Review | The Body Shop Matte Lip Liquid

The Body Shop's Matte Lip Liquid claims to be long lasting with a creamy matte velvet finish that sets with an intense and rich colour pay off. They are 100% vegetarian, don't contain carmine or gluten and are of course cruelty-free.

I have two shades from their collection, 'Nairobi Camellia' and 'Crete Carnation'. 'Nairobi Camellia' is  a neutral dusty pink colour and 'Crete Carnation' is a pinky nude. Compared to 'Nairobi Camellia' 'Crete Carnation' is more pale and a nude whereas 'Nairobi Camellia' is a deeper shade and has more of a berry mauve tone to it. I adore both of these shades and I was really pleased with the range of shades they offered. I am very subtle with my lip colours but I still managed to find two wearable shades in their collection. I often look at the type of products but can't find a shade pale enough or neutral enough...like Huda Beauty for example. I have heard amazing things about their liquid matte lipsticks. But when I swatch them they all seem to bold for me. 

Okay let's get back on track here...the applicator is the typical doe foot applicator. The formula is quite dry when you pull the applicator out of the tube and I often find that not enough product is on the applicator. I always have to dip the applicator back in. Nonetheless the product itself applies the product nicely onto your lips. It feels lightweight and does set but not immediately. Once set your lips still feel lightweight and you can honestly forget that you have anything on your lips. They are very comfortable to wear and don't accentuate your dry lips. Neither do they dry your lips out. 

These last for a minimum of two hours. I find that after 2 hours and 40 minutes I want to do something to with 'Nairobi Camellia'. As it is a bolder colour it is more noticeable when it starts to fade. It fades evenly and you don't end up with a weird outline of your lips. 'Crete Carnation' lasts easily for three hours. I think as this is closer to my natural lip colour it is less noticeable when it starts to wear. 

These retail for $14.00 and overall I really love these matte liquid lipsticks. They are definitely some of the best I have ever tried. 

Top 10 Lip Products

Lip products are my favourite type of make-up to buy and to play around with. There are always new trends breaking, new colours to try and new formulas to put to the test! These are my top 10 lip products. 

It was difficult enough for me to whittle this list down to my top ten so there is no specific order here. 

Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lip Colour 

These lipsticks are really lovely. My personal favourite shade is 'Desert' however I also love 'Vineyard' and 'Dawn'. With a quick swipe of the lips you good pigmentation that feels really lightweight and makes your lips look juicy. These don't dry your lips out which is great, however they don't last more than 2-3 hours on my lips. 

L'oreal ColourRiche Lipsticks 

L'oreal has a collection of great shades and I especially love their nudes. I have already repurchased one of their nudes #235 which is simply called "nude". I also love 'Eva's Nude' from the Collection Exclusive range. 

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in 'Chihuahua'

I typically prefer a traditional lipstick bullet over liquid lipsticks and so I have only ever tried one shade from the Melted range from Too Faced. However, I really love the formula, applicator, pigmentation / everything about the product! If you want to dip your toes into the liquid lipstick "pool" I would highly recommend the Too Faced collection.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF15

For years and I mean years I heard how good this lip balm was from American bloggers and Youtubers. However living in Australia means it was nearly impossible to get :( But let me tell you, if you can get your hands on it, it really is a great lip balm. I use to use cheap lip balms but they usually dried my lips out and only moisturised my lips temporarily. I feel like this lip balm is very luxurious, it gives your lips a lovely cushion feeling and moisturises your lips. I have gone through an entire tube of this and I ordered my second tube from Nordstrom. Their shipping was pretty good!

The Body Shop Lip Scuff

It is easy to find a lip exfoliator in a tub however it is hard to find them in stick form. I have been using this one from The Body Shop and find it does a decent job when I have really chapped, dry and flaky lips. You swipe it across your lips for a little while before wiping it off. I typically put a very intensive lip balm on top afterwards.

Burt's Bees Lipstick in 'Blush Basin'

If you are looking for a cruelty free lipstick in the drugstore or prefer a natural lipstick check out the lipsticks from Burt's Bees! I adore the shade 'Blush Basin' however the red shades in the range are lovely too.

Bareminerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolour 

Bareminerals' Gen Nude lip collection is amazing. They have lipsticks, lip liners, lip glosses and matte liquid lip colours in a huge range of nudes. I love the entire collection and could easily buy many many products from this collection. The lip glosses in this range are lovely but, for me, the matte liquid lip colours are the products that deserve a special mention in this post! They wear really nicely on the lips (even if you have dry lips), wear off evenly and naturally and their lasting power is pretty good.

Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks 

Urban Decay's range of Vice lipsticks contains 100 shades and there is a shade for everybody. Both of the lippies I have from this range are the "cream" formula and they are gorgeous. These lipsticks are long wearing, very pigmented and non-drying on your lips. The two cream lipsticks I have are quite opaque however they also do a "sheer" formulation if that is more your thing.

L'oreal Paris Infallible Long Wear Lip Gloss 

If you want a non-sticky lipgloss but good pigmentation and wears for a good amount of time, check these lip glosses out!

September Beauty Favourites

Time for September favourites and I have a group of really good products this month to share with you. I really love all of these products and they have been working beautifully in my make-up routine. 

Mecca Cosmetica To Save face Superscreen SPF 50

Everybody knows that sunscreen is a brilliant way to prevent wrinkles and ageing skin, however, I think there are many people that don't follow this beauty and skincare rule. I certainly don't in winter (and yes I know this is bad of me!). But I am trying to change. I have been wearing the 'To Save Face Superscreen SPF 50' from Mecca Cosmetica over my usual moisturiser and underneath my primer and I am really liking it. I don't think it has caused any breakouts, it smells really nice and not like sunscreen at all, absorbs nicely into the skin and hopefully is keeping my skin protected from evil sun rays. It doesn't seem to interfere with the wear of my make-up either which is great!

L'Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer

This primer makes your skin feel like it is covered in velvet, makes applying your make-up more effortless and I could swear it makes my make-up stay on for longer. With some primers I am dubious about their ability to make my make-up last longer but with this one I feel like it does something - yay! I have really been loving this primer, so much so that I can forgive the fact that it comes in a jar.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Touch of Light Highlighter

I have been using this underneath my eyes as a bit of a concealer. It's the first concealer I have ever used underneath my eyes and I don't really know how to judge such a product but I like it so there you go. Let me know what you think is important in a under eye product!

Antipodes Deliverance Kowhai Flower Hand Cream 

I always walk past the Antipodes products in Priceline however I saw KitschSnitch on Youtube talk about this hand cream and decided I needed to try it for myself! The scent is amazing but I'm hopeless at describing scents so I'm not really going to try. It smells warm and a bit sweet??? On the hands it absorbs really quickly and makes your hands feels really smooth.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment 

I really should sit down and write an actual review on this lip balm because I just love it so very much! This is thicker than your typical drugstore lip balm and it lasts a really long time. Whereas some lip balms can make your lips more chapped and dry, I feel like this one isn't one of those lip balms where your lips get drier and addict to.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish By Kate Lipstick '54 Rock n' Roll Nude'

We will address the elephant in the room first - yes the rose gold packaging definitely contributed to me wandering across to the Rimmel London stand! This is a really nice pinky nude, however it is slightly more pale than the nudes I typically wear. Really nice for spring.

What's in my bag?

I am completely obsessed with handbags and I have been for my entire life. I thank my DNA, both my Mum and her Mum share this obsession. Having such an obsession means that I change my bags A LOT so treat this like a disclaimer. This is what my handbag looks like today, tomorrow it will probably be different, however whenever I use this specific bag this is what is in it...Oh and I guess I should mention the actual bag too! This is what I carry around with me when I use my small Longchamp Le Pliage.

• Mimco Mesh Mash Wallet - I adore the matte mesh on this wallet. I had always admired the original Mimco mesh but it was too bling for me to use everyday, even though you can't see the true matteness of the wallet in the pic, it is definitely matte! 

• Rubi Bag Tassle - Tassle keyrings seem to be "the thing" at the moment. I didn't want to splurge on one of the super nice (but super expensive) ones because it is just a keyring at the end of the day. This one was $6.95 :) Top Tip: Buy a colourful keyring that is large or has something dangly you can feel it when you are groping around in your bag, because you know...your keys are never going to be easily found!  

