NEW: Clinique For Men

Is the man in your life neglecting to look after his skin? Or are you sick of him stealing all your skincare products? 

Well luckily Clinique has him sorted, with their new Clinique For Men skincare line. Men want an easy, straight-forward skincare regime that does exactly what it claims to do. It has to be simple!

Clinique's skincare philosophy of cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise was created by the brand's founding dermatologist Dr. Norman Orentriech over 45 years ago - and this is the exact same principle they've brought to the Men's line.

All it takes is three simple steps to the healthiest skin he's ever had:

Step One: EXFOLIATE with Face Scrub - RRP $56.00

I know that my partner Ricky, loves stealing my face scrub - and I'm sure the man in your life is no different! 

This is a non-greasy formula containing menthol, helping to keep skin feeling clean and refreshed while scrubbing away potential pore clogging dead skin, excessive oil and dirt. This can be used daily before Face Soap or Face Wash and is especially great to use before shaving as it helps lift out ingrown hairs - helping him to achieve a close, smooth shave.

Step Two: CLEANSE with Face Wash - RRP: $38.00

Finding a good cleanser for men can be a bit difficult, as they tend to have oilier skin than we do. That's also one of the reasons they age a lot slower though, so this isn't at all a bad thing! 

The Face Wash is an oil-free liquid cleanser that lathers up nicely to remove all traces of pore-clogging dirt and debris. Great to use after the Face Scrub, and together they really help prep the skin for shaving. It also helps maintain skin's internal moisture balance so while the skin feels clean and smooth, it never feels tight or dry.

Step Three: MOISTURISE with new Moisturizing Lotion - RRP: $55.00

Moisturising is a step that a lot of men seem to skip, as I said above their skin can be a bit oilier than ours, so they seem to think they don't need it. But it's important to moisturise even when you have oily skin, as it can help stop your skin from producing excess sebum. And it's absolutely vital for those men that do have skin that's more on the dry side.

The new Moisturizing Lotion from Clinique provides all day hydration and strengthens the skin's moisture barrier to help retain hydration and relieve dryness. Apply after cleansing and smooth all over the face and neck.

The NEW Clinique For Men range also includes:

Aloe Shave Gel - RRP: $38.00

Oil Control Face Wash - RRP: $38.00 (perfect for the man who has excessively oily skin!)

Anti Age Moisturizer - RRP: $88.00

I think the shaving range in particular is a great idea for most men!

The Clinique For Men range is available at Clinique counters around New Zealand, make sure you pop in and check it out.

Thanks for viewing!

oxo

Fashion Wish List

Beauty and Fashion pretty much go hand in hand. I tend to focus more on the beauty side, but if you follow me on Instagram then you might know that I'm a bit of an accessory addict too.
I am literally obsessed with jewellery so much, that I've had to make it a New Year's resolution to refrain from purchasing any more this year.

Nonetheless, you'll see that the first thing on my list is this Meadowlark Wreath Skull Ring... oops

Ever since I bought my Fang Ring, I have been somewhat obsessed with Meadowlark. Whenever I go past my local Walker & Hall, I have to stop and look at the collection. I first saw this wreath skull ring on Instagram and I have been wanting it ever since! I love this exact combination - silver with amethyst crystals. So gorgeous!

Next up are these new Skechers Synergy Memory Foam sneakers

I am becoming a bit of a gym junkie, and am always on the lookout for another pair of sneakers to add to my collection. The ones I wear now are all New Balance ones, but after practically living in my GO Walk's for a year - I'm fairly certain that these would be even more comfortable. And lets be honest, when you wear awesome workout shoes, you train harder!

A Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch

I have been wanting a rose gold Michael Kors watch for over a year now, and still haven't managed to get my hands on one. When I had the money, I couldn't find them anywhere... now that I don't have the money to get one, they've started selling them at Walker and Hall. Isn't that always the way?? This will remain on my wish list until I finally get my hands on one!

This Natasha Square Cut Pocket Kimono from Cotton On

Yes, I already own three or four kimonos but I really like this one! They are perfect to wear on summer evenings when it just starts to cool down, and they can be dressed up or casual depending on what you wear them with. And to be fair, Cotton On is becoming one of my favourite shops to get the basics.

