ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip - quick review and swatches - Midi, Kapow, More Better, Succulent

A couple of months ago, I did a review on four ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip colours I purchased. In this review, I go more into detail in the formulation and staying power of the product. For this post, I want to provide an update with the new colours I have purchased, also including one of the five new shades - More Better.

(L to R: Midi, Kapow, Succulent, More Better)

The first three shades have been available for a bit, with Kapow just coming back in stock when I went to place my order. More Better was one of five new shades in the Ultra Matte selection. It reminds me of a wine colour that leans more purple. 

Midi is described as a soft neutral beige. Kapow is described as a muted grey taupe. Succulent is described as an electric neon orange red, and More Better is described as a deep violet wine. 

As I've said previously, I find these lip products great liquid matte lipsticks for their price. ColourPop has such a variety of shades, and for only $6US, they are definitely affordable. The shipping can be an issue, but I tend to order quite a few things when I order from them. If you haven't checked out the brand yet, I'd definitely recommend checking them out on their website or social media. 

Thanks for reading,
X

Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope in Brat Pack - review and swatches

Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope in Brat Pack was a present from my boyfriend for my 23rd birthday. I'd not really heard of this brand, but after one day of wearing this lipstick, I was hooked. This is probably the most expensive lipstick I own, and I'm pretty sure it was a bit cheaper when my boyfriend purchased it, but currently it retails for $69 from Mecca and can be purchased here. Lipstick Queen has quite a few collections of lipsticks, but I believe the Velvet Rope are the most luxurious that they offer (when you see the packaging, you will agree). There are five shades in this type of lipstick, and they are described as "pure glamour and luxury for your lips! A pigment-rich yet feather-light lipstick that delivers the drama and intensity of a matte without compromising on comfort". The shade I have, Brat Pack, is described as a true red.

Just look at that beautiful lipstick! Poppy King, Lipstick Queen Founder, describes as following: 

"I was inspired by the golden years of Hollywood when glamour was in every detail. This is the lipstick of the red carpet, the people, the places and the personalities that glide past the Velvet Rope and into the night"

The beautiful gold packaging features a magnetic closure, which is a great feature. The description of this product is no word of a lie either - this lipstick is feather light. It is super smooth and soft to apply to the lips, and does dry down to a matte. However, this is the most comfortable matte lipstick I have ever worn. I have worn this all day without any feathering and without the end result being dry lips.

This isn't a cheap product whatsover, and I'm not encouraging anyone to spend ridiculous amounts on lipstick, but this lipstick is very luxurious and I love having it in my collection. The only other one from this collection I would consider purchasing is Star System, which is the nude from the collection, but I want to swatch it in store before purchasing and unfortunately have not had any luck finding it on the shelf as yet. 

If all matte formulas were like this one, many more people would like matte lipsticks. This is one of my favourite reds, and it is quite similar to MAC Ruby Woo, just without the excessive dryness. 

Thanks for reading,

X

Mecca Beauty Loop Box Level 3 - 2015

This is the third Beauty Loop Box I have received this year from Mecca. I have finally reached Level 3, which is the highest level from Mecca and therefore there is more value in this box than the other two Levels. See my post from the Level 1 box, earlier this year here, and Level 2, from July/August here.

This box features some nice deluxe sample size products. I am particular excited about the inclusion of the new NARS Audacious Mascara. This is a 3mL deluxe sample and the full size retails for $39. I can't seem to find the Darphin product on the Mecca website, but included is a 4mL bottle of the 8-Flower Nectar Essential Oil Elixir (more detail can be viewed here). On the US website, the 15mL bottle retails for $150US, which means this little bottle is worth $40US! The oil has a nice floral scent, and I'm definitely excited to see what this expensive oil can do for my skin. There is also a deluxe sample of the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation, which retails on the Mecca website for $80 for a 30mL bottle. In this sample, there is 7.5mL of product, which means it is $20 worth of value. Going off the Mecca website, there only appears to be two shades in this No Foundation Foundation, but I look forward to trying out. The only annoying thing is the packaging does not distinguish if it is No. 1 or No. 2, but from swatching it, my guess is it is No.2. It is a very light formula and I probably could get away with the shade in the summer without fake tanning. 

The Beauty Loop box also includes a deluxe sample of the bareMinerals Make Your Move Marvellous Moxie Lipstick. It is a lovely mid-toned nude, and a great every day colour! I can definitely see myself using this up quite quickly. The full size retails for $26, which isn't too bad for a lipstick, and this shade is currently sold out on the Mecca website which must mean it is a quite popular shade in the line.

I really enjoyed this Beauty Loop Box, and there is some good value in this box.  Of course, I do need to spend over $1200 in a year to be eligible for this Level, but it's nice that Mecca provides these types of boxes 4 times a year. Great to try out some new products this way that you wouldn't necessarily consider picking up. So if you haven't yet, head into your nearest Mecca store and pick up your Beauty Loop Box!