• Nivea Lip Balm, Vitamin Shake 'Cranberry & Raspberry' - There is always a lip balm or three in my bag! This one is my current fave, it smells so nice.

• Mac Lustre Lipstick in 'Syrup' - This is definitely the lipstick I wore the most in 2015! As it is a colour I can pretty much wear wherever and whenever it is pretty much always in my handbag :) 

• Headphones - I keep my headphones untangled by using a bulldog clip! So much easier and less embarrassing than having to detangle them everytime I pull them out of my bag.

• Typo A5 Weekly Buffalo Diary - I'll be the first to admit my memory is not that great! So a diary is a necessity. Last year I tried relying on the calendar on my phone and whilst I LOVE how it syncs between my laptop and iPad I have always been a stationary lover so this year I am using a paper diary properly again. It is also a good excuse to buy pretty pens! 

• Kikki K Metal Rollerbal Pen: Don't Follow Your Dreams, Chase them - This pen is so cute I couldn't leave it behind in the shop. I love how sturdy and special this pen feels.

• Mimco Stand Case - Sometimes I don't want to take a bag out (ironic considering the premise of this post!) so this is fantastic because it protects my phone and also provides me with a place to slip in some money and cards.  

• Crabtree & Evenlyn Sugar & Spice Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy - There is always a hand cream floating around the bottom of my handbag. This Christmas hand cream from Crabtree & Evelyn smells amazing and is a great hand cream. It sinks in quickly and moisturises lovely. 

• And the usual suspects: Stray hair ties, hand sanitiser. Not much to say here...

October Beauty Favourites / First Impressions

Before I get into the nitty gritty details I want to make a disclaimer - yes these are "beauty favourites" but unlike most of my monthly favourite posts, these products are all quite new to me. So are these tried and tested? No. But at the moment I am loving them...stay tuned for more details review posts once I have worn them for more than 3-4 weeks. 

So let's get into it! A couple of weeks ago I left the house with zero make-up on. It was fine, it was a quick trip out of the house. Wait a second, no it wasn't! I had to go to work too. Luckily I ran into a Priceline grabbed a foundation and lipgloss. The lipgloss was over-priced and not that great. Thankfully the foundation, Rimmel London's Lasting Finish 25hr Comfort Serum, was super impressive. At this point in time I'm not 100% sure about the claim that it lasts 25 hours but the coverage is really nice, it is very easy to apply and it looks and feels amazing on the skin. It also has SPF20 which is useful. 

Moxie's lipstick in 'Get Ready' was an impulse purchase but definitely not a waste of money - especially since the tube clicks up and down - so much fun but completely besides the point! 'Get Ready' is a super juicy pink berry. The formula is creamy and quite opaque. Lasting power is pretty good too :) A perfect lipstick for the summer.

Have you smelt Nivea's Vitamin Shake in 'Cranberry & Raspberry'? If you haven't, you NEED to!!! It smells like raspberry/strawberry milkshake. The formula is creamy and sitting on the fence between thick and lightweight, and of course moisturising. I love Nivea lip balms, definitely worth trying if you haven't before.

Finally, one product that I have used consistency for over a month is Essano's Rosehip Regenerating Facial Moisturiser. This is a mini tube that I got in an Essano kit but I will most definitely be purchasing the full size tube. It is a really decent moisturiser, not too heavy but provides a good level of moisture without interfering with make-up. It sinks into the skin quickly too which is great!

4 Spring-like Beauty Products

Spring is here, the sun is starting to shine and you can now brave the outdoors without wearing a zillion layers. Well at least some of the time... To celebrate I wanted to write a blog post about some products that are perfect for this time of year. It's still too cold to break out the summer dresses but we can get into the spring mood with our make-up at least! Step one, think pink. Step two, step outside and soak up the sunshine.

Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in 'Magnolia'

This is a peachy pink that I think is perfect for any occasion. It's a good alternative for a nude or 'my lips but better shade'. I have been reaching for the lipstick a lot lately: it's a fun colour,  isn't as boring as a nude and looks great all the time. The pigmentation is pretty good, the formula is lightweight and super creamy and the lasting power is the typical 1-2 hours. It is really comfortable and feels moisturising. It also smells really nice and sweet.

Maybelline 'Pink Me Up' Lipstick

'Pink Me Up' is a deep warm-toned pink that sits on the line between a 'bold lip' and a 'not so bold' lip - which I love because I don't like wearing bold lips. They look great on other people...just not me! This a gorgeous pink shade that I fell in love with the first time I wore it. It would be great for an evening out or with a natural smokey eye. Maybelline's lipstick formula is becoming one of my favourites and is definitely worth checking out.


Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer in 'Petalite'

A new addition to Revlon's product line are these 'Ultra HD Lip Lacquers'. Expect a full review on my blog soon but meanwhile I will focus on this pretty shade called 'Petalite'. 'Petalite' is a pretty pale pink with gold shimmer. It's a pretty standard gloss - doesn't stick around for ages and isn't super pigmented BUT it is one of those glosses that you can just whack on and you're ready to go. A good shade to reach for when you want a natural looking pink lip.

OPI Nailpolish in 'Hands Off My Kielbasa'

I know this whole post has been brainwashing you to "think pink" but this nail polish leans more towards the orange-y coral side of things. But because it screams "spring" to me it had to be included. This is a super pretty peachy polish with shimmer. I feel like the polish is glowing from within - does that make sense? Gorgeous!!! It's currently on my nails and it's soooooooo pretty and really shimmery! Did I use the word 'pretty' too much whilst describing this polish?

August Favourites

This month I have tried to mix up the products a bit and I have some new favourite products - yay!!!

Lets begin with a new foundation that I tried for the first time this month and now rate very highly - Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation in '115 Ivory'. I haven't had the best of luck with Maybelline foundations but during the 50% off sale this foundation came down to the $10 mark so I figured I might as well give it a shot. This foundation surprised me, it is really really really good. I will be posting a full review of this foundation soon but here are they key points. Pros: Very liquid-y formula, medium buildable coverage, easy to apply, doesn't cling to my dry patches. Cons: Not super long lasting, no pump in the package :(

Another Maybelline product - Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. I wrote up a full review of this mascara the other day, click here to check it out. Overall this is a great mascara if you like a mascara that has a very wet formula and if you want your lashes to look bold and fanned out.

Onto the lip products...because we all know I am a lipstick/lipbalm/lipgloss addict!

Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in 'Magnolia' is a lipstick that I have been wearing in anticipation of spring. To me this shade screams out "spring is coming". The formula is really nice and creamy but feels lightweight at the same time. The pigmentation is decent - not super opaque but by no means sheer. I don't think this lipstick lasts that long - a little over an hour before it begins to fade.

Nyx Butter Gloss in 'Angel Food Cake' is a yummy smelling lip gloss that is not sticky and has great pigmentation. 'Angel Food Cake' is a gorgeous deep "my lips but better" shade with undertones of dusty pink and mauve. Well at least I think thats how you would describe it? I have been loving this gloss as it doesn't dry your lips out which is perfect because my lips are dry at the moment (thanks winter).

And now for one random non-beauty favourite :)

Silver 'Bead and Tassel Bracelet' from Seed - I only picked this up the other day but I am obsessed with it. Especially when I wear it with another bracelet I have from Bevilles (the second one in the picture).

What have you been loving this August?

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

July Favourites

A couple of days late but here we go...these were the beauty products that I loved in July. Geez, that made it sound like I don't like them anymore! For the record...I still love these products :)

Nyx Butter Gloss ' Angel Food Cake'

I've always been a fan of the butter glosses from Nyx and I now love them even more after discovering this shade. Unlike previous shades, 'angel food cake' is less milky and the colour is a lot more intense. Plus there is always that delightful cake scent.

Mac 'Syrup' Lipstick

I don't have a huge collection of Mac lipsticks but despite that this has been the lipstick I have been reaching for pretty much everyday. If it is a "lipstick day" 99% of the time it is a Syrup day. I don't hear a lot of people raving about this shade but next time you walk past the Mac counter I highly recommend you give it a swatch. It is a very versatile pink shade. Love it!!!

