My Hawaiian Haul!

I know it has been a while.  Life has been pretty amazing as well as full on.  I am back from my Hawaiian wedding adventure and I have a few posts that correspond to the trip.  I had a fantastic time sight seeing, shopping, snorkelling and off course getting married.

Waikiki Beach shortly after sunrise

The majority of my time was spent on the Big Island of Hawai'i, but I spent a few days in Waikiki.  I spent quite a few hours shopping the first day we were there and happily entered Sephora and Macy's again for the first time in ages.  To the say the least, I dropped in a couple more times during the trip.

Unfortunately, I had to get rid of all the packaging to make our luggage allowance on the way back.  Some of our wedding guests missed the memo about no gifts.  In addition to the packaging, I also left behind a dear, worn pair of Sperry's.  We had to cut about 7kg of luggage (we crammed a lot of it into our carry on items and hoped no one would weigh them!).

My lovely haul

Here is just a glimpse of my haul.  I may have went a little overboard (my husband has certainly said so in not so many words), but I saved a lot to purchase all my items.  Most items I had researched and lusted for for a long time, but some were certainly impulse purchases as I walked to the counter.

It was quite a lot, but the prices were so much better than Australian ones, which also aided my conscience in purchasing everything.  I will try to give impressions on the items as I use them; however, if you spot anything in the pile that you would like a review on, let me know!

NARS Haul! Foundation and Concealer

**I kind of forgot about this post (opps!).  Work and life have been so busy that I've become such a poor blogger.  I really wanted to share this because I would love suggestions how to control oil for this foundation!

After an innocent trip to the mall, I left with an unintentional Nars haul.  Well, kind of.  For me, it's really that simple.  During the school holidays, I decided to go to a nearby shopping centre to do some browsing and maybe pick something up.  I didn't really plan on spending anything.

Mini Nars Haul

While there, I decided to go to Mecca to swatch some products.  I was eagerly waiting on my Stila Convertible Color blushes (see haul here) and wanted to look at them.  Again.  On a whim, I asked if I could get matched to the Nars Sheer Matte Foundation so I could purchase it online.  I was quite confident I was going to be Mont Blanc, but I wanted to be sure.  The sales associate (who was amazing!) decided to try the Sheer Glow on one half of my face and Sheer Matte on the other side to see how they compared.  I thought the matte would be best for my oily skin, but the sales associate said that the Sheer Matte doesn't sit as nicely on some skin and she was so right!  The difference between the two foundations was astounding!

Sheer Glow Mont Blanc

With the pump!

Sheer Glow looked flawless on my skin.  Sheer Matte appeared to seep into my skin and to be honest, just didn't look that amazing.  Certainly not $68 amazing.  Seeing how lovely the Sheer Glow looked and the outstanding service I received (taking off my makeup, putting serum, moisturiser and primer to prep my skin, foundation, concealer, powder and blush) I purchased the foundation from Mecca.

Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 2, Vanilla

The concealer, the new Radiant Creamy Concealer, is what I have been looking for!  It's long lasting, full coverage, a perfect skin match, great for under my eyes and on spots.  I did not walk away with this the day I got my makeup done.  I bought it the next day.

The applicator

I have had two main issues with my purchase of Nars Sheer Glow.  The first was fairly easily resolved, but it took some effort.  The pump.  Why this foundation does not already come with a pump is a mystery, especially considering the price.  Why Mecca is not supplied with adequate stock is another one.  The Mecca store I bought the foundation didn't have any.  I went into the city the next day and they didn't have any.  They offered to check the two nearest stores.  Nada.  The following day I called the last store in Western Australia and after checking and re-checking their stock, they found one.  ONE! I asked them to put it on hold and I drove 35 minutes to retrieve my prize.

The second issue has been oil control.  Sheer Glow is by the far the worst foundation I own at controlling oil.  I can feel my skin getting oily, which I honestly cannot stand.  I've tried different setting powders designed for oil control, different primers and blotting papers, but every two hours or so I have to touch up my face.  Does anyone have recommendations to help?  Especially if you have oily skin yourself?  The Nars primer felt nice, but I don't know if that would help with oil any more than Porefessional or Models Prefer Mattifying Primer.

