Kat Von D Lolita Lip Duo - review and swatches

On my first trip to Sephora, I was finally able to look at Kat Von D products in store. I have been interested in the Kat Von D eyeshadow palettes (Shade & Light Eye Contour, I'm coming for you) and the liquid lipsticks. I have read and seen swatches of Lolita, and when I saw this cute little duo featuring Lolita and Lolita II, it was the perfect excuse to pick it up.

I don't find the consistency of these liquid lipsticks as thick as some others, like the ColourPop Ultra Matte or the Australis Velourlips, which means they aren't as drying. You can also layer the products without it cracking or causing any issues. However, because they are thinner in consistency, they are not as long lasting - if I have been eating anything with the ColourPop on my lips (bar anything too greasy which breaks the product), it will still be on my lips afterwards. With this product, it does break away, especially in the middle. But because you are still able to layer the product without any issue, it doesn't really phase me at all. With other brands, like ColourPop, I would need to remove all traces of the product from my lips before being able to reapply. 

(L to R: Lolita & Lolita II)

I picked up this duo from Sephora in store for $30. Unfortunately I cannot find it online, so it looks like it can only be purchased from Sephora stores. I really enjoy wearing both lip colours, and because they are neutral shades, I find them work appropriate too. Because they are a liquid lipstick, they dry down to a matte and are generally more long lasting - just remember to check in a mirror after eating, as you probably will need to reapply. I'm definitely looking forward to trying more of these liquid lipsticks. 

Thanks for reading,

X

Benefit Real Cheeky Party Blush Palette - review and swatches

Benefit Coralista is one of my favourite Benefit blushes, and when I saw this set I knew I had to purchase it. This was $69 from Myer Benefit Counters, but you can now purchase it for just under $50 - click here to see if it is available in a store near you. This set features 4 blush shades, 1 bronzer shade, a cream highlighter, mini mascara and mini gel liner. 

Along with having my favourite blush shade, Coralista, Rockateur was included in this palette, which I have wanted to try since it's release, but really haven't been interested in paying $50 for one blush. Surprisingly enough, Dandelion has become my favourite pick out of this whole palette - it does appear to have some micro shimmer in it, but once on the face it is relatively matte and quite a natural colour. Dandelion is described as a "sheer, ballerina pink". Rockateur is a rose-gold shade, and I think I will get more use out of this one in the cooler months as it is a bit darker, but it is a lovely blush colour and I'm glad it was included in this set. Sugarbomb is a mixture of peach, soft plum, rose and pink, and when swirled it appears a bit softer in tone to Coralista. This is a fun summer colour. Hoola is the bronzer shade in the palette, and a lovely shade for light-medium skin tones. It is a matte bronzer, not too warm, and a great option for contouring. Coralista in this palette is a little bit chalky. I've never owned the full size of Coralista, I've had it a few times as a deluxe size like this in different palettes, but to me this time around it is quite an underwhelming formulation. It definitely requires a bit more to make it work, but still one of my favourites. Coralista, as the name suggests, is a beautiful coral shade.

(L to R: Dandelion, Rockateur, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Coralista)

I do own a mini sample of the Benefit Watts Up! in stick form, but do prefer it like this in a pot. This is a cream highlighter, and is a champagne shade. The packaging it is in can be removed from the palette in a little compact, which makes it great for travel!

Last we have two other minis - They're Real Mascara, and They're Real Push-Up Liner. I have owned the They're Real mascara before, so I won't be opening this one up until I've used the mascaras I do have opened, but I do enjoy this mascara. The They're Real Push-Up Liner is quite an interesting concept, but I have struggled with it so far. I will give it a few more tries, but the Essence liner I use is super easy, and lasts just like a gel anyway!

I believe I will end up depotting the blushes in this palette as the packaging is quite bulky, and I'm sure I can repurpose the packaging for something else.

If you've been interested in trying out the Benefit blushes, I would recommend looking into this palette - and more so now that it is at a reduced price. The blushes are not full size, and are considered "medium size", except Rockatuer, which is a full size product (5g of product). Sets like this are real value for money, and I'm glad I now have a majority of the Benefit blushes in my collection.

