Shopping the stash | Forgotten products I want to use this week #1

I'll be the first to admit I have too much make-up. Not that it stops me from buying more, although it should. The blog is the perfect excuse and is used as a justification 99.99% of the time. This first problem leads to a second problem. I forget about products and quietly they sit in the drawer never being used. This week I am going to change all that and start rounding up some forgotten products / shopping the "stash" each Sunday evening for the following week.

I hope you enjoy this new series and without further ado lets take a look at the products I want to use this week.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush in 'fanciful'


I actually haven't owned this blush for that long but I do think I need some prompting to make sure it is a blush I reach for frequently. 'Fanciful' is a gorgeous matte warm dusty rose.

 L'oreal le blush in 'rosewood' 

Another blush! This one is a even more recent addition to my blush collection than Fanciful. However, once again I want to make sure I start immediately using it otherwise it will never get used.

Essence Silky Touch Blush in 'babydoll'

Another blush, I hope you're not getting bored of blushes! This one is another gem I need to use more often. 'Babydoll' is a soft pink rose colour. The pigmentation is really good and it applies beautifully.

Maybelline Colordrama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in 'Minimalist' 


I wore this all the time maybe eight months ago, from memory the pigmentation and lasting power of these lip pencils from Maybelline are great. Plus 'Minimalist' is a very pretty pink. The one downfall of these is that you have to sharpen them.

Bite Beauty Pepper / Cafe 

I am constantly forgetting about and then re-discovering this lipstick duo because it sits awkwardly in my lipstick holder. It's technically called the 'mix and mingle - cafe/pepper' from Bite. I really like this however for $27.00 it is tiny. I mean tiny. You get 3.1g or 1.55g per colour. The colours are beautiful so I really should remember to grab for this more.

Clinique chubby stick intense in ' curviest caramel'

I was so desperate to purchase this but have barely reached for it. Why? I have no idea at all. I definitely need to wear this gorgeous lip crayon more!!! That is the whole point of this new series :) This is a gorgeous everyday lip product and I can't wait to use it!




Covergirl 'Country Woods' trio 

This has been sitting in my drawer for years. I originally brought it because I thought it looked like a "classic" product. The colours are all very easy to wear during the week for a quick look. If you have a favourite "classic" beauty product please do let me know in the comments below :)

Nyx Lip Primer in 'Deep Nude' 

Lipsticks never ever stay on long enough, no matter what lipstick it is...I feel like after 3 hours it's gone :( Hopefully this lip primer from Nyx will help!!! I've never tried a lip primer before.

Covergirl XL Gel Nail Polish Review - Overblown Orange

Pursuing the aisles of Priceline the other day I spotted a new range of nail polishes on the Covergirl stand. The XL Gel nail polishes are suppose to give your nails a shiny gel-like look without the hassle of a UV light and last for 7 days.

'Overblown Orange' is a very vivid orange nail polish that is beautiful for these hot summer days. it is a gorgeous colour and I am absolutely in love with it. The polish colour is pretty much how it looks in the bottle, just in case you're wondering!

The formula of this polish is outstanding, with one thin coat you have opaque colour. It is a very pigmented formula with absolutely no streaks. It is also unbelievably shiny!!! I did one thin coat followed by a thicker coat. In hindsight the second coat should have also been thin because I found the polish struggled to dry quickly. I ended up using a quick drying top coat because after 15 minutes of waiting around my impatience got the better of me. The brush was quite wide and flat and was perfectly fine to apply the polish with. Overall I am super impressed by this nail polish. The only thing that isn't perfect about the polish is it's drying time but I'm sure that can be resolved by applying thin coats and/or by using a quick dry top coat.

I absolutely love this polish - it is very shiny, very opaque (even in only one thin coat), is easy to apply and a great colour.

Lips of the week #2

I love lip products and recently have been mixing up the lip products I have been using a lot! They are easy to love too...they are usually foolproof, quick and simple to wear, can transform your look and in most cases it is hard to find a bad one.

The first lip product I have been reaching for a lot in the past couple of weeks is the lipstick in 'Hush' by omSHE. Not only does this lipstick smell divine and come in a beautiful gold tube (I'm a sucker for pretty packaging) but it is the most gorgeous natural pinky nude. Definitely more pink than nude, which is exactly what I like! If you haven't tried the omSHE brand before I highly recommend you do, they have lovely lipsticks and a good range of nail polishes that are 3-free.