The Rose and Thorne Curvylicious Zig Zag Bra

Have been eyeing up this bra for awhile now, but can't find it at anywhere at The Warehouse. I might have to bite the bullet and order it online (they do free shipping and free returns!). I have heard nothing but good things about this brand and this bra in particular is especially pretty!

That sums up my fashion wish list this month, here's hoping I can check some of these off soon!

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Swatch Watch: MAC Pigment Collection

You guys loved the MAC eyeshadow swatches, so I thought I'd swatch my pigments for you too!

So here we go, brace yourself for a photo overload...

Please be aware that some of these are limited edition, and most of them are in the old packaging.

First up is:

Your Ladyship (Antiquitease Collection LE) - creamy white with a gold pearl

Quick Frost (Rush Metal LE) - creamy white with soft green pearl

Naked (Permanent) - fleshy beige with pearl (matte)

Melon (Permanent) - soft light golden peach

From left to right: Your Ladyship, Quick Frost, Naked and Melon

Swatches:

Next up:

Blonde's Gold (Permanent) - light tan with gold and white pearl

Jigs & Jive (LE from the Smoky Thrillseekers Pigment/Glitter set) - naked taupe

Vintage Gold (Overrich Collection) - tarnished gold with green pearl

Old Gold (Permanent) - high frosted tarnished gold

From left to right: Blonde's Gold, Jigs & Jive, Vintage Gold and Old Gold

Swatches:

Kelly Green (Permanent) - granny smith apple green infused with small pearl particles

Teal (Permanent) - medium blue/green with pearl

Golden Olive (Permanent) - high frosted green/gold

Mutiny (Naughty Nauticals Collection LE) - sky blue with gold pearlized pigments

From left to right: Kelly Green, Teal, Golden Olive and Mutiny

Swatches:

Next: 

Rose (Permanent) - rose with copper sparkle

Violet (Permanent) - vivid bright violet purple

Mauvement (Overrich Collection LE) - cool taupe with gold pearl

Blue Brown (Permanent) - brown with blue/green pearl

From left to right: Rose, Violet, Mauvement and Blue Brown

Swatches:

Lastly,

Accent Red sample (Rockocco Collection LE) - red deep magenta with red and yellow pearl and purple/blue reflection

Smoke Signal (Smoke Signals Collection LE) - deep maroon (matte)

Silver Fog sample (Permanent) - platinum silver

Dark Soul (Permanent) - charcoal black smoked with gold

Black Ore Solar Bits (Solar Field Collection LE) - rich black with gold pearlized pigments

From left to right: Accent Red, Smoke Signal, Silver Fog, Dark Soul and Black Ore

Swatches:

And that's all the pigments I have collected so far! I've got a few more I'd like to get at some stage, but I'm trying to refrain myself hahaha

Thanks for viewing!

oxo

Review: Benefit Lollitint Lip & Cheek Stain

Hello Lolli! Our Candy-orchid tint treats lips and cheeks to a "pop" of dreamy sweetness. It's the flirtiest flush you can get from a bottle... and it's smudge-proof, smooch-proof colour lasts from A.M to P.M. Talk about stain power!

I love Benefit products. I love the packaging, the cute names, but most of all I love that the products themselves are great quality. I'm not gonna lie, I get excited every time I hear that they're releasing something new - and whenever I visit the Benefit counter at Smith and Caugheys, I have to physically refrain myself from breaking out the credit card and buying everything in sight!

Since I'm already a big fan of Benetint, I was pretty thrilled to get Lollitint at the launch last month. Lollitint is the new "candy-orchid" tint and is a bit different in texture from Benetint. It is more of a gel-like consistency, which I actually prefer as I find it a bit easier to apply.

The colour is seriously gorgeous, it's a beautiful blue-toned pink that seems to be super flattering on everyone! I kid you not, every blogger was wearing this at the launch - and it suited all of us, even though we all have completely different skin tones. That's a winner in my books.

When applying to the cheeks, it's vital to do one cheek at a time. All you do is dot the colour on, and blend with a brush or your fingers - this stuff sets pretty quickly, and does not budge! Would be great for a night out, as it won't fade at all.
Don't do what I did and get so sunburnt that your face starts peeling and goes all dry though, as this can stick to those dry/peeling patches on your cheeks. Nothing that a good moisturise beforehand wouldn't fix!