Thanks for reading,
X

Lipstick Queen Hello Sailor Lipstick - review and swatches

My boyfriend purchased this lipstick for me because he is a sailor. I'd not really heard much about Lipstick Queen before I was gifted this lipstick, but now I own three of their lipsticks and adore them. See my review of the Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope in Brat Pack here. This lipstick is housed in a navy blue tube, and is blue in colour.

Lipstick Queen describes this one as follows:

"Turn the blackberry lip trend on its head with this ultra-modern, navy blue sheer lipstick. In a nod to the nautical, Hello Sailor tints lips in a cool, berry tone with a hint of sapphire. The sheer blue pigment is suspended in a protective Vitamin E treatment that can be worn alone as a nourishing lip tint or teamed with its Berry sisters in Saint or Sinner, to add a topaz glint to your berry lips"

The lipstick turns a sheer plum/purple/blackberry on the lips, and it is super moisturising (contains pure Vitamin E). And because the lipstick is blue toned, your teeth appear whiter. 

This lipstick currently retails for $37 from Mecca Maxima. For a sheer every day colour, this is a great choice. On my lips, it is a sheer plum, and definitely work appropriate. It adds a nice tint to your lips but isn't confronting at all (for those that are scared of purple lips). Essentially, this product is a tinted moisturising lip treatment. I also have the Lipstick Queen Queen Bee, which is a similar product to this. Both these lipsticks are super moisturising, and I believe this product is a great choice for the cooler months - not only is it super moisturising, but the shade is a great shade for the cooler months. 

If you are able to head into Mecca to swatch this, I would recommend it. It is an interesting product, and it might surprise you. It has just enough amount of pigment to transform your lips into a lovely blackberry tone.

Thanks for reading,

X

Dupe for MAC Velvet Teddy (MAC Velvet Teddy vs Too Faced Melted Chihuahua)

MAC Velvet Teddy is my absolute favourite lipstick. It is a medium toned nude, and complements my light complexion nicely. I recently acquired a mini size of the Too Faced Melted Chihuahua, which upon swatching I thought was a really similar shade to MAC Velvet Teddy. Here I have a mini comparison between the two.

The MAC is definitely more matte, whereas the Too Faced is more "glossy" - I say "glossy", as it does dry down to a semi-matte, but doesn't look as matte on the lips as the MAC.

(L: MAC Velvet Teddy, R: Too Faced Melted Chihuahua)

The MAC lipstick comes with 3g of product, and retails for $36 in Australia. The Too Faced comes with 12mL of product, and currently retails for $30 in Australia. The lipsticks are a different finish overall, but I find the shade quite similar and think it is a great alternative - and you are receiving more product with the Too Faced compared with the MAC. I still do reach for my Velvet Teddy rather than the Too Faced, as I find Velvet Teddy lasts longer on the lips. 

(L: Too Faced Melted Chihuahua, R: MAC Velvet Teddy)

Thanks for reading,

X

NARS x Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette

If there is one thing I completely fall in love with, it is NARS cheek palettes. To be honest, I don't think I'd ever just purchase one blush by itself (they do retail for $42 each at Mecca), but when NARS releases them as a set like this, it definitely intrigues my interest. This palette retails for $100 from Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima, and it is limited edition.

This palette comes with two contour shades, a bronzer, and four blushes.

The first two shades in the palette are from the Contour Blush Duo in Paloma. The highlight shade in this duo is 2.7g, while the contour is 5.5g.  In this palette, there is 3.5 g of product in both the highlight and contour shade. The Paloma Highlight is a pale beige, with a matte finish. I find it works wonderfully as an undereye setting and highlight shade. The two contour and highlight shades are available as part of the permanent NARS collection as a duo, so if only the contour shades interest you in this palette, you would be able to purchase it separately. At Mecca, this retails for $62. I quite enjoy the light highlighting shade for setting under my eyes, and the darker contour works well on my light skin.