Overall, I love the look of this foundation, but I really need to make it work better for my skin.  On the other hand, the concealer is just perfection.

Blog Sale Updated!

Hey everyone. I just wanted to say that my blog sale has been updated with new items and some super sweet, reduced products.

 Check it out here!

 -Lu

Collective Haul Part 2

Here it is!  The second part of my collective haul.  Just to refresh your memory, here was Part 1.  It took quite a while for all the other parcels to turn up (and then a little bit of time for me to type this up!)  Without any further ado, here are the newest additions to my beauty collection:

Alanna Renee:

As a mentioned in the first part of my haul, I went a little nail polish overboard.  However, I am completely happy with all of my nail polish purchases, especially these beauties from Alanna Renee.  I won't lie, I initially decided to purchase a couple because they were inspired by Harry Potter.  Then I saw if you spent $50, you got free shipping.  As a result, the following happened.  7 polishes (fitting number for Harry Potter though!)

L to R: Horcrux, Chocolate Frog, Butterbeer, Draught of Peace, Reptar, Hedwig, Patronus) 

These polishes are wonderful!  Depending on the shade, you can get away with one coat (Horcrux and Chocolate Frog), two coats (Butterbeer, Draught of Peace, Reptar) or three coats (Hedwig and Patronus).  They all apply smoothly; however, I will note that many of them dry quite rough.  This didn't bother me as I quite like the texture (similar to that of OPI Liquid Sand, but not as intense).  A topcoat would easily solve this issue though.

Swatches from Top to Bottom:

Horcrux- Love.  It's very intriguing, colour wise in direct sunlight.
Butterbeer- I wasn't too sure about this one, but oh wow!  I never thought I would like orange so much. This is one of those rough finish ones.
Chocolate Frog- Love the colours in this.  So easy to apply!
Hedwig- Another interesting polish.  It has white bar glitter, yellow glitter, brown glitter to break up the white base.  It does have a rough finish and I found it a bit hard to make the yellow glitter visible (and get on the brush)

Swatches from Top to Bottom:

Draught of Peace- If you've seen previous NotD from me, you know I love blues/aquas and this. is. stunning.  One of my favourite polishes full stop.
Patronus- I was a bit unsure whether to purchase this one, but I am so glad I did!  I was afraid it would be too white, but no! It is certainly a subtle light blue.
Reptar- Rugrats, a memory of my childhood.  I couldn't pass this up.  I wasn't aware until I bought it that the green colour is actually from the glitter.  The base is milky.  This looks pretty cool, but it does have a rough finish.

Mirenesse, Beauty Bay and Pretty Serious:

I had a $25 voucher from my VIP membership to use, so I had to take advantage of it.  I decided I was going to suspend my VIP membership for a couple months.  I'll have my final VIP kit for you soon.  I decided on the Magic Beads Cleanser.  It's so much fun and makes my skin feel and look great.  I also picked up the Beauty Call Touch Up Palette from their new collection.

Mirenesse Beauty Call Touch up Palette

The packaging is smaller and slimmer than I expected, but still quite practical if you aren't bothered about sticking a brush into the cream blushes.  There are creams and powders in this palette, but so far I haven't had any issues with that.  We'll see how it goes as I continue to use it.  Included in the palette (from left to right) is: concealer/foundation, three eyeshadows, a lip gloss, two lip/cheek creams and a 'contour powder.'  I personally consider the contour powder to be a highlighter.  It is shimmery and light, which I associate with highlighters.  I really enjoy everything in the palette.  The eyeshadows (as always with Mirenesse) are stunning.

From Beauty Bay, I needed to get another Mario Badescu Body Wash.  This is my holy grail body wash.  In summer especially, I get a few breakouts on my chest and back and this did wonders to clear them up.  Plus, it smells really clean!  My partner also loves it, which makes me feel better about spending $11 for body wash.