Thanks for reading,

X

Chi Chi Brow Pomade in Taupe - review and swatches

Chi Chi recently released brow pomades in six shades. Currently, these are not on the Chi Chi website but I was lucky enough to find one at Myer. I purchased this about two weeks ago and they only had one left in Taupe and a few in Blonde. The shades available are Blonde, Taupe, Soft Brown, Medium Brown, Dark Brown and Black Brown. The brow pomade sells for $14.95 and comes with 2 grams of product. Chi Chi describes this product as a "waterproof, smudge free, creamy formula that is an all in one brow product. Smoothly glides on to skin and hair to sculpt, colour in and shape natural defined brows".

Taupe is a medium, cool-toned shade. I have had blonde hair for a while, and have struggled to match my brows, as although my eyebrows are sparse, they are black. This shade of the brow pomade is great to lighten my brows and define them. I have enjoyed setting this (it does dry, so you don't necessarily need to set it in place, but I do it out of habit) with MAC Omega eyeshadow. 

I haven't tried the Anastasia Brow Pomade so I cannot comment on the similarities, but this is a great brow product. I find it lasts all day and you don't need much product at all. I tend to dip my brush in the pomade and wipe it on the side of the packaging before placing on my brows. 

When I find this product in stock in different shades, I am going to purchase them and keep them in my kit. This is a great product to see from more affordable brands, and this was $14.95 well-spent. I definitely recommend this product if you can find it in store, and hopefully it will be available online soon. 

Thanks for reading,

X

September Favourites

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist

This has been my go to face setting spray for the last month or so. This is a hydrating mist for the face. I don't know if it makes my makeup last any longer due to the fact that I have used setting sprays every time I've done my makeup for the last 2-3 years, but it is a nice hydrating mist and my skin loves it. I haven't tried much from The Body Shop to be honest, but I am quite excited to do so in the future. 

bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer
A couple of months ago, I purchased the bareMinerals set of powder foundation in the lightest shade. This included a small sample of the bareMinerals Prime Time Primer. This primer is silicone based, and glides nicely over my skin. Silicone based primers are my favourite type of primers. It does not emphasise any dryness on my face and any makeup I apply on time blends nicely.

Chanel Coco Madmesoille EDP
This perfume was a gift for my birthday, and is an absolutely gorgeous scent. I've never really been into Chanel, but this scent is beautiful. It is a very feminine scent.

Hourglass Mood Exposure Blush
I purchased the limited edition Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush palette last year, and I have used this blush a lot (it is the last shade in the palette). It's such a nice, natural shade. I definitely prefer it more in the winter months (love my corals in the spring and summer), but this blush does have a significant dent in it and  I can see myself reaching pan quite soon.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer 
The last month or so, I have really been into highlighting. This highlighting powder is one of the more extreme highlighters that I own, but it is absolutely gorgeous. Mine shattered after I first purchased it so it has been put back together with a bit of rubbing alcohol, but I definitely recommend this highlighting powder. One of my favourites.

Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation in Light 
My boyfriend actually purchased this for me. This is the only powder foundation I have used that doesn't emphasise my dry skin. It goes on smooth and lasts great. I think I have found my holy grail powder. This works great on top of a foundation/BB/CC cream or by itself. I will go more in depth in my review of this powder which should be up in the coming weeks.

(L to R: Hourglass Mood Exposure Blush, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation in Light)

And those are my favourites for this month!

X

SauceBox Batalash Palette - review and swatches

If you have been a reader of my blog for some time, you could probably guess that eye shadow palettes are my absolute favourite type of makeup item. Whenever new items/collections are released, I go straight to the eye palettes. I'm sure I own more than I will ever use, but that won't stop me from purchasing more. Enter the Batalash Palette. This was released earlier this year, and at first I convinced myself I didn't need it. SauceBox shadows are definitely up there in terms of quality and pigmentation. Then it was sold out with the Australian online retailer Lipstick Republic, and I saw myself heading over to the American site. With the current exchange rate and shipping, the cost would have been over $100. I couldn't justify spending $100. Then about two months ago, the SauceBox website was having a sale on this palette, which was the perfect opportunity for me. With the discount, the price was the same as if I had purchased it from the Australian retailer. You can obviously see my train of thought here. Only once the palette was sold out, did I realise I "needed" this in my collection. After much rambling, on to my review of the SauceBox Batalash Palette!

This palette contains eight eyeshadows - four mattes and four shimmer/metallics

Vanilla is a matte white. This shadow is probably the least pigmented and the only disappointing shadow I find in the palette. This one is not opaque which is disappointing. However, I do like mixing it with the next shadow, Winter Brown, to blend out eyeshadows in the crease and I find it works great like this. Winter Brown is a cool-toned light-medium brown. The name is very fitting for this shade and this works great as a transition shade.  This shadow has great pigmentation. Cinnamon is a matte warm orange brown.  Another great transition shade for those who love warm shades in the crease. Lace Noir is a matte black. This isn't the most pigmented matte black in my collection, but the inclusion of a matte black is essential, in my opinion, to a great all-round palette. 

Pigmentation and blendability with the matte shadows is better with Winter Brown and Cinnamon, but the inclusion of Vanilla, a white, and Lace Noir, a black, is a great inclusion in this palette and I definitely appreciate it. 