The Laguna Bronzer included in this palette is actually larger than the full size you can purchase. The one in this palette is 8.5g, whereas the one you can purchase all year round is 8g. I have purchased this bronzer on it's own - and only have the tiniest bit left, and it is in the other NARS Cheek Palette I purchased a few years ago (with drastic pan), so this is another welcome cheek product included in this palette.

I think NARS blush palettes are my favourite type of palettes. Each pan of blush in this palette has 3.5g worth of product, with a full size NARS blush having 4.8g. This palette comes with four blush shades - two limited edition shades, Robotic and Blasphemy, and two permanent shades, Luster and Dolce Vita. Robotic is a light medium pink, with a cool undertone, with silver flecks. Blasphemy is a medium rosy pink, also with flecks. Luster is a warm toned orange blush with gold shimmer. This blush is honestly gorgeous - it looks amazing on my light complexion. This is the star of the palette for me. Dolce Vita is a medium plum toned blush with gold shimmer.

(L to R: Paloma Highlight, Paloma Contour, Laguna Bronzer, Robotic, Blasphemy, Luster, Dolce Vita)

I really like that this palette has the names of each product on the back - it definitely makes it super easy. The One Night Stand Palette I have from a few years ago (see review here), I only know a few shade names by heart, and the rest I'd have no clue, because the information is not on the back of the palette.

Overall, I think this product is my favourite holiday release of 2015. It's not the cheapest product, but I believe it is great value for money. The packaging is sturdy, with a nice mirror. 2015 has been the year of the blush for me - I've never really been a big blush fan, but this year it definitely has grown on me. I really recommend the sets like this that NARS brings out from time to time. I definitely want to add the mini lipstick set from the Steven Klein Collection to my stash.

Thanks for reading,
X

Hiatus

It is with a heavy heart I have to put this blog on a hiatus. Hopefully it won't be for longer than a month.

I hope you all are well

X

theBalm the Manizer Sisters Luminizing Collection - review and swatches

I picked this trio up from Sephora Online a couple of weeks ago, and you can see my review and experiences here. Mary-Lou Manizer has been a favourite highlight of mine for years, and I've always been intrigued to try the other two that theBalm offers. I was super excited when I saw this on Sephora Online, and I paid $43AUD for it. It is now sold out unfortunately, but during my research online, I have found it is now stocked in David Jones for $39.95, and can be purchased here. It should also be available in store, and there is a nice feature that lets you check if it is available in your local store.

Mary-Lou Manizer is described as a golden beige highlight. This works well on light skin tones, and is an intense highlight. I absolutely adore this highlight. I also love using this as an inner corner highlight because it is very intense. Cindy-Lou Manizer is a pinky highlight. This shade is definitely too dark for me as a highlight, but works well as a blush. Because it is a highlight, it is shimmery, so a light hand works best with this when using as a blush. It is also a great blush topper for matte blushes. Betty-Lou Manizer is a bronze highlight. On deeper skin tones, this would be absolutely gorgeous as a highlight, but I can use this to bronze up the skin lightly, or as an eyeshadow.

(Mary-Lou Manizer, Cindy-Lou Manizer, Betty-Lou Manizer)

I do own the full size Mary-Lou Manizer, and it comes with 8.5g of product. Each pan of these "Manizer's" come with 3g of product, which is still a good size for a highlighter. The palette also comes with a mirror, which is a nice touch. Because of the size of the palette, it isn't a big mirror, but it works okay for on the go touch ups. The palette is small in size and made of sturdy cardboard, and features a magnetic closure. This means it is great for travel. I'm happy with this purchase and would recommend it for any highlighter lovers out there. If you haven't tried any of theBalm face products before, this would be a great product to start out with. 

Thanks for reading,

X

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Exposure - review and swatches

My beautiful best friends gifted me with two of the Hourglass Modernist Palettes for my birthday - Exposure and Graphite. Up for review today is Exposure. Exposure is the purple toned palette of the bunch. It features five shades which can be used in combination to create a purple eye look. Three out of the five shades are purple in tone. This palette can be purchased from Mecca Cosmetica, Maxima and Mecca Online for $85. Hourglass describes this palette as the "plums" of the bunch.

(Just a comparison with the size - top is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush palette, bottom is the Eyeshadow Palette in Exposure).

