$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

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

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Battle of the Bronzes

I’m a neutral eyeshadow fan and recently I noticed the amount of bronze shades in my collection. I have a couple of single bronze shadows and in almost each of my eyeshadow palettes there is a bronze shade. I can appreciate a good bronze but there are different tones and I thought it would be fun to compare my bronze shades side by side to see how similar they are. Spoiler alert: I was pleasantly surprised at all the little differences between the shades.

There are a total of 10 bronze shades in my collection across six palettes and three single shadows.

Shades will be discussed individually in the order they are swatched.

Left to right: Bronze (from Maybelline’s The Nudes palette), Pure Ganache, Cinnamon Sugar, Hotel and Beach Babe.

1. Maybelline – Bronze (‘The Nudes’)

This is the darkest bronze out of the 10 shades and leans towards being a cool toned brown-bronze. It’s not a shade I reach for all the time but it is one of my favourites from the Maybelline palette. It is a satin formula and has micro-shimmer. It’s nice and soft and blends easily.

2. Zoeva – Pure Ganache (Cocoa Blend Voyager Palette)

From one of the darkest shades to one of the lightest! Pure Ganache is without a doubt a metallic shadow, it has quite a bit of shimmer and is a light-gold bronze. This shadow is really nice for a natural eye look and applies best with a finger.

3. Zoella x Colourpop – Cinnamon Sugar (Brunch Date)

Cinnamon Sugar is such a cute name for this shade and it describes the colour perfectly. This shade is one of my personal favourite bronzes and it reminds me a lot of my hair colour which is why I like it. The formula is metallic and slightly more gritty than Pure Ganache but it also applies best with a finger.

4. Colourpop – Hotel (Sol)

My Brunch Date and Sol palettes were purchased at the same time and when they arrived I compared Cinnamon Sugar and Hotel straight away. Hotel is a warmer bronze and more orange which fits perfectly in the Sol palette. Both shades are comparable in terms of formula and pigmentation but out of the two my preference is Cinnamon Sugar.

5. xoBeauty – Beach Babe (The Remix Palette)

Beach Babe definitely swatched the smoothest (the entire Remix Palette is excellent quality) and to me is the most pure metallic bronze. It doesn’t have orange or gold tones, it remains entirely neutral and goes with any makeup look.

Left to right: Two bronzes (from Makeup Revolution’s Iconic 1 palette), Copper Sparkle, Nillionaire and Feral Brown.

6. Makeup Revolution – Bronze #1 (Iconic 1)

This shade is quite similar to Pure Ganache as it is a light gold-bronze but this has more shine when swatched and looks more metallic. From memory this takes more building up on the lids than Pure Ganache to get colour pay off but this shade swatched better than I expected.

7. Makeup Revolution – Bronze #2 (Iconic 1)

In the Iconic 1 palette the two bronze shades are next to each other and this one didn’t swatch as well as the previous shade, you can see it’s not as pigmented. Colour wise this shade is a cross between the bronze from The Nudes palette and Beach Babe from The Remix Palette.

8. MAC – Copper Sparkle

Let me compare this shade and then I’ll talk about a few issues I have with it. Copper Sparkle has a very warm orange-bronze undertone, even more prominent than Hotel from the Sol palette. It is one of my least favourite bronzes out of the 10 because it fell short when I wore it. I have other MAC pigments and this one looks so gorgeous and glittery online but in real life it has large chunks and it’s not as finely milled as my other pigments. I had to build this swatch up the most and the sparkle of the product still didn’t come out much. When I wore this on my eyes it stayed put all day and was pigmented but it was very warm. I will try this with Fix+ to see if the glitter is more prominent but at this stage I’m leaning towards passing the shade on as I don’t find it as unique as I’d hoped. If I want warm bronze tones I can get them from Hotel or Cinnamon Sugar.