Edward Bess Back to Basics Palette

When I saw the Edward Bess Back to Basics palette, I had to add that to my cart.  After seeing reviews from Mishelle and Kate regarding this palette, I really wanted to have this.  This isn't the cheapest palette, but it is worth every penny.  All the components are of a superb quality and they work so well together (which you would expect from a palette).  My only issue was that bristles from the included brush got into some of the cream products which was annoying.  No fault of Edward Bess, just shipping.

Stila Convertible Color Blush L: Lilium, R: Gladiola

I have wanted some Convertible Color blushes from Stila.  After seeing numerous reviews on them and swatching them a few times in Mecca, I finally caved and bought two.  Both are fantastic, but I cannot praise Lilium enough.  It's the perfect, natural looking blush for my skin tone.  Love.

Femme Fatale:

To continue my nail polish obsession, I placed an order from Femme Fatale. Originally, I was only going to pick up the mineral blush in Velvet Cupcake.  I had a sample ages ago and decided I really needed it in my life.  However, I hate paying for postage and if I have to, I want to get my money's worth.  So naturally, I need to pick up a couple nail polishes as well.  I chose Noble Garden from FF, which is beautiful green with multicoloured glitter in it.  I don't have enough bright greens in my collection.  I also picked up Hare Polish in Afterglow.  I really want some more Hare polishes, just waiting for a restock.

L to R: Hare Polish Afterglow, FF Mineral Blush in Velvet Cupcake, FF Noble Garden

Bellabox:

I unsubscribed from Bellabox, but I wanted to use my points before I said goodbye. My partner still has his Bellobox, but I wasn't sure if I would lose my points (not worth the risk haha).  We both picked up an item, then I added an ELF eye shadow brush to get up over $20.  My partner picked the OP Therapy Sea Mineral Wash.  He received this in one of his belloboxes and really liked it.  Multi-use products are perfect for him.  I chose The Suigo Ultimate Control Shampoo after reading many positive reviews.

Have you picked up any new products recently?

Pretty Serious: Happy Birthday, Daphne!

I have been so excited to share this nail polish with you and the day is finally here!  It's time to wish Daphne a very Happy Birthday!

'Daphne's Birthday Party' is a fantastic polish from Pretty Serious Cosmetics.  If you don't already own one of their polishes, certainly check them out.  They're beautiful!  I recently had a NotD with two PS polishes, which you can find here.

Daphne sure is celebrating with style.  I've been a fan of rainbow glitter polishes for some time now (after missing out on OPI Rainbow Connection), but for once, I feel content.  I don't feel like I need to own that one.  'Daphne's Birthday Party' has filled that gaping hole in my heart collection.

The glitter is all uniform in size, which I love!  It adds a dazzling shine and twinkle to your nails.  I celebrated my birthday last week and I wore this the entire time.  And I received so many compliments (from teenagers to adults a like).

I layered it over a fuchsia Ulta polish, but I don't really think I needed it.  Above is three coats and they held up extremely well over the week!  I absolutely love this polish!  Party well, Daphne!  You deserve it!

May Wishlist

Since I'm on a spending ban in an attempt to save money for my July wedding (and equally important shopping money I can blow while I'm in America), I've decided to make a wishlish that include items I hope to acquire in a couple of months.

May Wishlist

1.  Nars Blush in Gaiety-- I don't have any full size Nars blushes, but oh boy do I want one!  The Foreplay palette has sparked a love for these blushes. I've seen so many reviews and I can't help but want to add one to my collection.  My current lust is Gaiety.  I had my makeup done at Mecca and I asked to have Gaiety put on and I loved it.  I'm on the hunt for a beautiful, cool toned blush, that is quite bright like candy.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

2.  Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed-- I bought one of these, Peaceful, off a blog sale and it is fantastic!  Tarte is so difficult to purchase in Australia (nearly impossible without parcel forwarding), so I really want to buy some Tarte items when I have the chance.  Exposed is stunning and so natural and best of all, I have nothing like it in my collection.