Enigma is a burnt orange shimmer. This shadow is definitely the main shadow that appealed to me in this palette - I don't have anything like it in my collection. Electro is a chartreuse, almost mustard toned, yellow shimmer. Like Enigma, this shadow isn't something I really have in my collection and a great addition in this palette. Popper is an aqua blue/teal shimmer. This shadow is not as metallic/shimmery as the others in this palette, but still a beautiful shade. Nova is a burgundy/purple with shimmer. I have shades like this in my collection, but not this pigmented. It looks more purple in the pan but once swatched and applied on the lids, the red undertone definitely comes out. This shadow is also a great shadow to apply to the bottom lash line. 

The pigmentation in all four of these shadows is consistent, with Popper being the only shadow that is not as metallic as the other three. The pigmentation is great, however, so this doesn't bother me.  

SauceBox shadow pans are huge and contain 4g of product each - highly unlikely I will ever actually finish a pan. The consistency of the shadows is similar to the other two palettes I own - Temptation and Creme De La Creme. The palette has a cardboard packaging and a nice sized mirror is included, which is always a plus. The pans can also be removed and are magnetic, making it a great palette for travel. Should you only want to take 3 out of the 8 shadows with you, you can easily do this with a Z-Palette. 

Even if you have never heard of Batalash, I would still suggest considering picking up this palette if the shadows appeal to you. The combination of neutral mattes and colourful shimmers means you can create a variety of look, and some of the shadows are unique, meaning even if you are an avid eyeshadow lover and hoarder, you won't have some of these shadows in your collection. 

This palette is no longer available on the SauceBox website, but can still be purchased through Lipstick Republic. From Lipstick Republic, this palette can be purchased for $79AUD. 

Thanks for reading,

X

Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette in Soul - review and swatches

Before Mecca Maxima came to be, Stila was a brand that was hard to get in Australia. Besides the Lip and Cheek palette I have reviewed previously, this eyeshadow palette is the only other item I have purchased to date. Stila has four of the Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette - I opted for one of the more neutral. I went ahead with Soul as it featured one of the most iconic shades from Stila - Kitten, and the shadows appealed the most to me. The palette features 12 shadows made up of a combination of matte and frost finishes. 

(L to R: Light, Individual, Being, Kitten)

Light is a matte, light yellow beige. It has okay pigmentation. It is a matte, but it isn't chalky which is great. It is blendable and I usually use is to set my cream base before adding any other shadows on the lid. I'm glad a shadow like this has been included in this palette.

Individual is a warm orange brown. This is a great crease shade and really warms up any eye look. I reach for this shadow a lot. 

Being is a matte dark brown. This works well at deepening up the crease. 

Kitten is a signature Stila shadow. It is a super pigmented champagne. It has a frosty, almost metallic like finish and looks absolutely gorgeous in the inner corner and allover the lid. 

(L to R: Affection, Character, Thought, Heart)

Affection is a medium brown with an orange undertone to it. It doesn't swatch overly pigmented (like Kitten does), but applied on a primer and with a bit of Fix+ and the pigmentation is a lot better. This has a frost finish as well. 

Character is a dark brown matte with coppery sparkly. This shadow does not swatch all too well and is hardly pigmented, and it is the most disappointing shadow out of the palette. 

Thought is a bronze and has a frost finish. The pigmentation of this one is similar to Affection. 

Heart is a cool-toned matte brown. This shadow works well in the crease when shadows of a cool undertone are used. A great staple shadow to have in any collection.

(L to R: Peace, Vitality, Substance, Essence)

Peace looks very similar to Thought when swatched. This shadow doesn't swatch as well as some of the other frost finishes, but if applied with a bit of Fix+ the shadow works well. Compared to Thought, this shadow is more warm-toned, as it is more coppery in tone. 

Vitality has the same texture and pigmentation as Kitten. This is a nice gold and a great allover lid colour. One of my favourites from this palette. 

Substance is a pigmented silver taupe. To be honest, I haven't used this shadow all too much (and I've had this palette for about six months), but the pigmentation is great as you can see from the above swatch. This shadow would be a great staple in the cooler months, but whenever Autumn and Winter come a long I love to whip out my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. 

Essence is a matte black. I think a light matte (like Light) and a black matte, like this shadow, are essential in any palette and to creating an eye look. The pigmentation on this matte shadow is great, and it isn't chalky at all. 

These palettes retail for $72 from Mecca. This type of palette is something I would take travelling - it has a bit of everything to make a complete eye look. There are warm toned and cool toned shadows that can create a variety of looks. Kitten is a stand out shade to me and since purchasing this palette I have made a significant dent in Kitten. I am intrigued in purchasing Mind, which is an all matte palette, and Body, which features beautiful jewel-toned shadows. Even Spirit appeals to me, it is another more neutral palette and contains the 12 most iconic Stila eyeshadows (yes, Kitten is also included in this palette).

For anyone interested, I would recommend comparing the 4 palettes and deciding on the one that best suits your needs. For the price, you are getting 12 shadows which makes each shadow under $7 each, which is a steal. I hope to try out more Stila products.

Thanks for reading,
X