9. Colourpop – Nillionaire

Colourpop describe Nillionaire as a bronze with pink and gold ultra-glitter which is an accurate description. Nillionaire is a Super Shock Shadow so the formula is soft and bouncy. It does take a few swipes to build this up on the eye but it’s not hard work. The fact this can be applied sheer also makes it a great layering shadow. Nillionaire looks lovely over top of a warm brown matte eye look for a pop of shimmer.

10. Max Factor – Feral Brown

In terms of formula, Feral Brown is similar to the bronze from The Nudes palette – a satin with micro-shimmer. Feral Brown is a warm brown-bronze and I don’t find myself reaching for this often. I tend to wear other shades on top if I do but it will only be once in a blue moon. This is another of my least favourite bronzes and I have grown out of love with this shade. It is a unique colour but I don’t see it as essential to my collection.

Top to bottom: Feral Brown, Nillionaire, Copper Sparkle, bronzes from Makeup Revolution’s Iconic 1 palette, Beach Babe, Hotel, Cinnamon Sugar, Pure Ganache and bronze from Maybelline’s The Nudes palette.

My top three shades in no particular order are Cinnamon Sugar, Beach Babe and Nillionaire. These are all slightly different but a little bit of variety is good. They are all versatile and go with a number of looks, especially Beach Babe and Nillionaire as they have a neutral undertone. Cinnamon Sugar is warmer but still gorgeous.

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Do you own any of these shades? Which is your favourite?

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July Favourites + Highlights

In the second half of the month I really picked up my reading game and the total number of books I finished in July is four, an average of one a week. I’ve been having lazy weekends and I’ve been enjoying curling up on the couch watching movies and TV shows or with a book. Work has been super busy recently so it’s nice to wind down at the weekend and recharge for the week ahead. I’m very much looking forward to having a couple of weeks off at the beginning of September. Towards the end of the month I did some online shopping and as I type this post I am waiting for three orders to arrive… oops! 😛

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Zoella x Colourpop Brunch Date Palette – This eyeshadow palette has been a real grower and every time I use it I like it more. I know some people were disappointed with the shades but the colours are really nice and there’s an even mix of mattes and shimmers. I still haven’t been brave enough to use the blue but I do plan on applying it to the lower lash line with a pencil brush when I next feel like experimenting. Having never tried makeup from Colourpop until I purchased this palette I am impressed, the formula of these shadows is lovely and the shades are pigmented and last well throughout the day. Initially a few of the matte shades seemed more difficult to blend but the more I use them I don’t think that’s the case. I find sometimes with makeup it has to be worn in a little and the shades do in fact blend nicely.

2. Zoeva 102 Silk Finish Brush – I recently mentioned this brush as one of My Favourite Makeup Brushes. It is comparable to the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques. The brush blends foundation easily and the head of the brush isn’t too big for my small face. Product does apply nicely with this brush and it doesn’t cake up or take a long time to blend into the skin. The brush is made with Taklon bristles so it’s super soft and washes up well.

3. Palmers Moisture Rich Night Cream – This is a repurchase and picking it up again has made me realise why I liked it so much the first time. I like this better than other evening moisturisers I’ve tried. The texture of the cream is light and product sinks into the skin easily keeping it soft and well moisturised. The cream doesn’t feel greasy or drying and the slight cocoa butter and shea scent is pleasant. When I use this product alongside Trilogy’s Very Gentle Restoring Facial Oil it’s a dream combination!

4. Agatha Christie mysteries – I’m a sucker for an Agatha Christie mystery! Her stories are simply written but they’re so compelling and gripping. It doesn’t take me long to read a Poirot or a Marple because they’re written in a way that makes me want to keep reading. The last story of Agatha Christie’s I read – ‘Nemesis’ – took me less than two days. I understand for some readers her stories may not be super thrilling and action packed but the plot is always good.