3.  Clarins Ever Matte Shine Control Mineral Powder-- I feel I have so many pressed powders that are supposed to control shine and they do, but I still have to reapply.  I suppose I'm still searching to find the perfect powder, which may or may not even exist for my particular skin. 

4.  Stila Eyeshadow Palette in 'In the Know'-- I love my 'In the Light' palette and the fact that 'In the Know' is all matte, intrigues me.  I don't have heaps of mattes so I think this would be a nice addition.  With that said, I don't really know if I need any more eyeshadow, especially I have other ones in mind for upcoming wish lists.  *cough Nars Created The Woman cough*

5.  OPI Polka.com-- OPI make some of my favourite glitter polishes and I like the colour combination in this particular polish.  I plan on picking up quite a few OPI polishes since they're so much cheaper in America.  If you have a favourite shade, please share!

6.  Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Turquoise-- I love turquoise.  It's my primary wedding colour so I think this is a need product.

What items are on your wish list?

NotD: Starry Night

In my recent haul post, I mentioned that I purchased several bottles from Pretty Serious.  Let me say, I adore this brand!  The polishes are beautiful and apply so well.  Not to mention that they're gorgeous.  I am so glad that I received a bottle of polish in my Lust Have It Eco box; otherwise, it would have taken even longer to try these out.

<3

The nail look I'm sharing today is comprised of BSOD and Twinkling Lights.  How freaking beautiful is BSOD?  Twinkling Lights looks stunning over it.  Twinkling Lights is quite sheer, so it really needs to be layered over another polish.  I will enjoy trying it over other blue polishes I have.

L: BSOD; R: Twinkling Lights

I still haven't tried Viscous Vampire yet, but no doubt I will soon.  Have you tried any of the Pretty Serious polishes?  If so, which is your favourite?

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in 'I'm Pure for Sure'

In my quarterly favourites, you saw how much I love my Missha BB cream and Lancôme Teint Idole foundation. In that post, I hinted at another foundation love and this is it- Benefit Hello Oxygen Wow!

I bought this foundation from the Benefit website without swatching it in person. I will never do that again; however, I chose very well! In fact, I got the shade closest to my skin. Score!

I really like the packaging. Prior to the perfect foundation hunt, the bottles I had did not have pumps. You just poured them out and as a result I wasted a lot. I don't think I would ever buy another foundation without a pump. It also just looks really good.

The shade I purchased was 'Ivory- I'm Pure 4 Sure.' From my research, this was the lightest, pinkest shade. I should note that from my experience, all the foundations lean towards the yellow side. This typically wouldn't be great for me, but it works and I think part of that is because the coverage is so light. I prefer foundations with light to medium coverage; however, lately my skin has been acting up on my chin and sadly this foundation doesn't cover them as well as the BB cream or Lancôme.

I apply this with my fingers. I haven't had too much success applying with a brush, but I also don't feel the need to apply with a brush. The foundation just glides onto your skin. It is quite thin and extremely light weight

It blends in really nicely

This foundation feels great on my skin and it provides a slightly dewy finish. Nothing too extreme though. Even with my combination/oily skin, I only have to powder or blot once (maybe twice if it is a bad day) during the day. I do set it with powder. I also love how it has SPF 25, which is fantastic.

I adore this foundation. It is great for everyday and I think it would suit most skin types. However, if you have really oily skin, this may not be too long lasting for you.

What I Like:
- The packaging
- How light weight it feels
- The shade match (decent range of shades)
- Great for everyday
- Slightly dewy finish

What I Don't Like:
- There really isn't a pink shade among the range
- Doesn't completely control oil

Overall, I really like this foundation. It is very natural looking and I would definitely repurchase this unless I find something better in my quest for the perfect foundation.

NotD: Purple Shine and Sparkle

I wanted to share my love for Australis Glitter Strikes Back top coat. I have paired it with purple hues because it looks so fantastic, but also because it reminds me of the sold out 'Look to the Western Sky' by Smitten Polish.