Next up, an old product that I dug out from my stash - the Covergirl lip perfection jumbo gloss balm in '275'. This was my go-to lip product last year but I hadn't worn it in a while and I honestly do not know why. A MLBB shade that is perfect for this time of year. For a product that labels itself a gloss balm, this gives good pigmentation, has a nice creamy formula and decent lasting power.

Another old favourite of mine, the Nyx Butter Gloss in 'Creme Brulee', has been the lip product I reach for when I don't really know what to put on my lips. It gives my lips a milky pink tinge, moisturises them like crazy and smells like cupcakes...yummy!

It's winter so I have been stacking on the lip balms! A recent purchase of mine, the Lanolips 'Lemonaid Lip Aid with Lemon Oil', has won a place in my heart. It smells like lemonade, feels really smooth, lightweight and kind of liquid-y. When the Maybelline Baby Lips first launched I didn't get the hype but all this time later I have finally been converted. The 'Mango Pie' Maybelline Baby Lips has been kicking around my desk, handbag, pocket...pretty much everywhere all the time. It actually is a really good lip balm. Not exactly breaking news is it?! And finally, after a lot of debating I picked up the Nuxe Reve de Niel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm. I have read a billion amazing reviews on this lip balm and despite it coming in a pot (ew germs!) it seriously is amazing. I put this on my lips before going to sleep and it is still on my lips after eating breakfast. Impressive stuff! I'll write up a full review of this soon.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!!! :)

Covergirl - Wine to Five + FOA Platinum Matte Top Coat Review

'Wine to Five' from Covergirl is a gorgeous burgundy nail polish. In the polish it looks more like a raspberry shade but on the nails it definitely looks more burgundy. There is still that slight raspberry tinge to it though. 'Wine to Five' is opaque after two thin coats and dries to a shine. I don't love the formula of the Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polishes, they are very thin and I find that I apply too much which then means they take awhile to dry (even with a quick drying topcoat). But that's just because my preference is polishes with a thicker formula. In the photos the polish looks brighter and less burgundy than it does in real life.

Face of Australia currently has a limited edition range of nail polishes out at the moment called 'Screen Siren'. This range includes a matte top coat called 'Platinum'. I applied one coat of 'Platinum' over the top of 'Wine to Five'. It dries very quickly, wasn't streaky and had a good, easy to work with, formula. Unlike other matte top coats I have tried, this top coat kept my nails looking very matte for around two days before developing an extremely low shine. Nonetheless even after two days they were still noticeably matte.

I think this is the start of a matte nail obsession! 

Thanks for reading, 

cheers. 

Lips of the week #1

I always seem to have quite a few lip products in my handbag but at the moment the amount of lip products floating around in my handbag is growing by the day and getting kind of ridiculous. At the moment the count is sitting on 6!!! Yes you read that right, six different lip products...And I actually really like them all so I thought I would give you a peek at what I have been loving on my lips this week :)

Most of these lip products have been only recently discovered by me and I have really enjoyed exploring them and stepping out of my comfort zone.

Yes To Carrots Melon Lip Butter - My holy grail lip balm, Yes To Carrots Melon Lip Butter, has been a constant companion ever since I discovered it last year. This is my second tube and I'm still loving it. It keeps your lips moisturized (and doesn't dry them out after it wears off), lasts a long time and feels really lovely on the lips. I pretty much always wear this before applying lipstick and reapply throughout the day.

Nyx Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee - A milky pink gloss that smells delicious. Looks great alone for a natural pink lip. Not sticky and lasts well.

Revlon Peach Me Lipstick - I literally only started wearing this lipstick this week and I am already loving it and see it floating around the bottom of my handbag all summer. Despite loving the shade ( a nude with a twist of peach) I do find Revlon lipsticks a bit drying so lip balm is a must.

Covergirl lip perfection jumbo gloss balm in 235 - These jumbo gloss balms from Cover Girl are awesome. This colour is really pretty for summer and is a easy summer lip. I wore it earlier in the week when we had a half decent day of weather. For the last week of spring it's been cold, rainy, stormy and I've even had the heater on!

Revlon ColorBurst Gloss in Sunbaked - I dug this gloss out again this week since I hadn't worn it for awhile and remembered how much I love the formula of the colorburst glosses.

