Benefit Blogger Event - Lollitint Launch!

Over the weekend, Camille and I were delighted to attend another Benefit Blogger Event. We absolutely adore Benefit products and love any excuse to go in and talk with the beautiful, and knowledgeable Benebabes.

Camille, Annie and Me (please excuse the puffy face - allergies were going nuts!)

When we heard that Annie Ford Danielson, (the daughter and niece of the founders of Benefit) was going to be there - well, we pretty much had to go didn't we?!
Annie was seriously amazing, and so funny! I am thrilled that we got to chat with her for ages and pick her brain about all the products. She was so interesting and friendly, we had to make sure to get a photo with her!

Now that's a line up!

The event was to celebrate the launch of the gorgeous new Lollitint, a candy-orchid lip and cheek stain. As soon as we got there we were treated to delicious little mini cupcakes, lollipops and then the lovely Benebabes tried the new Lollitint on us. It is more of a gel consistency than Benetint, and is a bit more like Poseytint and Chachatint formula-wise. The colour is actually quite stunning and after seeing it on all the bloggers there, I would say it's universally flattering!

I want them all!

After playing around with that, of course we had to check out all the other products. Once again, I was in awe of all the beautiful packaging. Benefit really know what they're doing when it comes to making things look pretty! And I am dead set on getting Rockateur. It is so gorgeous.

So yummy

We both had such a fantastic time, Camille managed to gorge herself on mini cupcakes - pretty sure she had at least 8 of them, we hung out with Sophie from Nana Wintour and got to meet more amazing bloggers including the lovely Stephanie from Beauty Lust and Ellen from Shop Style Conquer. To top it off, we all got to take home a full size Lollitint for ourselves - so excited to review this!

And just because, here are some more pics:

I should have got a balloon

Hahaha <3

They decorated with balloons and everything, love it!

The skincare looks so nice, I really want that Ultra Radiance Facial Re-Hydrating Mist.

We always get such fancy water, I love it!

I spot Gimme Brow!

Can you see Shannon from youtube in the background? Hahaha

Inside our goodiebags 

Lollitint will be available from 15th February 2014 and retails for $57 NZD.

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Swatch Watch: MAC Eyeshadow Collection

I asked you guys whether you wanted me to swatch my MAC eyeshadow collection, and you said yes! So here it is in all it's glory. 

Just a warning, this post will be very photo heavy. 

First up is the MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow trios. These were from the Red She Said collection from way back.

Threesome 

Absolutely love the burgundy colour in this, it's a bit like cranberry and is just beautiful. The cool-toned pink is also really lovely, but I don't think much of the chunky copper glitter to be honest. Like all glitters, it goes everywhere and doesn't have very good pigmentation.

Danger Zone 

The red in this is just gorgeous! The black is a little chalky and is like a cross between MAC's Black Tied and Carbon. The chunky silver glitter in this, is exactly the same texture as the copper one in Threesome.

Persuasive

The medium blue in this is gorgeous and has great colour payoff, the chunky silver glitter is the same as the glitters above and the navy blue has a nice iridescent shimmer - but the payoff isn't too great.

Next up are two palettes that were from the Passions of Red Collection.

Intriguing Scarlet: 6 Warm Eyes - Sweet Joy, Well Spiced, Real Drama, Warm Suede, Gentle Heat, Grand Entrance

L-R: Sweet Joy, Warm Suede, Well Spiced, Gentle Heat, Real Drama and Grand Entrance

This is actually one of my favourite MAC items of all time! Obviously limited edition which sucks, but I'm sure there are dupes for all of the colours. Every shade in this palette has incredible colour payoff, I particularly love Warm Suede - so gorgeous!

Infatuating Rose: 6 Cool Eyes - Satisfy, Bonfete, Feast, Cavort, Platonic and Deep Feelings

L-R: Satisfy, Cavort, Bonfete, Platonic, Feast and Deep Feelings

This palette doesn't have the same intense colour payoff as the Intriguing Scarlet one does, but they're all pretty decent nonetheless. Favourites are Cavort, Bonfete and Platonic.

The next one is obviously from the Riri Hearts Mac collection. Love the packaging so much.