5. Cricket World Cup Final – Something not many people know about me as I’m quite partial to watching one day cricket when New Zealand is playing and matches are on free to air television – which isn’t very often. I’d been following New Zealand’s progress throughout the tournament and we did well initially but there was a moment it looked like we might not make the semi-finals. A lot of people thought India would beat us in the semi-final but I felt so proud when I heard we made the final for the second consecutive time. I was even more excited to watch the final which started late on Sunday July 14th as I didn’t have to get up and go to work the next day. I did well to stay up all night and only fell asleep briefly during England’s innings. For the last hour of the game I was nervous and couldn’t sit still, I was literally pacing on the spot because of how close the game was going to be. New Zealand lost by the smallest margin but I personally believe we won the game, we just didn’t get to lift the trophy. The pride the rest of New Zealand felt after that game is amazing. Whilst it was sad not to win, I am extremely proud to be a Kiwi!

July Highlights

• Someone left a KitKat in my pigeon hole at work.
• Went out for wedges on one of my lunch breaks.
• Placed my second Colourpop order.
• Did some online shopping in the last weekend of July; purchased a MAC blush I’ve wanted for ages, a necklace and a couple of clothing items.

July’s Spotify Playlist:

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

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My Favourite Makeup Brushes

When it comes to makeup brushes there are so many out there it can be overwhelming looking at all the brands trying to decide which brushes are right for you and trying to find what you want. I have around 30 makeup brushes which isn’t many in the grand scheme of things but I do notice myself reaching for certain brushes more frequently because I like the way they perform. I have selected the best brushes I own to talk about in this post.

Note: Many brands do similar styles to the brushes mentioned here and at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference and what you want to use the brush for as to whether or not it works for you.

Real Techniques

Real Techniques are known for their quality and affordable prices. Their brushes are made with synthetic taklon bristles which are super soft and wash up well. Real Techniques is fronted by beauty gurus Sam and Nic Chapman who also run a YouTube channel and share loads of makeup tips. The brand has themed brush collections but the original core collection can be broken down into categories based on what they are intended for and the colour of their handle:

• Orange – base brushes
• Pink – finishing brushes
• Purple – eye brushes

I have never experienced any shedding from Real Techniques brushes and these are among the oldest brushes in my collection but still perform exceptionally well.

1. Expert Face Brush

I prefer to apply foundation with a brush and I like this brush in particular because it isn’t too big for my face and it doesn’t leave streaks. I have a small face and the size of this brush is perfect for spreading product, buffing it in and being able to get in around the nose and under the eyes. The bristles are quite dense but the brush works with all liquid foundation consistencies and layers product up nicely if I’m after fuller coverage.

2. Blush Brush

I very rarely use this for blush but the big, fluffy bristles mean this brush is a great multi-tasker. I love using this for powder as it’s soft enough to sweep powder over the face and I use this brush almost every time I apply bronzer. The tapered bristles help to concentrate application and keep product to certain areas of the face.

3. Shading Brush

Not only do I have a small face but I also have small eyes. This shading brush allows me to do a complete eye look with just one brush, it’s dense enough to apply base shadows, small enough to blend through the crease and also picks up good pigmentation from sparkly and shimmery shadows. I have considered picking up another one of these at some point because of how versatile it is.

4. Setting Brush

This is like a mini version of the blush brush and again this is a great multi-tasker. I like to use this brush to apply my Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder or to focus blush on top of my cheekbones. This smaller sized brush is perfect for more pigmented blushes to ensure product doesn’t go everywhere. This brush is commonly used for blending and buffing concealer into the skin and setting concealer with powder underneath the eyes.

xoBeauty

xoBeauty is the makeup brand and brush line from New Zealand YouTuber Shannon Harris. Shannon’s brushes are manufactured in Italy and like the Real Techniques brushes are made from synthetic fibres. I will say with some of my xoBeauty brushes the bristles stain but this doesn’t have any affect on the overall performance.

1. Tulip Crease Brush

When people refer to a fluffy blending brush this is what they mean. This brush packs on pigmentation and blends everything out in the crease beautifully to create a seamless eye look. I also like to use this brush if I am going for a super simple eye look to apply bronzer all over the lids and buff it in quickly.

