques and doesn’t eat up product. I haven’t tried to contour or highlight yet but I will.

Onto the Glassons part of the haul:

Glassons is a popular clothing store across Australia and New Zealand and price wise I’d say it’s mid-range. You get stylish, quality items for a good price, clothing isn’t cheap but isn’t expensive either. I have shopped in Glassons for years and have made numerous online orders and in store purchases in the past year. Shipping was also free as I spent over $40 and the order arrived less than 48 hours after I placed it.

1. Seagrass Sloppy Cardi

This is described as a lightweight, sheer cami for the trans-seasonal weather which is exactly what New Zealand is going through right now. The mornings and evenings are cooler but the days can still be warm. I really like the colour of this, it’s almost a light khaki and I love the way it was styled online.

2. Black Flare Sleeve Knit Jumper

I love my cosy jumpers and this reminded me of one Lily Pebbles wore in THIS VIDEO. Black is a staple colour in my wardrobe but I think I only have one other black jumper. I like the flared sleeves and the material is super soft.

3. Black Cropped Jean

I have a pair of these jeans in white already and they are super comfortable. As I am short these are full length on me and the jeans are stretchy and really nice to wear. I bought these to replace a pair of black jeggings I intend to get rid of. Black pants/jeans go with just about anything!

I shared this Instagram snap of me wearing the cardi and jeans:

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Have you tried any of the makeup items?

What did you purchase in your last haul?

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