I chose Revlon Royal Cloak, which is a very nice purple. To be honest, I don't like purples that much, but I really like this one. I put Max Factory Fantasy Fire over the top to give it some added depth (and because I don't use it nearly enough).

Are there any combinations you are loving at the moment? Seriously, this is one of my favourite combos.

Collective Haul Part 1

For the first part of the year, I did really well not spending money on things I don't necessarily need. The only lapse was an intended one that I posted about here .(I really did need that foundation).

I am getting married in less than three months now, which means I need to crack down on any superfluous spending. To get set for this extreme ban, I allowed myself some last minute spending. Anything I bought prior to the three month cutoff was okay (I decided this with a day to go) and any items I bought for my birthday. I need to gift myself, right? The one thing I didn't expect was the Priceline 40% off sale. I did indulge, but not too bad. That is at least what I keep telling myself.

I have had a nail polish obsession recently. I often go through phases, but this one may be getting out of hand. I am way behind on the indie nail polish fad, so I think I am compensating. I have had a love for Femme Fatale, but that love has now spread to Pretty Serious and some others. I made an order from Pretty Serious and received my items really quickly. I chose BSOD, Twinkling Lights, Viscous Vampire and another bottle of Mummy Mush for my maid of honour. I will have NotD featuring these soon. BSOD and Twinkling Lights are gorgeous together.

I will have some more nail polishes to share when the rest of my last minute/birthday haul shows up.

Next up are some amazing NARS eyeshadow duos. I chose Portbello and Habanera. These were on my Wishlist for a while as I wanted to use them for my wedding makeup. I bought them now so I could have plenty of time playing with them before the day. I am very close to being 100% happy with my bridal look.

Habanera is really intriguing. I got it for the minty colour on the left because it is fairly close to my wedding colour. I am really happy with the purple shade as it is quite sheer and builds up really nicely.

Portobello looks like a pretty boring duo. That is what I thought until I saw Essie Button rave about it. It makes some awesome everyday looks. The main reason I wanted it for my wedding is because one of the shades is supposed to be similar to MAC Wedge. I only have a 4 pan MAC palette and it is full and I didn't want to have an extra pan or feel the pressure to fill another palette. I don't really need any more eyeshadow.

The Priceline haul. I went in to get a concealer. Recently, my skin has been horrendous and I don't have any concealers that are awesome at hiding these spots. I saw the Almay Clear Complexion concealer with its 'blemish clear technology' and I thought why not. The colour matched okay and I like that it can treat spots as it also covers. I hope these claims hold true.

Along the way, I picked up a Rimmel Stay Matte powder in transparent (I decided whatever I could fit in one hand would be acceptable). This has so much love in the blogging world and I thought, why not? I also bought the Essence lash and brow gel. My brow gel is running low and this has some pretty good reviews. Nail wise, I picked up Essence gel-look top coat as I finished one of mine. I also bought the nail art express dry drops because my OPI ones are half empty and I wanted to see how these compare.

More wedding stuff... The cute little Bourjois nail polishes ($1.20!) had 'Hawaii' on them and I thought they would be great additions to a couple of our wedding welcome bags. I have also been toying with the idea of wearing false eye lashes for the wedding. I am going to experiment with these. I have never tried this brand before.

The one purchase that I slightly regret, but not really, is the Australis glitter top coat in Glitter Strikes Back. I love the colours and the day I bought these, I was wearing coral, yellow and fuchsia nail polish, so I thought it was a sign. I do really love it!

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

This is a product I bought on a whim. I wanted a GWP and this got me over the line. I didn't really think I would love this mascara as much as a do.

Certain mascaras I have don't do a great job on the bottom lashes because the wand is too big. However, the wand on this baby is so little and adorable. It does a perfect job getting to those hard to reach lashes. It doesn't make them look dramatic; instead, the lashes look more defined. The formula is quite wet, which I am not the biggest fan of, but it is still easily applied.

This probably isn't a must have for everybody, but I don't think I want to live without it. With that said, I would never pay the Australian price for this mascara. It retails for $10 in the United States, which I think is a fair price to pay for it.