Maybelline lipstick in Warm Me Up - one of my all-time favourite lipsticks. It's a very "me" colour, the formula is great and feels very creamy and you can pretty much wear it in any situations which means it floats around the bottom of my handbag most of the time.

So those are the lip products I've worn this week :) I hope you are all having a great weekend. I'll be digging out my Christmas decorations and trying to get organised for Christmas.

A pop of colour for your summer face

With the end of spring coming to an end, summer just around the corner and the weather starting to improve it is the perfect time to mix up your make-up routine. I have been experimenting with some new products and digging out some of my favourite summer products.

For an easy summer face...

• Covergirl Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation 

This has been my "go to" foundation for a couple of months now and I really enjoy using this foundation. It gives good coverage, applies easily and lasts well. This shade is also my perfect shade for summer when my pale skin is slightly (erm, very slightly) less pale. 

• Innoxa Skin Perfecting Pore Vanishing Cream*

The whole point of this post is to highlight how, using a select few products, you can create an easy summer face of make-up. This product definitely belongs in here as it helps to minimise the appearance of pores, fine lines and shine whilst acting as a primer for your foundation. I also love using this underneath BB cream. 

• Innoxa Skin Perfecting 5 in 1 BB Bronzing Creme*

I love a little bit of bronzer in the summer and this bronzing creme gives you a natural sun-kissed effect. I also love how you can apply it easily and quickly with your fingers :)

• Physician's Formula Organic Wear Mascara

This is my second tube of this mascara. I'm not going to rant on about how I love using it because I've done that numerous times before on this blog. Enough said. 

• Rimmel London Apocalips in Celestial

A bold lip is my lazy way out of make-up on a warm summers day when I don't feel like a  (melting) full face of make-up!

• Sinful Colors Timbleberry

My all time favourite polish for the summer is Timbleberry from Sinful Colors. An extremely bright coral polish that is nearly neon. Puts a smile on my face every time I wear and looks amazing all summer long. 

What products do you reach for during summer?

*Products provided for review purposes 

September Favourites

September has been a busy month for me, with the majority of my assignments due for the trimester falling in a two-week period my month has included sleep deprivation, running late, battling to get my essays within the word count (I always write too much, sometimes 1000 words too much) and so my favourites for this month are products  that have allowed me to get my make-up on with only 5 minutes to spare. Having said that there are a lot of products I have worn and absolutely fallen head over heels in love with!!!

I have already raved about this but, the Maybelline Pure Dream BB Cream is absolutely amazing. I was expecting the worst because bb creams never seem to do what you want but that all changed when I put this on my face. Perfect for everyday wear and when you're in a rush. I also find that this helps keep my skin under control, bonus! :) Coverage is light-medium and it lasts a good 5 hours before showing any sign of wear. 

Face of Australia's 'Foxy Roxy' polish only came home with me a couple of weeks ago but it is already one of my favourite polishes. I wrote a review on it where I raved about how awesome it was (click here to read that review). 

Another polish, I brought Revlon's 'Copper Penny' nail polish when MyChemist Warehouse had 50% off Revlon. I haven't gotten around to writing a review on this yet but there is one in works...long story cut short, it's a stunning metallic warm copper colour, formula is divine and requires only one coat. It also dries pretty quick which is great for clumsy old me.

Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in 'Warm Me Up' has been sitting my lipstick drawer for ages and I've barely worn it...for some reason I thought it was too bold for me. Well obviously I was off with the fairies because this is such a lovely colour, it lasts a really long time and feels super creamy. I'm going to have to write a review on this because it flew past all of my expectations. Also, there is a funny story behind this lippy. I had been watching a lot of youtube videos last week (in an attempt to avoid doing my assignments) and one of them raved about this lipstick and said how they had heard heaps of good things about it from other youtubers. I didn't even realise I had this lippy in my collection until a few days later when for some unknown reason I decicded to wear it and glanced at the name label. This couldn't be a sign that I have too many lipsticks, could it???

Burts Bees Ultra Conditioning Balm has been my go to balm for this month. I think I included it in last months favourites too so won't say too much about it. I really enjoy using this balm though.

Covergirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in 275 'Mauve Twist' knocked my socks off when I first wore it. It is such a versatile colour, is surprisingly pigmented and has good lasting power. It also seems to stain the lips ever so lightly without drying them out. I feel like a broken record because I keep raving about all of these products, but it is a "favourites" post and I have discovered and used some fabulous products this month.

