MAC Pure Heroine - review and swatches

I love purple lips! I really do. And when I got a text one morning from MAC telling me they had an online exclusive where you could pick this up only for a day, I couldn't say no. Pure Heroine is from the Lorde collection, is an amplified finish, and is described by MAC as a "deep, rich shade of plum".

It's very hard to do justice to this lipstick in photos, but I will try!

This lipstick is definitely one of the more deeper shades of purple I have, and would work well with an ombre lip. Amplified (and glossy) finish lipsticks are not one of my most loved types of finishes for lipsticks, but I still like this lipstick. It's nothing like I have purchased before, and makes a great addition to my collection.

In Australia, this lipstick retails for $36 - the standard price of MAC lipsticks in Australia. It's still available on the MAC website (not too sure about in stores), so if you're interested, I suggest checking out the website. 

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Shop My Stash #5

I'm behind by a week on this one, but better late than never, right? These following 5 products will be on my to-use list for the next two weeks.

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Tousling Spray Gel
This is a hair product I have that has just been sitting around. Time to pull it out and try use it up!

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Finishing Powder in 010 Brighten 
I picked up this product almost two years ago, and have hardly used it. It does say it is a finishing powder, but this is definitely a highlighter - much like the MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes. I've really been loving highlighting recently, so I'm sure I can use this product no problem!

Clinique Blushing Blush Powder in Bashful Plum 
My blush mission seems never ending. The one blush I can use over and over again is Benefit Coralista. This shade seems like it would be a good one for winter, so I'm going to try it out (and hopefully fall in love).

Almay intense i-color in 031 Trio for Browns 
A friend of mine (view her beauty blog here) gave this to me as a gift and the first shade in the trio I can't stop staring at. It has slowly become harder to go all out with eyeshadow when I'm at work, but I'll try my hardest to reach for this one over the coming weeks.

Elf Eyelid Primer in Sheer 
This eyelid primer is almost used up, so hopefully I can add this to the Empties bag soon. This is a relatively cheap primer, and it does the job well.

Thanks for reading,
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Current Favourites

I thought I would combine Favourites for this month, considering I haven't done a Favourites since March. These are products I've been loving over the last three months that have really been stand out products.

Since taking off my acrylics, I've been using the Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails Strengthener to strengthen my very weak nails. I've been using this for about a month or so, and I'm very happy with the results - my nails have been growing! Slowly, my nails are recovering from acrylics, although I'll probably end up putting them back on really soon.

I picked up the Rimmel Kate Salon Pro Nail Polish in 706 Classical Red a couple months ago when I was looking for a darker red for the winter months to wear to work. I absolutely adore this shade, and it's what I've been wearing every three weeks or so (I'm actually wearing it on my toes and finger nails right now!). I definitely recommend this one for winter, and these polishes are opaque in two coats (and are relatively cheap!)

The MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt is a great sculpting powder for lighter skin girls like me! I've done a review on it here, so check it out for more detail. 

I've been using the MAC Cleanse Off Oil/Tranquil at night to remove any remaining make up after cleansing. This oil hasn't broken me out, and this is my second time purchasing this product. The travel size is $15 (which is what I have) and has lasted me for a while, so if you're interested in trying out this product, I'd recommend grabbing the travel size first. 

My go to base product is the Garnier BB Cream for Combination to Oily Skin in Light. I've mentioned this product before, and although I have drier skin, I find this one works amazing on my skin and the coverage is great! I wear this as my base 80% of the time - it's reliable, it works, and I love the coverage for work days. 

Since using up the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer, I've been applying the MAC Strobe Cream after moisturising for added luminosity. I love this cream, and I'm probably going to always repurchase this cream. Definitely recommend it for those wanting dewy and luminous skin, or those with dry skin.

Since bleaching my hair lighter and lighter, I've been using the muk intense muk Repair Treatment  at least once a week, and I love the way my hair feels after using it. The blonde process hasn't been too kind on my hair, but I've been trying my hardest to use moisturising products in my hair to assist in repair.

I picked up the People for Plants Hydration Gel up about a month or so ago, and I use it every night before moisturising. I've found my skin hasn't been extremely dry like it has been in the past, and this gel has definitely assisted in that.

The NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams have been a hit with me over the last few months, and here I have pictured Abu Dhabi. It is a darker nude, but I find it a perfect shade in winter, even though I am light skin toned. Since starting work full time, nude shades have been my best friend, and I love rocking this one. To see my review of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, click here.

I've really been enjoying layering the bareMinerals Lash Domination Mascara and the Maybelline Colossal Volum Cat Eyes Mascara. The Maybelline separates my lashes, and the bareMinerals adds a lot of volume. A combination I've been enjoying a lot recently.

My absolute favourite and signature scent - Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb. This has been my favourite perfume since I was sixteen, and I will always repurchase it. Back in April I bought a mini set of Marc Jacob perfumes and Marc Jacobs Dot was an instant hit. I love this scent. It is more of a summery scent, but when you get the chance, I recommend giving it a try - at least spray it and see what it's like! 

The two palettes I've been using recently are the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette and the MAC Spoiled Rich Eyeshadow Quad. I think the Naked Basics is my favourite palette ever, and it's a great every day palette. See a more detailed review here. The MAC Spoiled Rich Quad was limited edition from last year, but if I wear any colourful eyeshadow, it tends to come from this quad. Next to Urban Decay, MAC makes my favourite eyeshadows. To see my review of the MAC Spoiled Rich Quad, click here.

And now for a totally random favourite (and possibly the best) - my new 2013 Mazda 3! 

This is my baby Mazzy, and I absolutely adore this car. I bought her in April, and we've been inseparable ever since. Work is an hour drive from where I live, so I thought a new car was a good investment - my old car was on its last legs. I had been eyeing of the Mazda 3 for months, and although it is a much bigger car compared to my Getz, Getzy (and where I work, small cars are much easier to park), I just couldn't think of any car I wanted as much as this one. I'm so glad with my new car.

And those are my favourites from the past couple of months!
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NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams - review and swatches

For today's blog post, I wanted to share with you the lip products I've been loving since I started working full time. When NYX came to Target in Australia, it was a very happy day for all beauty lovers. I picked up my first of the Soft Matte Lip Creams about four months ago, and it was love at first application.

I'm not too sure of how many are in the range, but I own five - Monte Carlo (a beautiful red), San Paulo (a deeper pink shade), Stockholm (a light, lovely nude), Antwerp (a lighter mid-tone pink) and Abu Dhabi (a darker nude). 

The application of these lip creams is through the use of a doe foot applicator. They apply extremely creamy, and when dry, give a lovely matte lip. They are pigmented, and I find for most (bar Monte Carlo) one application is all I need. They need about 5 minutes or so to completely mattify down.

T: Abu Dhabi, San Paulo, Monte Carlo

B: Antwerp, Stockholm 

These lip products are relatively cheap - from memory, $12.95 in Target, and are available online for purchase as well (at a cheaper price). I love matte lips, and for work, these are wonderful. Once on, they won't go anywhere for a while, and after lunch are easy enough to apply. I love using a lip scrub before any lip application (especially with matte lips), so I recommend doing so. But if you are a lover of matte lips, I would recommend checking out these NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams!

Thanks for reading, 

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