2. Firm Blender Brush

This is another brush I like to use for my crease shades, particularly to blend the base shade and crease shade together in the socket. This is thinner than the Tulip Crease Brush and is even more precise. The flat shape of this brush allows you to blend eyeshadows on the lids together too.

3. Shimmer Tulip Brush

This reminds me of the blush brush from Real Techniques as it is another multi-tasker. Recently I have loved reaching for it to apply one of my single powder blushes and sweeping the colour over my cheeks. The brush is big and fluffy and disperses the product nicely, providing a lovely flush of colour. This brush is also beautiful to apply subtle highlighters all over the cheeks.

4. Detail Face Brush

For more concentrated highlight application this brush is perfect. The bristles are a cross between fluffy and dense and allow me to really buff highlighter into the skin. The brush moves over the skin so easily, little effort is required to blend as the brush really does do all the work. This is a relatively new brush from xoBeauty and is one of Shannon’s personal favourites.

Zoeva

As far as quality and price go Zoeva brushes are on par with the other brands mentioned here. I hadn’t tried any Zoeva makeup brushes until earlier in 2019 and I am super impressed. Each brush either comes individually boxed or in a clear plastic pouch depending on whether you purchase brushes from the rose gold line or the original black and silver line.

1. 102 Silk Finish Brush

The brush lives up to it’s name! My skin and foundation look lovely when I use it and in terms of size and performance it’s comparable to the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques which is probably why I like it so much. The bristles on this brush aren’t as dense as the Expert Face Brush but they are longer which I think gives the silk finish effect. Both brushes are made with Taklon bristles.

2. 231 Luxe Petit Crease Brush

Zoeva are very clever for making two sizes of eye brushes and catering to those of us with smaller eyes. This brush is similar to the Tulip Crease Brush by xoBeauty but this brush is even more precise when colour is applied and the brush head is smaller. The bristles aren’t scratchy and don’t stain as much as the xoBeauty eye brushes. The full sized 228 Luxe Crease Brush by Zoeva is one of the brand’s most popular eye brushes and I can see why.

3. 110 Face Shape Brush

This brush could be used for many things, applying and blending foundation/concealer, applying cream blush to the cheeks and what I tend to use it for, contouring. The shape of the brush fits perfectly into the hollows of the cheeks and blends contour powder like a dream! The bristles are dense so only a small amount of contour is needed. This is one of Lisa Eldridge’s favourite face brushes.

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What are your favourite makeup brushes? Have you tried any of these?

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Collective Haul (Fashion, Beauty + More!)

I notice I go through stages with spending, I can go for a few months without buying anything and then I tend to buy in clusters. I do prefer to buy things together rather than going to the shops every week and I’m not actually spending more, I just get things at the same time. Last weekend I popped into town to look for a few bits (which I managed to find) and last Monday I placed my first Sephora order. I found it interesting that I ordered from the New Zealand site but the products came from Australia despite there being a physical store here in New Zealand. Not complaining though as I qualified for free shipping and the items arrived within four days of placing the order.

On with the haul!

1. Light Wash Denim Jacket

I purchased a borg style denim jacket off ASOS last year in one of my usual sizes and I’ve worn it a couple of times but it’s too oversized. The seam where the shoulder meets the arm is halfway between my shoulder and my elbow and it looks like I’m an American footballer wearing padding. I will try and sell the jacket as it’s still in good condition but over the past few months I have been looking for a replacement. I ended buying this light wash denim jacket from Pagani – it’s a store I often forget to visit but should make an effort too because the clothing is stylish, good quality and reasonably priced. I had a look online and saw a few different styles of jacket and went in store to try them on. I was torn between this and another jacket in a size up but when I held them up against each other there was barely any difference in size and this one fitted a tad nicer when I tried them on. The other jacket was more of a mid wash blue which I didn’t think flattered my hair as much. The jacket I ended up going with has a relaxed fit and I don’t have to roll the sleeves up too much; the proportions seem right for my body. This will go with anything and is a great staple to have.

