My Current Everyday Make-up Routine

I recently fell into a new everyday make-up routine. As a bonus, it was completely accidental - I was mucking around with a foundation that I could never get to look good on my skin and bingo I've got a new favourite look.

 After using Clinque's clarifying lotion and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser I use the Base Magique primer from L'oreal. This is one of my favourite primers ever. It makes the foundation apply so nicely and last really well. It truly does make my make-up last longer.

I forgot to include the next product in the main picture - d'oh! But I absolutely adore the Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen. You can use this instead of moisturiser and primer if you are in a hurry, however I often use it between my Kiehl's moisturiser and Base Magique primer. It doesn't smell like sunscreen, feels beautiful on the skin and it acts as a primer, making your make-up apply really nicely. It also protects you from the sun which we all know is very important.

The foundation I keep making reference to is Clinique's Beyond Perfecting Foundation. This is the most expensive foundation I have ever brought and I was initially very disappointed with it. However, now that I have incorporated it into this new routine, I quite like it. It's a great colour match, it has good coverage and lasting power. It might even be my favourite / holy grail foundation! Stay tuned...

Using Elf's Complexion Brush (recommended by Emilynoel83 on Youtube, and if you don't watch her channel you should go and pay a visit to to it) I use Australis' Fresh & Flawless Pressed Powder on top of it all.

Finally, I use Benefit's Coralista blush. I was previously not a fan of this blush but I've been really pleased with it lately. It's funny how this new routine uses so many products that I previously didn't love and now I do. 

I obviously then go in with mascara and lipstick but that changes from day to day. I will say though that Max Factor's Clump Defy mascara is a great mascara if you prefer mascaras with a drier formula, its an extremely dry mascara. My all-time favourite mascara is the Lash Sensational mascara from Maybelline.

31 day challenge - favourite polish

Today for the 31 day challenge I had the very difficult task of deciding what my favourite polish is. If you don't know already, I am a very indecisive person so picking favourites is something dread! I couldn't pick one favourite polish but instead separated my polish into colours and "special effect" polishes....it made it slightly easier for me to decide that from my "special effect" polishes I love MaxFactor's 'Fantasy Fire'.

'Fantasty Fire' caused quite a buzz when it was first released but for some reason I haven't worn it much. BUT when I wear it I find it captivating. 

 Alone 'Fantasy Fire' it sheer so I usually layer it over another polish. Previously I have layered it over 'Purple Haze' a purple creme by MaxFactor but for today's challenge I decided to layer it over 'Orchid' a darker purple metallic polish by Ulta3. It gave 'Orchid' a beautiful depth and shimmered like crazy. But I just couldn't capture the flashes of colour or the 'depth' today. And to be honest I don't think I will layer it over 'Orchid' again, but still it is an amazing polish and when you witness the colour flashes you can't help but be amazed. Over 'Orchid' you get mostly a bronze-y purple shimmer and inside you get green and the bronze-y red shimmer.

If you want this polish (of course you do!) I saw it at Priceline recently for $5.95. It is a small bottle and a TINY brush but well worth it. 

I have decided to include a photo of 'Fantasy Fire' layered over 'Purple Haze' too because I think you can see it more clearly?

Layered over 'purple haze'

 GAH why do the most amazing polishes ALWAYS have to be the most difficult to capture on camera? Actually....that reminds me! I have investigating buying a new camera - mostly because of this blog. I have just been using my camera phone because my that is just what is closest to me. Do you think my photos need improvement? Please do let me know! Also, I have heard that colourful camera (e.g. purple, pink, red camera) reflect onto your nails and mess up the colour of the photos. Is this really true? 

Cheers and please check out the other participant's favourite polishes!

Max Factor - Purple Haze

A few months ago Max Factor's 'Fantasy Fire' and a lot of us bloggers scrambled to get our hands on it. Yeah it was sheer but it c'mon it was love in shimmer!!! Because it was so sheer I brought ‘Purple Haze’ also by Max Factor which I have swatches for you today.

‘Purple Haze’ is a lovely blue-based purple crème that is super shiny. It is a fun purple colour that, to me, is the stereotypical purple colour.

This polish comes in a mini bottle and thus it’s a mini brush.  I found it a little difficult to apply this polish initially but after trial-and-error I found the best way to manage the small brush and slightly-uncooperative formula was to apply it quite thickly. It required two coats but dried relatively quickly. I don’t like saying this because the colour of this polish is gorgeous but I found the formula a little difficult. It was tricky getting the right amount of polish on the brush and when I didn’t have enough polish on my brush for the first coat it ended up a little streaky. But luckily a thicker second coat helped hide imperfections.

Like a lot of purples, I am very sorry to say that my camera refuses to take a colour-accurate of this polish which is super annoying!!!!!! In the pictures this polish looks blue but it is PURPLE PURPLE PURPLE!!!!!!! Grrrr stupid camera.

This polish is a fantastic purple polish and the crème finish on this polish is spectacular. A brilliant polish for layering stuff over  (I’m thinking of fantasy fire) but can totally be worn on it’s own!

*Even though I really love this polish and recommend it if you don't already have a basic purple polish in your collection I personally wouldn't repurchase it. But not because it is a bad product. I really love how shiny and creamy this polish is!!!

Thanks for reading,

Cheers.

Three Nail Challenge - Favourite Song

For this manicure, the dilemma wasn't which polish to use but what song to use as inspiration. I am a very indecisive person and hate having to decide favourites. When thinking about my favourite songs, the songs going through my mind were:

• Nickelback - photograph, animals, this afternoon, how you remind me, far away, savin me, rockstar, someday. lullaby, bottoms up, trying not to love you, don't ever let it end (in no particular order)
• Adele - someone like you, one and only and set fire to rain
• Darren Hayes - Roses 
• Savage Garden - truly madly deeply, affirmation, 
• Daughtry - no surprise

And the list goes on...............................................................................................

So I was going to use essence's 'blue addicted' and be inspired by nickelback but the sun was shining so I decided to go for Adele's 'set fire to rain' and use my 'fantasy fire' polish my Max Factor. 

After reading reviews of fantasy fire and knowing that it was going to be a very sheer polish I decided to layer it over Max Factor's 'purple haze'. 

I'm not going to review 'purple haze' in this post but please note that all photos are fantasy fire layered over two coats of purple haze. 

Fantasy Fire is a gorgeous micro shimmer polish . multichrome shimmer with red, purple, gold, blue and green tones. However, the most prominent tones of the polish are the purple, blue, red and golden tones. Okay okay I know this description is lacking precision but it is an amazing polish and in different lights you go 'oh look at that, another colour!!!' 

Why did I pick fantasy fire for this song? Well for one the song is pretty passionate and firey, as is the polish. 

The blue and green tones are visible when it is darker and refused to show themselves in my photographs :(

Enjoy, 

Haul Post - Sally Hansen

More than a few days ago I said I was going to do a haul post....well here it is, finally!

Target had 40% off Sally Hansen so I decided to grab a few of their polishes. I didn't have any of theirs but decided to get some from the Gem Crush series and the Complete Salon Manicure. The shelf for the Xtreme Wear was empty :( and it was quite annoying as it had been empty for a week or so. I also got a Max Factor polish. 

Gem Crush:

The black/silver one is called 'Glitz Gal'

and the pink one is called 'Razzle Dazzler'

Salon Manicure:

The grey/purple chrome is called 'Pedal to the Metal'

and the coral colour is called 'So Much Fawn'

Max Factor:

Fantasy Fire {I think this the name of it but I have to double-check!}

I have already featured 'Pedal to the metal' and 'Glitz Gal' on my blog and expect reviews on the others soon :)