Even though I absolutely love it on the cheeks, my favourite way to wear it is on my lips. The colour is absolutely beautiful! I have nothing else like it in my collection, and certainly don't have anything else that lasts as long as this does. Even after eating and drinking, I still had to literally scrub it off at the end of the day!
When first applied on the lips, it tingles a little until it dries. I would compare the feeling to that of a lip plumper - I actually like it! Once dry, you can't feel it on at all - I kept forgetting I was wearing it until I caught sight of my reflection.

The best thing though is it didn't actually dry my lips out at all, which is something that most lip products do and is why I always have a love/hate relationship with them.

Here's a photo of me wearing it on both the lips and the cheeks:

I love it so much! I would recommend it to anyone who is after a lip and cheek product that will last all day, without budging. It is available at Smith and Caugheys in New Zealand from 15th February and retails for $57 NZD

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

*pr sample

Review: Bobbi Brown Lipsticks

Bright, shiny and new - our much-loved Sheer Lip Colors get a polished update, now in a limited edition silver tube. This lightweight formula delivers an effortless wash of color plus nourishing shine (and pairs perfectly with the season's luminous looks).
Luxurious butters and oils improve the overall condition of lips, instantly and over time. Glides on smoothly and evenly for hours of feather-free wear.

I kind of have a bit of a love/hate relationship with lipstick. I love to wear it, and love the look of it. But more often than not, I hate the feeling of it! 
This is because I get really dry/chapped lips pretty much year round and almost every lipstick I try dries them out even more. It's really irritating!

But I have to say, this Sheer Lip Color lipstick feels so nice! It's formulated with Shea Butter, Murumuru Butter and Apricot Kernel Oils which rejuvenate and nourish the lips, all while actually improving the condition of lips overtime. It glides on super smooth, and doesn't seem to dry out my lips at all, leaving them feeling soft and moisturised.

The colour I have is Pink Gold from the Nude Glow Collection and it is a light shimmery gold. Normally I don't like shimmer in lipsticks, but this actually looks quite beautiful on. The first time I wore it I got asked what I was wearing about 6 times, I kid you not! That hardly ever happens with my lipsticks! 

Here's a swatch and closeup:

And here's a photo of me wearing it:

Now onto the new Shimmer Lip Color...

Bobbi Brown's iconic Lip Color is now available in new shades that combine high-shine emollients and light-reflective pearls for something completely fresh. Don't think metallic or frost - the effect is sheer and multi-dimensional. The lightweight yet moisturising formula glides effortlessly and evenly onto lips, leaving a thin veil of light-reflecting colour that  lasts for hours without feathering or drying.
Each shade is formulated with a unique blend of pearls for an effect that's intensely reflective yet soft and wearable; individual pearls have a smooth, flat shape and reflective, mirror-like quality.

Like I said above, I normally don't like shimmer in lipsticks - but there is something about these that is just gorgeous. Instead of looking chunky and glittery, these just have the most gorgeous shine. 

The colour I have is Berry Shimmer and it is a gorgeous neutral pink. These too are formulated with Shea Butter and Murumuru Butter, which leaves your lips feeling supple and conditioned. The colour payoff of this is actually pretty good considering that they are on the sheer side, and it really doesn't take much to get a nice opaque colour. 

It's not actually a shade that I would normally gravitate to, so it's taken me by surprise just how much I love this!
Here's a swatch and a close up:

And here's a photo of me wearing it:

Overall I am very impressed by both of these lipsticks. They feel great, more like a lip balm than a lipstick, and are both colours that I will get a lot of wear out of. These are both available now, at the Bobbi Brown store in Britomart.

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

WIN: Living Nature Skin Minis

“It’s a new year, time for new beginnings, a fresh start and the opportunity to take a load off your body and mind by reducing your toxic overload.”  That’s the New Year message from Living Nature, New Zealand’s original certified natural skin care and cosmetics brand. 

Together with Living Nature, we are giving you the chance to win your very own Skin Minis pack of your choice!

All you have to do to enter is like both the Makeupper Facebook page and the Living Nature Facebook page then fill out the form below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Make sure you check out our reviews on the pack for Oily and Combination skin as well as the pack for Normal to Dry skin!

Thanks for viewing, good luck!
oxo

Review: Living Nature Skin Minis Normal To Dry Skin

Now, before I start this review I'm gonna give you all a heads up that I am a huge Living Nature fan. I've been using Living Nature Skincare for a number of years now and am completely sold on it. 