2. G-String 2 Pack

Maybe this is TMI but I haven’t worn a g-string before. I bought these to wear underneath a bodysuit I purchased last year which I haven’t had the chance to wear yet because I didn’t have suitable underwear to wear with it. I went with classic black which will match the colour of the bodysuit and these also looked comfortable and not too skimpy.

3. Fiona Gibson books

I read a book from this author a short while ago and thoroughly enjoyed the story and her writing style. She has a romance, chick lit style and her books seem humerous, sweet and make for nice easy reads. Both books came to $12 which for brand new books is a steal!

4. Flower headband

I bought this for a Mexican themed quiz night I went to a few days ago. I was going for a bright, colourful scheme and paired this with glowy, bright makeup (let me know if you’d like me to recreate the look) and a black and white outfit to make the colours pop. Quiz night was a success, our team came 4th out of 26 teams and we were only six points behind the team that came 1st overall.

Onto the Sephora goodies!

5. BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector – Royal Glow

I have heard Rachael (Helpless Whilst Drying) rave about this particular shade and I also have a mini of Opal so I know how beautiful BECCA’s highlighters are! I love all things British and the packaging of this product and the crown embossed into the powder are adorable nods to the royal family – the inspiration behind this highlighter. This shade is supposedly limited edition so I wanted to grab it while I had the chance.

6. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer

Since Fenty Beauty launched I have heard plenty of positivity surrounding the brand. I was tempted by the Gloss Bombs but I’m on a lipstick ban this year and didn’t want to break it. I’m halfway through my current primer and liked the sound of this one so I got it to try when my current one runs out. I purchased the 15ml size as opposed to the full 32ml size.

7. ZOEVA Rose Golden 230 Pencil Brush

Funny story behind this brush, I had planned to buy it when I ordered ZOEVA brushes from Beauty Bay at the end of April but pictures made this brush look bigger than it actually is so I purchased the 240 Luxe Petit Pencil Brush instead. When the 240 arrived it was absolutely tiny and whilst I have small eyes I was left wishing I had gone with the 230. I used the 240 on my lower lash line but because of it’s size I felt like I was poking my eyes and it wouldn’t be effective for the purpose I wanted it for; to apply shades in the outer V. I haven’t had a chance to use the 230 yet but the bristles are lovely and soft and the brush doesn’t look too big.

What was the last thing you treated yourself to?

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[CLOSED] 1,000 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway has been at the forefront of my mind for a long time and over the past couple of months I have been so excited to launch it!

Before I get into the rules and what you could win, I want to say the BIGGEST thank you to everyone that reads my posts and takes time to like and comment. Over the past four years my blog is one thing that has remained constant and I am incredibly proud to reach 1,000 followers.

I am equally as excited to run this giveaway as I am for the winner to receive their prize! I have put together a mixture of beauty, skincare and lifestyle bits. In regards to the makeup items I opted for shades I think will suit a range of people and products I like and enjoy using.

The giveaway is open internationally for 3 weeks from 06:00am (NZST) September 26 2018 until 23:59pm (NZST) October 17 2018. THIS GIVEAWAY IS ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT FOLLOWERS OF MY  BLOG AS AT THE COMMENCEMENT DATE. Anyone who follows my blog after this date will be eligible for future giveaways but I wanted this one to be special for my existing followers and readers.

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The Prize:

(I will list each item and the reason I have included it in the giveaway).

