March Favourites

This will be a feature on my blog monthly. In it, I will include beauty favourites and just random favourites!

Beauty:

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara
This has been a rediscovered favourite. While cleaning out my collection, I came across this tube - it still has plenty of product in it, and hasn't dried in the slightest. I have relatively short and straight eyelashes, so this along with an eyelash curler is the perfect combo.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Khol Kajal in Nude
I've always felt white on the waterline to be too off-putting and strong, so when Rimmel released this liner in nude it was a a must-have for me! I'm so glad with this purchase, and I use it every day. Definitely a repurchase when I finish with this one.

Benefit Erase Paste in Light
This is the perfect under eye concealer for my skin tone. It instantly brightens my under eye area, which I love. I've had this sample size tube since July last year and it is only running out now.

MAC Lipstick in Party Parrot
I am so happy that MAC re-released this limited edition lipstick. I bought it straight away from the online MAC store, and it hasn't been a disappointment. I love bright and bold colours, and this bright pink is perfect.

MAC Fix Plus 
I have been using this as a setting spray for about five months, and I still have a third of the product left. It really helps in getting rid of the powdery look of my foundation, and it is a refreshing spray. I also sometimes use this product when I want bolder eye colours by spraying my brush first before applying. I also alternate between this and another setting spray when using my beauty sponge to wet it.

Johnson's Moisturising Day Cream
I've been using this day cream for about a year or so and this is my third tub. I love this stuff, it is great at moisturising. The only downside is it doesn't contain SPF, but I do wear foundation, or at least BB cream on a regular basis, all of which do contain SPF.

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me Nail Polish
This was one of the colours that caught my eye in the OPI James Bond collection. It is a shimmery red, with goldish/orange shimmer. I'm not really the biggest fan of shimmery nail polish, but this colour is perfect. I love it. I use it on my toes all the time, and at least a few times a month on my nails.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15
This is my current favourite foundation. I've been using it for over three months, and I love it. I'm quite pale, and now that winter is coming (heheheh) I probably will stay this colour until next summer - it is a perfect match! I will definitely repurchase this when I run out (which appears to be soon), but I also want to try the MAC Face and Body foundation as I've heard good reviews about it and my skin has started to become more dry. The coverage on this foundation is wonderful.

MAC Studio Fix Powder in N3 
I love this powder to set my foundation. My skin hasn't been too wonderful lately, and this powder foundation has helped give just a bit more coverage.

Essence 3-in-1 Concealer
I find the pink shade perfect in counteracting dark circles, which I've had a lot of since going back to university. I don't find the product to cake in the slightest, and for the price - it is a bargain! I saw on the Essence Facebook page that they were discontinuing this product, so I will definitely have to pick up another one before that happens.

Sleek Face Form Palette in Fair 
The contour shade in this palette is my all time favourite. See review here.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
I bought this highlighter half way through March, but have wanted it for a while. Because of my light skin, I find that this highlighter is perfect and it blends into my skin nicely. Previously, I was using MAC's Soft and Gentle but I find it too glittery. See haul post, where I purchased this and other products here.

Swatches (L to R): Rimmel Scandaleyes Khol Kajal in Nude, MAC Party Parrot, Benefit Erase Paste in Light (not blended), theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer 

Random:

Game of Thrones (TV) - I blame my boyfriend for this. Almost finished Season 2, which is good because Season 3 starts tomorrow :D

The Roman Republic - as a history major, you can't blame me for including this in my monthly favourites. Love the Roman Republic~

What have your favourites been this month?
Xo

Purple look (eyes and lips) - a tutorial

Last week I was experimenting with white liner with eyeshadow on top, and I came up with this look

I only really did the eyeliner, and then I thought to try out my Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn lipstick, and I loved the two together! To the tutorial :)

Step 1: Foundation. I used MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15 and a loose translucent setting powder by Face of Australia to set it.
Step 2: Apply an eyeshadow primer. My favourite is the original Urban Decay Primer Potion. This may not be a step you need to do with this look, as next will be eyeliner to which we apply the eyeshadow on top. However, I always use an eyeshadow primer and recommend it.
Step 3: Line your top and lower lash line with white eyeliner. The white will really pick up the colour of the eyeshadow and give it something to stick to. I used the Rimmel Khol Kajal Eyeliner Pencil in 07 Pure White.
Step 4: Now to the fun part! Using Urban Decay's Omen (which was in the Fifteenth Anniversary Palette and they've now released as a single eyeshadow) on a slanted eyeliner brush, apply on top of the white liner on the top and lower lashline.
Step 5: For the inner corner, I applied Mary Lou-Manizer.
Step 6: Apply black eye liner to the tightline, and a nude eye liner to the water line. For black, I used Rimmel Khol Kajal Eyeliner Pencil in Black (not too sure of the number), and for the nude Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal in 005 Nude.
Step 7: Curl eyelashes and apply mascara! For this I used Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara
Step 8: Contour your face (if you want). I used the contour shade in my Sleek Face Form Palette in Fair.
Step 9: Apply blush! I'm currently testing out the NARS Exhibit A blush, and I used it for this look!
Step 10: For a more adventurous purple wearing, apply Lime Crime lipstick in Airborne Unicorn.
Step 11: Finishing mist. I used MAC Fix Plus.

And there you have it! A relatively quick look that adds some nice colour, with or without the lipstick. What's your favourite way to wear purple? ;)

Haul - Essence, MUA, theBalm and Lime Crime

It's been a while since I've updated, and I'm going to blame that on going back to university. Almost two weeks ago, I placed an order on the MUA site - and I wasn't expecting it to come so quickly! My first order from MUA a couple of months ago took almost a month to arrive! So Thursday when I came home from uni, I had two parcels - one from MUA, and the other with my Lime Crime lipstick. I also visited a shopping centre the same day and they had one Mary-Lou Manizer left in stock at David Jones and I had to grab it. I also picked up an Essence highlighter from their new collection. On to the haul!

The MUA purchase totaled $30.97, and in it I bought the Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder, the Undress Me Too Palette, the cream blush in Bittersweet, an eyebrow pencil in Brunette, the Mosaic Blusher in English Rose, and the lip liner in Softly Lined. For this order, I was most excited about the Undress Me Too Palette - which is supposedly a dupe of the Naked 2 by Urban Decay. My Bootycall in that palette is almost gone, so I'm hoping this palette will have a good dupe as Urban Decay don't do singles of Bootycall :'( I will put up a comparison post sometime this week.

In a wish list post from last month, I posted about Serpentina by Lime Crime - a forest green lipstick! The site I have ordered Lime Crime from previously has been sold out, and from my googling last week I found a site that had one left in stock - I was so excited. The lipstick was $21, which is standard, but the postage was a little expensive at $11.95. I ordered it on Sunday night, and it came the following Thursday. The site I got it from was veganbeauty.com.au. I still don't know how I will wear this lipstick, but I am glad to have it in my collection! The order also came with a lemongrass and bamboo face scrub 5mL sample from Ayana Organics, and I am glad to give this a go.

Two weeks ago when I went into David Jones hoping to buy the Mary-Lou Manizer from theBalm, they were sold out. When I went in the past week, they had one left in stock and I had to get it. It retails for $34.95, but I have a staff discount and it came down to $27.95. I absolutely love this highlighter! So glad with this purchase.

Lastly is an Essence highlighter, which I saw in Priceline a few weeks ago and went back to purchase last week. A girl can never have too many highlighters, right? Excited to give this one a go too! It's from their new Circus Circus trend collection.

Don't forget to check out my instagram, where I love to post all things make up (and my dogs!) @_crystalised 

Thanks for reading guys, 
Sarah x