Hourglass describes these palettes as "an artist-inspired eyeshadow palette with seamless colour transitions offering effortless blending in a single pan. The innovative multi-press, three-dimensional design, combined with a fine, creamy consistency, introduces a new level of control for blending and picking up pigment. Available in 7 curated colour palettes".

The only issue I really have with these palettes (and all Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes) is that there are no shade names. Of course, when you look at these palettes and how the shades are set up and intertwined, they are absolutely gorgeous. I just like to have a name for the shadow. 

Exposure #1 is a shimmery beige, and described as a champagne. This shadow swatches beautifully and can be used as an allover lid shade or as an inner corner highlight or brow bone highlight. 

Exposure #2 is an aubergine. This shadow has a matte finish. I tend to find shadows with a matte finish are usually harder to blend, but this shadow blends absolutely beautifully. 

Exposure #3 is a metallic bronze gold. Such a nice inclusion in this palette and allows the wearer to mix things up. This is the star shade in this palette for me (I'm a diehard for bronze golds), and it is very pigmented. 

Exposure #4 is a blackened plum. This shadow has a pearl sheen. 

Exposure #5 is a more cool-toned dusty mauve. This has a shimmery finish.  

Hourglass states the following for each of the Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes:

- Complementary colours for base, crease, and eyeliner allow for endless customised looks with one palette

- Artist-inspired palettes feature a range of finishes, from matte to metallic, for countless combinators, from subtle to dramatic

- Unique sculptural design provides superior control for picking up and blending pigment

- Each shade and finish is specifically calibrated to work with the other formulas within the palette

- The finely-milled, creamy formula - the first of its kind - is exceptionally soft, long wearing and crease-resistant 

- Shimmer shades may be applied wet for more dramatic colour

This is definitely a luxury eyeshadow palette. For makeup loving friends that you may have, this is a great gift, or if you want to buy yourself a present. It is a pricey palette, and you can get a lot more shadows in other brands for much cheaper, but looking at this palette in my makeup collection makes me extremely happy. I like the combination of the five shadows in this palette, and in Graphite as well. Next time you're in Mecca (or wherever you may be able to purchase Hourglass) take a look at the palettes and swatch them. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

Thanks for reading,

X

MAC Magic of the Night Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Oh, Darling! - review and swatches

I checked my emails 12 minutes after I was sent an email from MAC saying the Magic of the Night Christmas Collection was available, and the shade  "Oh, Darling!" was already sold out. I was devastated. The Monday following when this product was released, my mother picked up the last one they had in store - props to you, Mum! This product retails for $51AUD, and if you're lucky enough to find it still in store, I would recommend picking it up!

Photos really do not do this highlighter justice. This first day I wore this, after a full day of work (12 hours of wear on my face) my Mum said my skin looked amazing. The shade is definitely on the gold side, but I find it works well on my light complexion. I have worn this to work almost every day since picking it up. This product lasts all day on the face - I apply it at 7am in the morning, and it is still on my cheekbones when I come home at 7pm. I do use a setting mist from the Body Shop, but it isn't a heavy duty one at all. I believe even without a setting mist, this product would last all day.

It is incredibly difficult to capture the amazingness of this product, but I am glad I picked it up. I don't generally fall into the hype with limited edition MAC collections (except when pigments are involved), but this was an exception.

Thanks for reading,

X

IMATS Sydney 2015 Haul

IMATS is like Christmas for makeup lovers - brushes and make up galore! I attended IMATS over the weekend of the 14th and 15th of November in Sydney, and here's a haul of all the goodies I picked up. If you are interested, click here for my haul of IMATS last year.

I did repurchase a few goodies from last year - the Ben Nye Neutral Set (they were $12 each, so I picked up two), a duo fibre brush from Designer Makeup Tools (the number on the brush is DMT 112S - 20 Precision Duo Foundation), a mixing palette from Designer Makeup Tools, some empty jars for concealer or pigments, and even a product I purchased two of last year that I haven't used yet - but the shade was really pretty!