Schwarzkopf Hair Repair Colour Protect Express Repair Leave-in Conditioner. Late last month I went ombre and having heard that ombre was bad for my hair I picked this up in an attempt to keep my locks healthy. Don't usually look after my hair that well but I have really liked using this product (when I remember). It is really easy to use and makes my hair feel really healthy. I'm not really a "hair-care product person" so don't really know what to say...but I do like this!

Nivea Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes I'm not really a "wipe" person but I received these for free when I won them in a competition so decided to use them to take off swatches. Sometimes I will be studying and if I notice the sun peeping out from behind the clouds I rush around collecting lipsticks and whatever to swatch. Which is great until you realise your arm is covered in lipstick and you need to get rid of them before you have spread lipstick over everything...cue these wipes...They work pretty well to remove any products I've swatched that are refusing to budge. Never used them on my face though so can't say if they fulfill their purpose.

So that was what I loved for the month of September. A lot of lip products when you think about it...I think it was the month of lip products!!! It also appears that there are a lot of products I need to write reviews for. 

What have you been loving this month? 

Cheers

Battle Nail Challenge: Glitter vs. Bar Glitter

Hi guys!!! Today I have a "glitter" manicure to show you.....well I thought I did!!! The polish in question is CoverGirl's 'Midnight Magic'. In the bottle and one coat of this polish makes you believe it looks like a dense glitter but three coats later and it turns out that this polish is more of a metallic foil  - well at least I think that would be the correct term for it. If you think it is something different please do let me know!!!!

So anyway, for this manicure I did an accent nail using CoverGirl's Midnight Magic and the rest of my fingers are Essence's 'Date In The Moonlight'.

I am pretty hopeless at describing colours but 'Date In The Moonlight' is a navy polish with blue shimmer lurking beneath the surface. 'Midnight Magic' is either a super dense glitter or a metallic foil that contains, at the bare minimum, green, blue and silver tones and most likely more!!!

Overall I think that glitter usually wins for me as I haven't found a bar glitter I love yet.

Cheers and thanks for reading :)

CoverGirl nail polishes have landed in Australia!!!

Hi Guys!!! Happy Easter, I  hope you are all enjoying the Easter break whatever you are doing. I quickly popped out to my local shops today to get some Easter eggs for my family today but couldn't go into Target without checking out the make-up department. I wasn't expecting / wanting to buy anything.....but I came out with two polishes. CoverGirl have released their nail polishes here in Australia so I decided to grab some and give you a review of my first impressions.

So before you rush off to Target here are some things you need to know:

CoverGirl in the U.S have a total of 45 shades of polish however I don't think we have them all here in Australia. Also, these were not on the CoverGirl stand with the rest of their products, there was a large cardboard bin with an assortment of different polishes and on the counter there was a smaller cardboard kind of display unit thing with, again, a random assortment of colours.

The colours I saw (and can remember) include: a metallic bronze-y colour, a lilac creme, an orange creme, a vampy red/plum, a black creme, a red creme, a blue/green glitter mix (called Midnight Magic)......this isn't a complete list of the shades but the just the ones I can remember.

I think the range of colours in the range is quite good, not unique by any means however there were a couple of polishes that grabbed my eye. Example, as soon as I saw "Midnight Magic" I had to have it even though it's a glitter and I'm not a glitter-lover!

Packaging is quite nice, especially for the price, as the glass bottle is a cute square bottle with a black lid. The brush, although not one of those "wide" ones was easy to use and a good size. The packaging of these polishes are really nice and feel like good quality which is definitely a great thing to see from Covergirl and for the price. I think their retail price is around $6.95 but they are on sale at the moment for $5.21 which is pretty good I think!!!!! :)

I grabbed two polishes from this range, "Midnight Magic" which caught my eye immediately and a bold orange creme called "Go-Go Mango".

I am currently wearing go-go mango on my nails. Application was brilliant, brush was easy to use and the finish was fantastic - very creamy, smooth and shiny! It was near a one-coater however I did two. Not sure if my coats were too thick but I found drying time to be pretty average on these. I smudged two nails and had to each for my quick drying topcoat which was disappointing because this polish is promoted as having a built-in top coat.....Hopefully next time I wear this polish drying time is better, maybe I'll do thinner coats or something? Because apart from the drying time issue (which hopefully I can sort out) these polishes are pretty much perfect. 

Thanks for reading and take care :)