Smoked Cocoa

I actually love this palette. I've heard a lot of negative things about it, but I haven't had any trouble with it whatsoever. All the colours swatch fine on me and are easy to apply and blend out. My favourites are definitely the top two, I just think they're so gorgeous.

And now we're onto my two 15 pan MAC palettes. I'm so excited to start a third one!

All swatches are in order of how they appear in the palettes. 

Left to right, top to bottom: Blanc Type, Vanilla, Phloof!, Rice Paper, Shroom, Satin Taupe, All That Glitters, Sable, Wood Winked, Amber Lights, Brown Down, Wedge, Tempting, Club and Handwritten.

L-R: Blanc Type, Vanilla, Phloof!, Rice Paper and Shroom

L-R: Satin Taupe, All That Glitters, Sable, Wood Winked and Amber Lights

L-R: Brown Down, Wedge, Tempting, Club and Handwritten

Favourites are Phloof!, Shroom, Satin Taupe, All That Glitters, Wedge and Handwritten. 

Left to right, top to bottom: Bio Green, Steamy, Newly Minted, Greensmoke, Humid, Beautiful Iris, Creme De Violet, Contrast, Red Brick, Vellum, Electra, Knight Divine, Honey Lust, Goldmine and Carbon

L-R: Bio Green, Steamy, Newly Minted, Greensmoke and Humid

L-R: Beautiful Iris, Creme De Violet, Contrast, Red Brick and Vellum

L-R: Electra, Knight Divine, Honey Lust, Goldmine and Carbon

Favourites in this palette would be Humid, Vellum, Electra and Goldmine. 

Well that's all of my MAC eyeshadows (so far!), hope you enjoyed seeing them all. If you'd like me to do a swatch post on all my MAC pigments, just let me know in the comments below or on twitter.

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

Little Genie Re-Gen Oil and Re-Gen Cream - magic for the skin!

Been enjoying the sun a little too much? Is your skin feeling dry and dehydrated?

Well, Little Genie Re-Gen Oil and Re-Gen Cream might just be able to help hydrate and smooth away dry skin!

Little Genie Re-Gen Oil and Re-Gen Cream are specially formulated to treat dry skin, scars and blemishes. Hugely popular overseas, these little gems are now available exclusively at Countdown supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

Containing PCL liquid (as used in Bio Oil), Little Genie Re-Gen Cream and Re-Gen Oil treats the skin by producing a thin hydrophobic film onto the concerned area of skin, which locks in moisture to maintain the skin's natural hydration and regeneration process preventing it from drying out.

They also contain Vitamins A and E to help improve the elasticity and firmness of the skin, Lavender; which is great for healing dry and irritated areas, Calendula and Chamomile to soothe and heal irritations, and Rosemary Oil to nourish, firm and rejuvenate skin.
The combination of these ingredients makes Little Genie Re-Gen Oil and Cream perfect for stretchmarks, wrinkles, scars, dry, dehydrated and even blemished skin.

Little Genie Re-Gen Oil comes in a 75ml bottle and retails for  around $15.99

Little Genie Re-Gen Cream comes in a 125ml bottle and retails for around $24.99. Both of these products are available exclusively from Countdown supermarkets across New Zealand. For more information, check out the Little Genie facebook page.

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

It's going to be a Lush Valentine's Day!

I am a sucker for limited edition items, so I love when Lush bring out their holiday stuff. The Valentine's Day collection is especially cute, here are my top 3 favourite picks from the range!

Love Locket Bath Bomb $10.90

This is new for Valentines and is inspired by the heart shaped locket necklaces that you wear with a special photo inside. Just like that, you have to unlock the bath bomb to reveal the secret inside!

The outside of the locket is full of paper hearts that will float out onto the surface of the water, while the hidden heart inside is laden with agar hearts to create a spectacular bath time display. Use each half and the inner heart individually (so three baths in total), or throw it all in the bath tub at once for a really decadent bath, enough to get any heart aflutter. The brand new fragrance is made from some of our most luxurious essential oils: Fairtrade vanilla absolute, neroli oil and jasmine absolute are blended to create a sweet, sensual and uplifting indulgent bath time.