April Bellabox

I received my Bellabox late last week, but I haven't had a chance to post about it until now. I feel I am becoming a broken record when it comes to this subscription box. I will give it one more month....one more month....one more. You get the idea. Once again, I wasn't wowed by my box, but I didn't completely hate it either. Perhaps, my expectations are merely too high.

This box's theme was 'Innovative Beauty'. I like the theme, but let's see just how innovative these products are.

1. Cedel Dry Conditioner- I am a fan of the dry shampoo this brand makes, but I am not sure how well this conditioner will work. It is a mousse and my thin hair already gets weighed down and greasy quite easily. Also, this isn't that innovative. Leave in conditioners whether they be sprays or mousse have been around for ages. Calling it 'dry' doesn't really change that.

2. Avene Micellar Lotion- I am in love with the Bioderma version of this, so I will see how it compares. Again, this isn't something incredibly new.

3. Indio Facial Scrub- I love scrubs and I am definitely keen to see how awesome this one is since it retails for $56.

4. Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Colour in Kinetic Copper- I don't mind this colour. It will be nice for Autumn. Again, I have seen these around for a while now and I haven't felt the need to purchase one ever.

5. Proplenish Marine Collagen Sachets- I am not a fan of anything I have to ingest. I have passed this on to my partner because he said it looked cool. If I were subscribed to a health box, then I could consider this as a vitamin/supplement, but I'm not. Even though it is good for hair, skin and nails, I don't think it should be in a beauty box.

6. Lash Card- I don't know why anyone would spend money on this. If you struggle that much with mascara, I think you could find something around the house that you could use that would serve the same function.

7. Cellilux Glacial Mineral Gel- if I hadn't seen this is the men's Bellobox, I would have been more excited to see this. I am still keen to use this as I really enjoy masks.

After writing this post up, I feel I was actually fairly disappointed in the box. I am quite sure I will actually unsubscribe this time. I also just signed up for Violet box so it's as good a time as any to say goodbye.

Lust Have It Eco Box: Autumn Edition

It's that time of the year again when I receive my Lust Have it Eco Box.  In case you're unfamiliar with this particular subscription box, it is quarterly and cost $29.95.  I have never been disappointed with these and this is my third box (there have only been three boxes).

The bag

This box came in a hessian bag like the other two.  I'm still not a big fan of the bag.  In the summer feedback form it asked our opinions of the hessian bag, so maybe (I hope) they will change it for upcoming boxes.  However, the questionnaire also brought up the idea of increasing the number and quality of products as well as the price.  Since the regular LHI subscription box has recently increased, I think the same may happen to this box.

The contents

I really enjoyed the contents of the box.  I haven't had a chance to try out all of the products, but I'll give you my initial impressions.

I received some Wotnot Facial Wipes.  I received these in a previous (extremely disappointing) bellabox.  I don't mind these wipes.  I can't say they're my favourite, but they are really good quality.  I don't mind getting these again because I will use them.

There were two colour products in this edition.  Recently, I have seen a fair bit of love for Pretty Serious nail polish.  I was crossing my fingers for BSOD, but I was still very happy to see Mummy Mush.  It's a really lovely colour and I am thinking of getting another bottle for my bridesmaids.  The other colour product was ELF Mineral Eyeshadow in Socialite.  I'm not a big fan of mineral eyeshadow (though I surprisingly own quite a few) simply because it is so messy.  Does anyone have tips for using this type of product?  Socialite is a really pretty colour.  It's a dark grey with brown undertones.  It's complexity surprised me.

Next up is Alfaparf Milano Precious Oil Tradition products.  I received Anti-Frizz Oil Shampoo, Anti-Frizz Mask, and Absolute Oil.  I'm really excited to try these products.  I love getting hair samples because I don't like committing to full size hair products (especially pricey ones).

I really like getting skincare samples as well.  I know we can get to a point where we have too many (and after taking an inventory of my samples in an attempt to use them up, I am quickly approaching that point), but if they're great brands, I'm cool with it.  Apparently the McArthur Complete Skincare Cream is quite popular and well known.  My partner knew about it, but I must have been under a rock.  It's great to get such an expensive product that many people seem to love.  However, to be honest, I'm still a bit unsure how to use it.

