January Favourites!

I'm going to try and remember to do monthly favourites again this year! I often get so caught up with all the other posts I want to do, that I forget to do this one. Oops. To kick the year off, lets get started with my favourites from the month of January!

Lorac Pro Palette

I have used this almost every single time I've worn eyeshadow this month. It is just so easy to grab and the colours are fantastic for everyday wear. The formula of the eyeshadows is pretty perfect too, making them very pigmented yet easy to blend. I will be posting a full review of this, including swatches, very soon so make sure you come back and check that out.

Benefit Dandelion & Gimme Fever Blush Duo - Groovy kind-a love kit

I am starting to get slightly obsessed with this little duo, it is so pretty! The mix of both gives such a pretty glow, without looking too shimmery. It's more like a beautiful sheen on the cheeks, which is a bit different from what I usually go for in a blush. I wish I had it in a larger size as I'm pretty sure I will end up hitting pan on it!

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Perfect Topping

This was Limited Edition from the Sugarsweet collection that came out years ago.. but it's truly gorgeous! And considering I've had it for so long, I haven't even started to make a dent in it. Mineralized Skinfinishes are great as highlighters, and that's what I use this for. It's a swirl of pinks, peaches and creams and honestly looks so nice on - I can't get enough of it!

Living Nature Skin Minis - Oily & Combination Skin

I've been using this for a couple of weeks now, and it's becoming a firm favourite in my skincare routine. The set includes a cleanser, toner and moisturiser and would be perfect for travel! Full review on it will be up tomorrow. 

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Love this!  Because my lips get so ridiculously dry, this is perfect for me. It makes lip balm absorb much better after using this, and together they provide the perfect canvas for whatever lip product I decide to use. I think this is the third lip scrub I've gone through in about a year, and I will continue to buy it when I run out, can't live without it now!

Maybelline Baby Lips Color Pink Lolita

I love using this on days that I really can't be bothered wearing much makeup, and in summer I have quite a few of those! In saying that, this actually looks pretty good with a full face of makeup too - so it's a win/win really. It's not the greatest lip balm, but it is pretty moisturising and feels quite nice on, and it's coloured which is awesome! I've just found myself reaching for it time and time again.

YSL Babydoll Mascara

This came in my Lash Stash that I got before Sephora decided to stop international credit cards, grrr. Can you tell that still bothers me? Hahaha.
Anyway this mascara is great, its the first one I've used from the pack and it's really nice. Volumizes and lengthens all while holding a curl. If this is anything to go by, then I'm super excited to try the rest in the pack.

That sums up my favourites for January! 

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Review: Maybelline New York Color Sensational Bold Matte

Kiss flat matte goodbye! Containing a unique, powderless formula, Bold Matte is packed with brighter matte pigments for the boldest shades. Enriched with honey nectar, new Bold Matte lipsticks give visibly moisturised lips and an incredibly smooth touch.

Maybelline lipsticks are quickly becoming firm favourites of mine. The formulas I have tried so far have been amazing, and the Bold Mattes are no different.

Matte lipsticks are notorious for making your lips really dry, but these actually moisturise your lips making them much more comfortable to wear. If you love the look of a matte lip, but hate the feel of it - then these are definitely for you.

The shade I have (and am obsessed with!) is MAT 5 which is a beautiful pinkish red. It is such a gorgeous colour that flatters my skintone perfectly. It glides on smoothly, and only takes a few quick swipes for it to become opaque.

When first applied, it can feel quite creamy and looks a bit glossy. But it soon settles down to a gorgeous semi-matte finish. No shimmer here!
It's not transfer proof, but it does last reasonably well throughout the day, only needing to be touched up after eating or drinking, and leaves your lips feeling soft and moisturised.

Here's a swatch of it on my hand:

And here's a couple pics of me wearing it:

I love everything about this lipstick. The colour, the formula... I even love the packaging! Retailing for $19.99 NZD, you can trust me when I say they are definitely worth it!

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

*pr sample

Review: Maybelline Colorsensational Stripped Nudes Lipstick

Dare to go bare with Maybelline New York’s newest nude collection, Stripped Nudes. 
Stripped Nudes ensure raw, born-to-be-naked colour for the most intense statement lips. Unlike classical nudes with a sheer, sparkly finish, this formula is not only free of shimmers and dilutants but saturated with raw pigments for the boldest naked impact.

Maybelline lipsticks are something I've never really had much experience with, and after trying this one and one of the Bold Mattes (review coming soon!), I honestly don't know why I didn't investigate them sooner!

The colour I have is "Coffee Craze" and it is a brownish nude. It applies very smoothly, and the pigmentation is so great that it seems one swipe is all it takes to get a nice opaque colour! Very impressive! The colour itself is definitely one that would flatter almost any skintone, and I'm happy to report that it's definitely not one of those ultra nudes that can make you look a little zombie-like.

Here's a swatch of it on my hand, taken in natural light

My favourite way to wear it is with bold eyes, as shown in this photo from Instagram where I paired it with a soft purple smokey eye

But it also actually looks real good when paired with a more natural eye look (also from Instagram)

Overall I'm really happy to have this colour in my lipstick stash, and will definitely be keeping my eye out for the other colours in the Stripped Nudes collection. They retail for $19.99 NZD - which is a bargain if you ask me!

Thnaks for viewing!
oxo

Best of Beauty 2013: Makeup Part 1

Now we're on to the real good stuff. Makeup has always been my biggest weakness and I can already tell that this list is going to be huge.. so we're gonna have to make this Makeup - Part 1!