Christel and I pass the Living Nature factory and shop in Kerikeri every time we head up to the bach. I LOVE IT. 

Right, with that off of my chest, I can now start the review.  

The Skin Mini pack I received is for normal to dry skin. Unlike Christel, I've got pretty dry skin in places. Especially around my forehead and chin.
The pack included:

Vitalising Cleanser
Extra Hydrating Toning Gel
Nourishing Day Cream







The cleanser is fantastic for my skin type! It seems to spread my natural oils evenly around my face, rather than stripping it bare. It cleanses well and leaves my skin feeling fresh and not the slightest bit dry. 

The Extra Hydrating Toning Gel is exactly what you would expect from any toner. It tightens your skin as all toners do, however it doesn't seem to dry it out like some do. The smell however is a bit overwhelming first thing in the morning. It has the trademark Living Nature smell. For those of you who don't know what thats like, I would compare it to fresh cut flax and grass clippings on a hot day. 

The Nourishing Day Cream is perfect. Light, doesn't leave a greasy feeling afterwards and lasts all day. However, its extremely concentrated. I needed only a tiny amount of cream and it went a long way.

The only fault I can find with this pack is that it doesn't have a night cream! If Living Nature could include a night cream, it would complete your skin care regime. It's the perfect travel size. The bottles and labels are totally Living Nature, very simple and just cute! The pack also included a $10 Off voucher (for purchases over $50). Love it, love it, love it.

Oh, a quick note. Ive stopped using fLash altogether as the serum was causing my skin to turn brown where it was applied (as mentioned in my last fLash update). I have a feeling they should fade with time... I hope!

Camille xxx

Review: Living Nature Skin Minis - Oily & Combination Skin

Our New Year message encourages everyone to take a load off their body and mind and reduce their toxic overload by turning to Living Nature’s natural skin care solutions.

The perfect introduction to certified natural skincare - 3 x 30ml bottles to provide the ideal start to discovering the benefits of Living Nature's active botanical skincare. This pack contains Purifying Cleanser, Hydrating Toning Gel and Balancing Day Lotion - our base daily regime for Oily / Blemish-prone or Combination skin types.

I love Living Nature. Every time I start using their skincare again, I wonder why I ever stopped using it.

Included in this pack is a cleanser, toner and moisturiser which are the basic necessities that everyone should be using. The great thing about Living Nature is that all their products are certified natural, which guarantees that you won't be subject to as many as 168 chemicals that are in conventional skincare products. 

I don't know about you, but that scares me! I've had anaphylaxis reactions to chemicals in the past, I don't wanna be putting that on my skin!

This little kit has been used morning and night ever since I received it, and my skin has been loving it. As I suspected it would! It seems to react much better to these natural skincare products than anything else I try.

The Purifying Cleanser is great. Unlike a lot of other natural cleansers I use, this one actually foams up. It seems to get right into the pores and leaves the skin feeling deeply cleansed, without drying it out. It feels especially fantastic first thing in the morning, as it gets rid of all the excess oil that builds up on my skin overnight.

I'm not gonna lie, the Hydrating Toning Gel is the first toner I've actually used in a long time and I've really enjoyed it. The Harakeke Flax Gel in it tones and hydrates, while the Active Manuka Honey nourishes and helps maintain skin health. All you do with this one is smooth it over the face and neck, and wait about 30 seconds before applying the moisturiser. I find it makes my skin feel slightly tight, but doesn't irritate it in the slightest.

The Balancing Day Lotion is one of my favourite face moisturisers, ever. It's so light and smooth to apply, and it absorbs pretty much instantly. It's such a nice consistency, not too thick or rich, but not too thin where it doesn't feel like it's doing anything either - it's just perfect. The best thing though is that it looks great under makeup, and seems to create a really nice smooth canvas.

Overall I think this skincare set is a genius idea, and the products themselves are fantastic. For $39.90 NZD, these are great value and are a perfect introduction to the Living Nature skincare line.

The only thing that I'd change, would be to put an SPF in the moisturiser, and maybe include an eye cream. But still, I think this is great!

Thanks for viewing, be sure to check out Camille's review on the Normal to Dry Skin set!
oxo