Lastly, I received Savi Body Cream Wellbeing.  I love love love the smell of this cream.  I also love the consistency.  It's thin, but sinks into your skin so perfectly.  I will definitely consider purchasing this when this sample runs out.

Again, another LHI Eco success.  This box reminds me how much I love subscription boxes.

NotD: Revisiting Old Favourites

Just a quick nail of the day using some of my favourite nail polishes: OPI 'Fly', China Glaze 'For Audrey', and Femme Fatale 'Winter Hyacinth'.  My first experience with 'Winter Hyacinth' wasn't easy, but I loved how it looked.  To make the application easier, I layered it on top of similar-ish shades so I wouldn't need as many applications.

I used two coats of each colour, so each nail had four coats of each colour.  I used a Sally Hansen topcoat to finish off the look.  I'm really happy with how they turned out.

Benefit Eye Bright

A while ago, I purchased a Benefit kit from the Sephora store on Amazon.  Included in my kit was this product, Eye Bright.

Benefit Eye Bright

I initially bought the kit because it had Bella Bamba and the Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer (which I really love).  The Eye Bright was just a bonus product and I'm so glad it was in there.  I don't think I would have thought about purchasing it on its own.

The reason I love this product is that it is a multi-tasker.  You can apply this to the inner and outer corners of your eyes to brighten them.  It also looks really nice to highlight your brow bone.  However, the reason I love it so much is that I can easily use it on my water liner.  If you saw my post about my search for a great water line eye liner here, you know it's been a bit of a mission.  The pale pink colour fits perfectly with my skin, opening and brightening my eyes.  I think I do prefer the Paul & Joe liner for my water line, but I love that I can use this product in so many other places.

Swatch

Eye bright is really creamy and glides onto your skin.  It blends out easily by just tapping it into your skin.  I'm  so glad it was included in the kit I bought.

Have you been surprised by a product you've seen a thousand times but never really looked at?

2013 Quarterly Favourites: Summer Edition

I decided to do quarterly favourites instead of monthly favourites because I was finding I wasn't really enjoying doing the posts each month (however, I do love reading them).  For this post, I have found it a bit difficult to narrow down my favourites to ten (that was the number I set myself), but I feel that means these are all products which are genuine favourites of mine.  They will probably be favourites for many more months to come.

The top ten:

These are products I kept coming back to (mostly) everyday since the start of the year.  There are some recently acquired items and they're pretty special to have beat out some other items.

The Faves

Stila In the Light Palette:  I did a review/comparison post here of this palette.  Stila make some fantastic eye shadows (along with other items :)  I'm definitely keen to pick up another palette, most likely In the Know.

Nars Foreplay Palette:  Love these blushes.  The fuchsia one has been my fave this month.  See review here.

OPI Eurso...Euro:  This is a recently acquired nail polish.  I love the formula.  I love the colour and I love that my partner picked it out.  Check out a swatch here.

MAC Blot Powder Pressed:  I'll have a review on this sometime soonish.  I use it to set and touch up my makeup.  Just know, it gets the job done.  Very well.  Great for oily/combination skin.

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in 21: I cannot say enough about how much I love this BB cream.  It's amazing.  I wear this about everyday to work.  See review here.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H in 005:  If I'm not wearing the BB cream, I'm wearing this or another foundation which I'm currently in love with.  I'll reveal the other foundation at another time.  I struggled for a long time finding foundations that match my skin and now I'm obsessed with finding more (even though I don't need anymore :)  I made a mini review about this here.

Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop:  I love lip butters.  They're my kind of lipstick.  Pigmented and low maintenance.  I've been wearing lollipop a lot this summer.  I'll be posting a FotD soon with this as a star.

L'Oreal NutriBalm Tinted Lip Balm in Nudy Coral: Love. Love. Love.  This is pretty much a lip balm with the slightest amount of colour (emphasis on slight), but it is fantastic!  The subtle colour and shine is great for my work makeup.  I will be writing a post comparing this to YSL Volupte Sheer Candy.