• NYX Intense Butter Gloss 3 Piece Set – Bright lip colours are my jam and this is such a pretty set. The three shades included are Pink Macaroon, Summer Fruit and Cherry Custard.
• Rimmel 103 Lipstick – Rimmel is one of my favourite brands and they do lipstick well. 103 is a lovely light pink shade.
• MAC Satin Lipstick in Craving – MAC lipsticks are beautiful and the Satin finish is a perfect cross between comfort and long wearing colour. Craving is described as a neutral plum and it looks similar but slightly darker than Syrup by MAC which is one of my all time favourites.
• MAC Sized To Go Pigment in Naked – I did a poll on Twitter asking if people would prefer to win Naked or Melon and Naked was the winner. Naked is described by MAC as a fleshy beige with pearl.
• L’Oreal Paradise Extatic Mascara – I purchased a tube of Lash Paradise earlier this year and holy cow it is amazing – the hype is real! I purchased Lash Paradise online but New Zealand stores sell Paradise Extatic so you’ll be getting a bronze tube instead of a pink tube.
• Zoeva Cocoa Blend Voyager Palette – When I made my Beauty Bay order I picked up two of these mini palettes, one for myself and one for the giveaway. You get a mix of mattes and shimmers and this is a great little palette if you haven’t tried Zoeva or the original Cocoa Blend palette before.
• Zoeva Voyager Travel Brush Set – This set contains four mini makeup brushes housed in a little travel pouch: Concealer Buffer brush, Luxe Crease brush, Luxe Smoky Shader brush and Brow Line brush.
• The Body Shop English Dawn Gardenia Body Lotion – This scent is gorgeous and feminine and after using the body butter and loving it I wanted to pass my adoration for the scent onto someone else. ‘Lose yourself in a sumptuous blend of enticing tuberose and hundreds of English white gardenias.’
• The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Hand Cream – I admit I was going to keep this one for myself but I have plenty of other hand creams and if the scent doesn’t return this year you’ve got your hands on it!
• Boohoo No Snag Hair Bands 4 pack – Who doesn’t love cute hair ties?!
• Stationery (mostly from kikki.K) – Pen, sticky notes, stickers, notebook elastic with pen loops, cat notepad and cable tags to keep cords tidy.
• Various product samples
• PLUS some extras! (not pictured)
  

All items are new and unused. Where possible I have opened the items to check they are not broken or damaged, e.g. the Zoeva palette and the MAC lipstick.

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To Enter:

Blog:

• You must be following me via WordPress or email.
• Leave a comment on this post with which platforms you have entered the giveaway on alongside your Twitter and Instagram usernames. Let me know how I can contact you if you win.
• In your comment also tell me which item you’d be most excited to receive and why you enjoy reading my blog.

Twitter:

• Follow my Twitter account and ‘Like’ this tweet.

Instagram:

• Follow my Instagram account and like this photo.
  

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The Rules:

1. All entrants must be aged 18 or over at the start of the giveaway.

2. Giveaway is open worldwide.

3. Entries solely through Twitter and/or Instagram don’t count. You must be a follower of the blog as well. Twitter and Instagram entries are bonus entries ONLY.

4. Winner will be chosen by me based on adherence to the rules and general blog engagement.

5. A shortlist of my 5 favourite entrants will be drawn up and from there each entrant will be assigned a random number/numbers based on the date they comment on this blog post. For example, if someone comments on this post on September 30 and I shortlist them they will be assigned number 1. If someone comments on this post on October 2 and is shortlisted but they also follow me on Twitter and ‘Like’ the linked tweet they will be assigned numbers 2 and 3 as they follow my blog and are eligible for a bonus entry. I will then use a random number generator to determine the winner. If all 5 entrants on the shortlist enter across all 3 platforms the number generated will range from #1 to #15.

6. The winner will be announced on Monday October 22 2018.

7. After the announcement the winner will have 7 days to contact me and claim their prize. If the prize is unclaimed a new winner will be chosen.

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If you have any questions regarding the rules of the giveaway or want to clarify something, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Good luck everyone and thank you for all the support over the past four years! ❤

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GRWM: Trying New Makeup

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve had some new makeup arrive and I wanted to create a look with the items. Two products from MAC feature as well as the Cocoa Blend voyager palette from Zoeva. Zoeva is a brand that I haven’t tried before but other bloggers always talk about how nice their eyeshadows are and I wanted to try them for myself!

Products listed in order of application:

Products with (N) are new items.