Face Primer: Benefit Porefessional

I have never been that big on face primers before as they've all either broken me out or just felt plain disgusting on the skin, but this has really changed my opinion on them. It feels silky and light on the face and really does create a smooth canvas for foundation. Applying this is now a regular step in my everyday routine, and I certainly notice on the days that I don't use it!

BB Cream: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector for Oily/Combination Skin

Until I finally caved in and bought this, I had never had any luck with BB Creams. They always just looked weird on my skin, and never provided enough coverage. Some didn't even blend out nicely. This however is completely different, it blends effortlessly, has great coverage and lasts all day on the skin without looking weird or melting off. Definitely the best BB Cream I have tried thus far, and will no doubt be using it a lot this summer.

Foundation: Maybelline New York Fit Me Foundation Stick

Now I literally have only had this for a few weeks, but I am already hooked on this! I absolutely love the matte finish, which isn't actually too matte - it just looks like skin, but better! It also wears really well and lasts all day, and that's without even really setting it. The colour I have (115) will probably end up being too pale for me by the end of summer, but I can always warm it up with a bronzer. Otherwise though, this can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned!

Face Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte

I actually can't believe I waited so long before buying this, what was I thinking?? This stuff is amazing. Doesn't look cakey at all, and because I have it in the Translucent shade I don't have to worry about adding colour anytime I need to touch up - which to be honest, isn't very often with this! Definitely recommend buying it from ASOS if you are in New Zealand though, it's a fraction of the price.

Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in "Thankful"

This blush is absolutely beautiful! The colour is amazing, and the payoff is fantastic! It is so pigmented that a little goes a long way. And it really does last 12 hours, it seems to stay put right up until you want it to go away. I want to collect them all!

Bronzer: Bourjois Bronzing Powder

I now understand why this is such a popular bronzer, it's beautiful on the skin! I'm not a huge fan of the scent, but luckily for me it doesn't last long after applying it. It has a very subtle shimmer in it, so subtle in fact that it tends to look matte on the skin - which I prefer, especially since I use this predominantly for contouring. Love it as an all over bronzer too... I just love it in general!

Highlighter: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

Hands up if you saw that one coming, hahaha. I'm pretty sure anyone who was lucky enough to get one of these palettes hasn't stopped using it since! I absolutely adore it and use mine everyday - whether it be to set my undereye concealer, as an actual cheekbone highlight, to add a bronze glow or as an all over setting powder. It's probably my favourite thing that I purchased this year to be honest. Love it!

Look out for part 2!
Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Review: Maybelline New York Fit Me Foundation Stick

Stick it to the shine and enhance your sun-kissed skin this summer with Maybelline New York's Fit Me Foundation Stick.

This lightweight gel foundation stick uses a powder core to instantly dissolve excess oil, blending with your skintone for a natural, matte finish. Easy to apply and great on the go, it is one-step perfection for flawless, shine-free skin.

I am a huge fan of natural looking foundations. To me the perfect foundation is one that looks like your own skin, but better.
Having oily skin can make it a bit difficult to find one though, as a lot of sheer/medium coverage foundations have a dewy finish which can tend to slide off my face if I don't set them with a lot of powder. 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick is great, because it actually has a matte finish - I don't even need to set it for it to last all day. The coverage is also pretty good, more on the medium side - and best of all, it is so fast and easy to apply!

It literally only takes a few swipes of the product, and then I blend it out with a Real Techniques buffing brush and it's done! How simple is that?

Here's a couple photos of me wearing it, you may recognise them from Instagram:

Overall, I am very impressed with this foundation and have been using it everyday. My only complaint is that I find stick foundations tend to run out faster than liquid ones  - but with a RRP of $22.99 NZD, I still think it's pretty good value for money.

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Mail of the week! 19 - 26 March!

I LOVE GETTING MAIL!

First package was from Nzsale... a site I seem to be addicted to lately.
They were having a sale on Bershka jewellery, everything was $4 NZD - so thought I'd grab a few things..


Next came an awesome little black clutch from TVNZ, filled with U by Kotex goodies. It included a Flexinights Ultrathin pad, 2 Regular wing Ultrathin pads, 2 Breathable liners, 2 Xtra-thin liners and a pack of Regular tampons.
Love getting stuff like this for free - so useful. And the little black clutch is totally reusable! Be sure to get your own here.


A 5 day starter pack for combination & oily skin from Nivea.
I got this off their facebook page, by submitting a skincare tip - make sure you get yours too!


As part of the Nzgirl product review panel, I got sent this Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black. I am so looking forward to trying this out tomorrow!


I have been wanting a Z Palette for a long time, so when I saw that Gracie Lou Ltd had a sale on them, I had to give in and purchase a leopard print one. So excited! I put my Venomous Cosmetics samples in it, just to see how cute it looks..


Butter London nail polishes are soo beautiful, but are so damn expensive... so of course, when I saw that nzsale had them for $17 NZD... well.. I couldn't resist..
Left to right: British Racing Green, Marrow, Pillar Box Red and Jaffa


Ok, last package from nzsale! I promise! Atleast until the next one arrives.. hahaha.
Essie polishes at $7 NZD each? Can you blame me?!
Left to right: Protein Base Coat, Shifting Power, Vermillionaire, Sexy Divide, Smokin' Hot and Pretty Edgy


Can't wait to see what I get next week!
Thanks for viewing!
oxo