Kosmea Skin Clinic Rescue Balm: I mention when I bought this I loved it as a lip balm; however, I have also seen firsthand it's ability to mend and fade scarring.  My partner cut his nose at work and it has scarred (even after attempts to avoid this during the healing process).  I told him to put the Rescue Balm on it just to see what would happen and what do you know? It has worked.  The scar is slowly, slowly fading, but it is so much better than it was at the start.  I was so mad at him (even though it was a complete accident) because in less than 3 months, we'll be getting married and there will be so many photos!

Finally, Etude House Missing U Hand Cream Harp Seal: This is the most adorable packaging I have ever seen.  I'm obsessed with seals and I couldn't pass this up.  It's supposed to smell like Green Tea (I'm not sure if it actually does, but I also cannot pinpoint what it smells like) and it's actually a pretty good hand cream.  It leaves your hands feeling really smooth.  I will keep this container forever!

Honourable Mentions: 

Okay, so I have cheated, slightly, and included three honourable mentions.  These were products that I have (a) fallen in love with recently, but the blogger world has been loving it forever, (b) loved it for a while now and have used it a lot more this quarter or (c) really like it, but it just narrowly missed the cut.

Honourable mentions

Bioderma: it seems that everyone has an opinion of this.  I thought it was overrated, but after using it for a while now, I cannot see myself without it.

Fine One One: See my review here.  I still love it.

Bellapierre Mineral Blush in Desert Rose: The swatch leans a bit too orange, but it is definitely peachy.  I adore peach blushes and this is a great everyday one.  It's really finely milled and applies extremely well.

Bellapierre Mineral Blush in Desert Rose

Desert Rose swatch

What were your favourites this month/quarter?

Benefit Box o' Powders

It is no secret that I love Benefit.  I have yet to be disappointed by their products (some have had rocky starts...cough..tints...cough, but we've made it through).  I am in love with their Box o' Powders.  I love blush.  I love cute packaging  I love quality.  These boxes contain all of these things.

The growing collection

I have begun to acquire a small collection of these beauties.  You can check out my Sugarbomb post here (it's been mentioned heaps of times on this blog).  All together, there are 9 box o' powders.  I currently have four full sizes and two minis of Hoola and Coralista.  Each of these blushes is quite distinct and they all smell lovely (Bella Bamba smelling the best!).

L: Sugarbomb, R: Dandelion 

Sugarbomb was my first Benefit blush and it is still my favourite (though only narrowly).  I love the shimmer.  I love the colour.  It looks great on my skin.

Dandelion is marketed as a face brightening powder.  It is a very pale pink and the swatch below is applied quite heavily.  It does brighten up your complexion and it is buildable.  This works quite well on fair skin, but I don't know how well it would show up on darker complexions.  I like this one, but I can just as easily live without it.

L: Hervana, R: Bella Bamba

Hervana is another great blush.  I never swatched it until now and I was surprised by how light it was.  For some reason, I thought it was more like Sugarbomb (most likely because they're both swirl-ish designs).  This is a cool toned pink and contains virtually no shimmer, for these reasons, it's a great everyday blush.  This one also comes with an angled brush in the box (I love these brushes and don't know why they get hate).

Bella Bamba is the most recent addition to my collection.  This is marketed as a 3D blush if applied correctly.  I'm not so sure about that... to be honest, I'm not too sure exactly what is meant by 3D.  With that said, this blush is gorgeous!  It is vibrant and extremely shimmery.  It's definitely not a subtle blush, though you can apply it lightly and build it up.

Swatches L to R: Sugarbomb, Dandelion, Hervana, Bella Bamba

All of these blushes hold up really well throughout the day.  They're soft and apply easily to your cheeks.  They look and smell fantastic.  They are a bit pricey ($28), but you get 0.28 oz vs a Nars blush for $28 for 0.16 oz then they're a pretty good deal.

What is your favourite box o' powder?