1. Olay Complete UV Lotion Sensitive – I’ve been using this as my day moisturiser for the past few months and it feels very lightweight and smooth on the skin. I don’t have any complaints and I haven’t noticed more breakouts than usual. I’m very lucky being dry skinned that I don’t get a lot of acne. This contains SPF but doesn’t have a strong sunscreen smell.

2. Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Primer – Now that I’ve finished the Vitamin C face mist from The Body Shop I can focus on using up this primer. The more I use this primer the more I like it and realise it does keep my makeup in place longer and makes my makeup apply nicer.

3. Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in 002 Hazel – You know the drill with this. Been using it for a couple of years now and it makes my brows look natural whilst filling them in slightly. I’ve got thick, dark brows so I don’t need to do much.

4. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain – Earlier in the year I was stuck in a rut with this foundation and how thick the formula felt to apply and felt on my skin. The primer helps this foundation apply more easily and one layer of this works better than two. I always add more coverage with concealer and bronze up if my face looks pale.

5. MAC StudioFinish Concealer in NW10 – This concealer is really good shade wise for me and I like the coverage it gives and the fact you can layer it if you need. You may only need a small amount on a spot but you may need a bit more to cover redness and I find it covers redness well. I apply concealer around my nose and chin where I get natural redness and sometimes I’ll use any excess on my finger on the inner corner of my eyes to brighten or on the eyelids as an eye primer.

6. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 Light Matte – I’ve been loving using this bronzer almost like a powder lately. I apply it to my cheeks, my chin, my nose, the sides of my forehead and in a ‘w’ shape around my nose and eyes. I tend to reach for my setting powder more in summer when it’s hot but because I have dry skin I don’t want it to look cakey in winter and I find sweeping the bronzer lightly sets everything and adds a light golden colour at the same time.

7. Zoeva Cocoa Blend Voyager Palette (N) – This is a mini six pan palette of the original 10 pan Cocoa Blend palette by Zoeva. The shades included are Bitter Start (matte white), Substitute For Love (matte light brown), Freshly Toasted (matte red-brown), Pure Ganache (bronze-gold shimmer), Warm Notes (cranberry shimmer) and Subtle Blend (bronze shimmer). There’s base shades, transition shades and shimmers meaning you can create a simple look or a glamorous one. Every shade in this palette is pigmented and the feel of the shadows is lovely and smooth. They swatch and apply the same to the eyes as they look in the pan. The small size means this palette will be great for travel and it’s so cute! I don’t mind the small pan size because realistically it means if I love this palette enough to use all of the shadows up it’s a good thing.

For this look I used Bitter Start as a base shade, Substitute For Love in the crease and Subtle Blend as a shimmer topper all over the lid.

8. L’Oreal Lash Paradise Voluminous Mascara – I’m still loving this mascara! The formula is starting to dry out more now and I’d say I’m not far from finishing it but it has been such a pleasant product to use. I can rely on it to make my lashes look the same each day and it definitely makes my lashes look fluttery and voluminous.

9. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle (N) – Only days after I ordered Soft & Gentle I read a blog post from Rachael about products she regrets buying and this is one of them. In the comments she explained that it would be better suited to people with a lighter skintone than her which reassured me because I am very fair. Safe to say this product is beautiful and I love it! I don’t find the shimmer too much. I prefer a subtle highlight and the gilded peach bronze colour isn’t too warm for me either. I’ve also worn this product all over my face a bit like a powder and it looked lovely. I see this becoming a product I reach for everyday and use all the time.

10. MAC Hug Me (N) – Pictures online make this lipstick look sheerer than it is. Pretty much how a shade looks in the bullet is how it will apply on me. Hug Me is a lustre finish, which is one of my personal favourites, and means it is very comfortable to wear and has a little bit of shine without slip. This lipstick is described by MAC as a ‘flesh pink’ but I don’t quite agree with that. It’s more of a brown-pink and it’s a really gorgeous everyday colour that I see myself wearing a lot.

The Finished Look:

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Have you tried any of these products and what do you think of this look? Have you purchased any new makeup lately?

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