First up, the most expensive thing that was purchased - the Morphe 35O Palette. Such gorgeous colours, and I'm super excited to try this palette out! Will eventually post a review of this palette, but the shimmery shades are absolutely gorgeous! Look at the last shade in the bottom row - absolutely gorgeous! This palette was $35. 

I picked up three brushes which were only $2 each, so no real loss if they are bad performers. I also picked up two Royal & Langnickel brushes - and they were half price each! The Silk Sharp Line BC498 was only $4, and the Silk Large Smudger BC445 was only $5. The Small Duo Fibre brush was just under $10. 

Girlee Cosmetics - the Brush Egg! This is a travel sized brush cleansing tool. I do have the Sigma Spa Mat which I love, but this is more travel friendly. It was 2 for $10, which isn't a bad price to pay, especially if the product works. Will keep you guys updated!

I also picked up a few MODELROCK lashes - the ones with a red/orange dot were only $2, and the other two pairs were $3.95 each - not bad at all for lashes! I've not tried MODELROCK lashes as yet, so I am very interested to give these a go!

On to the product that I purchased last year that I haven't used. This time, I purchased the Make Up Store Eyedust in Fame. Fame is a light champagne, and swatches beautifully. Unfortunately the lid on this breaks off every time I open it, but I'm really excited to try this one out. This was $13.20. I was super excited for Dose of Colours, but after watching three shades that interested me, I decided two I had close dupes for, so I went with Sand. This is the second most expensive thing I purchased, and it was $28. I picked up two of my beloved Ben Nye Neutral Set Colourless Powder, and these were $12 each. 

(Make Up Store Eyedust in Fame)

And that concludes my IMATS haul from this year! IMATS is such a fun experience, and it's great to be able to purchase from brands such as Morphe or Dose of Colour which aren't readily available on shelves in Australia. 

Thanks for reading,

X

Sephora Australia Online Haul & My Experience

This week, Sephora finally launched their online store in Australia. I placed an order on Monday during the day, when the store launched and by Friday lunchtime it had come (to my work place near Sydney CBD). The website recommends 2-10 working days for the order to arrive, and is shipped from Singapore. When spending over $55, there is free shipping, and I did have a 10% off voucher to use. I ended up spending $78 and purchased two products I was struggling to find online in Australia - the BECCA Cosmetics Opal Glow on the Go set, and theBalm the Manizer Sisters set. I restrained myself from purchasing anything else as IMATS is next weekend.

The parcel was packed nicely with lots of bubblewrap to protect the products inside. I have no complaints as to how the package was packed.

Although Sydney now has two Sephora stores, I have not been to them. One is in the City, and I avoid going to the City, and one is at Macquarie Centre. When I used to attend university at Macquarie Uni, it would've been great, but I have not been to the centre in a long time, since finishing up university last year.

Overall, my first experience with Sephora Online was good. I was expecting the package to come sometime next week, so it's great that it came just before the weekend.

It also came with a sample of the Benefit Porefessional, which I think I've left at work unfortunately. It is only a one time use sample. I like the Porefessional, but for people who have not used the product before, the one time use won't give you much of an opinion.

Reviews of the two products will be up soon, once I have thoroughly tested them out.

Thanks for reading,
X

ELF Prism Eyeshadow Palette in Naked - review and swatches

Kathleenlights raves about this eyeshadow product every now and again on her YouTube channel. ELF is not as readily available in Australia compared to how it is in the US. We can purchase some products in Kmart, but the variety is very limited. Lucky, iHerb exists. With the current exchange rate, this palette can be purchased for $13.71 through iHerb. I find the shipping really reasonable with iHerb, and your order usually comes within a week.

The shadows in this palette swatch beautifully. I particularly enjoy mixing the two lighter shades together as a highlighter on my cheekbones and other areas of my face that I like to emphasise. The shadows are soft to touch and blend beautifully, and put on top of cream shadows, the sparkle and sheen of the shadow really comes through. The pigmentation of these shadows is amazing. For such a cheap palette, you are getting some quality shadows. 

If neutral shadows appeal to you, I would recommend picking this one up. For the price, it really is a steal.

Thanks for reading,
X