Neon Love Soap $8.90 per 100g

This brand new soap is inspired by 12 Months Of Neon Love, which was a collaboration between artists Victoria Lucas and Richard William Wheater. The art featured lyrics from famous love songs in huge neon writing and ran from Valentines Day 2011 til Valentines day 2012.

This huge heart shaped soap, emblazoned with the word ‘Love’, is scented with a brand new fragrance of bergamot, rosewood and cinnamon leaf oil and packed full of fresh ingredients, such as fresh figs, passion fruit juice and soya yoghurt to nourish and soften the skin. Hiding inside are plenty of little white hearts to ensure every slice looks as beautiful and romantic as it smells.

Be Mine Gift $29.90

This includes three decadent treats for the body; an exfoliating soap, a sensual massage bar and the award winning Ro's Argan Body Conditioner.

Gift contents: Porridge soap, Soft Coeur massage bar, Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner 45g.

These limited edition Lush Valentine's products will be available from the 30th January both instore and online.

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

Blogger Event: Bobbi Brown Seasonal Launch

Last Friday Camille and I were invited to attend a Bobbi Brown Seasonal Launch with Kai Vinson - Bobbi Brown Director of Artistry and Education for Asia Pacific.

Yummy!

On arrival we were all treated to drinks, which were so delicious and refreshing! Once inside, I was slighly overwhelmed by how beautiful the store is and very excited to see all the new up and coming collections spread out for us to see - and play with!

Palette from the Amnesia Rose Collection

After mingling with my fellow beauty bloggers and having some quick snacks, Kai started the presentation by taking us over each of the new collections coming out in the next few months.

One of the first to launch is the Nude Glow Collection (available 3 February 2014) which features four easy to use products that will instantly brighten your look.
There are three different eyeshadow palettes: Nude Eye, Crystal Eye and Bronze Eye. Each palette features both matte and soft shimmer eyeshadows that are perfect to wear from day to night. RRP $110

Such gorgeous packaging!

The Sheer Lip Colours in this collection are just gorgeous, again there are three different ones to choose from: Pink Rose, Pink Flush and Pink Gold. These leave a beautiful hint of colour on lips and are formulated with Shea Butter, Murumuru Butter and Apricot Kernel Oils which help to rejuvenate and nourish lips, improving the overall condition of lips both instantly and over time. RRP $54

Of course with the popularity of nail polishes these days, Bobbi had to throw some in and they compliment the collection perfectly. Available in shades: Pale Nail, Ballet Pink Glitter and Bronze Shimmer Nail Polish. RRP $26

Explaining how to use the Brightening Finishing Powders

To complete the collection, Bobbi has released the Brightening Finishing Powder. The beautifully sleek compact features six luminous shades that blend together to illuminate the skin. These are to be swept over the face as the last step in your makeup routine to instantly brighten the complexion, and are available in three shades: Brightening Nudes, Porcelain Pearl and Bronze Glow. RRP $125

Close ups of the lipsticks and palette, with Kai talking about the lipsticks in the collection

One of the most beautiful collections to be released this year is the Amnesia Rose Collection which is a collaboration with L'Wren Scott, a visionary fashion designer and partner of Mick Jagger.
The collection includes a beautiful palette which features 6 eyeshadows - one of which is a gorgeous bright purple, a pot rouge which you can use on both cheeks and lips and a powder blush.
It is just so pretty! And the packaging for this collection... oh my goodness, I'm obsessed.

To showcase some of the gorgeous products, Kai did a quick makeover on one of the Bobbi Brown girls, Rachel. She looked stunning!

Pressing in the eyeshadow for better results

Quick tip we learnt from Kai: Bobbi Brown eyeshadows are professional pigments, which means it's much better to press the colour onto the lids, rather than swipe it on. It will help reduce fallout and give much better colour payoff.

Overall, it was a fantastic night and I can't thank the wonderful people at Bobbi Brown enough for hosting such a fabulous event!

And just because, here's a few more photos:

Bobbi Brown skincare, so luxurious!

Another beautiful collection that will be released soon

Bobbi Brown's new CC Cream will be more like a colour correcting primer

Ta-da! The finished look

We had to get a photo with Kai and Laura from The Dizain Collective

Thanks for viewing!
oxo