Rimmel London Oh My Gloss 'Snog'

Surprise surprise, another "my lips but better" shade!!! This is your typical lip gloss but with extra shine - the colour sticks around for a decent amount of time and the shine lasts and lasts and lasts. If you want to know more check out the review I posted a little while ago: http://theblogforbeautifulliving.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/rimmel-london-oh-my-gloss-snog-review.html 


Maybelline Colour Show Crayon Kohl Liner

This pencil eye-liner has really impressed me. Less creamy than say a Rimmel London Kohl, but I actually find it a little easier to apply. I am a novice when it comes to eye-liner but because this one is quite dry I find myself making fewer mistakes when applying it. It lasts well and doesn't flake off if you accidentally fall asleep in front of the TV watching the Tour de France. A random July favourite, non-beauty related, would have to be watching the Tour de France! Love it!!!

Too Faced Shadow Insurance 

For the longest time I dismissed eye primers. Shouldn't an eyeshadow be able to stick around all day without a primer? Well maybe it is because my eyeshadow application skills are shocking and I typically buy relatively cheap shadows...but I have a lot of shadows that are lucky to pass the 5 hour mark. Anyway long story cut short...kinda...this eye primer is amazing. It makes eyeshadows that typically last 2-3 hours last over eight hours easily. I highly recommend this eye primer, it's great :)

What products stole your heart in July? I'd love to know!!!

Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick Pencils Review

Today I am reviewing the Maybelline Color Drama Lipsticks, the lipstick pencils that were launched earlier this year, and have stolen my life. When these were first released they didn't even register on my radar. Why? 1. They were too pigmented (I know I sound crazy but I cannot pull off a bold lip) 2. You had to sharpen them. But when I saw them on sale I figured I might as well give them a try. Their normal retail price is $9.95 so on sale they are ultra cheap. But for that tiny price you get an amazing product!

I have two shades, 'Minimalist' which is a medium-toned pink with silver shimmer and 'Nude Perfection' which is a warm-toned brown nude. Both shades are incredibly pigmented. The formula isn't necessarily moisturising but they are not drying either. Pretty good for a long-lasting lip product! They feel really creamy when you apply them. In terms of lasting power, I was super impressed. At the one hour mark it looks freshly applied and it is only once you go past the 2 hour mark that the colour begins to fade. They wear off evenly, don't smear and are easy to apply. Both shades are very pigmented and I think people who love a bold lip will love these pencils. If you are not a fan of a bold lip I think that 'Minimalist' is worth looking at.

I like everything about these pencils except for the fact that you have to sharpen them...but I have sharpened mine and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  When you first buy them the pencil is nicely shaped but with continual use (and sharpening) this shape disappears.

I really love these pencils and would definitely recommend you try them out. They come in a number of a gorgeous shades and are great quality and value.

2014 - Favourite Lip Products

The three lip products that I adored and used regularly throughout the 2014 were L'oreal's Colour Riche Nutrishine in 'Sandalwood Beige', Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 'Honey' and Maybelline's Colour Elixir in 'Caramel Infused'. 

'Sandalwood Beige' from L'oreal's Colour Riche Nutrishine collection is the lip product I wore the most this year. It is a very natural looking "my lips but better" shade that is somewhere between a nude and a warm pink. It lasts a decent amount of time (approximately 2 hours), doesn't dry your lips out at all, feels moisturising, is very shiny and absolutely foolproof to apply. I absolutely adore this lipstick and will definitely repurchase it - which I suspect will be soon as it is nearly running out!!!

The Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 'Honey' from Revlon is a product that I reach for when I quickly need to grab a lip product and run out of the house, or for those occasions when I want a lip colour that lasts longer than a gloss but is still very natural looking. Yes, another "my lips but better" shade. I probably should have just called this post the "my lips but better" post because all three of these products fit into that category. Boring old me! Anyway, 'Honey' has definitely received lots of love from me this year.

When the Colour Elixirs from Maybelline launched overseas they received a lot of attention from bloggers and youtubers which led to me stalking the Priceline aisles waiting for them appear. In my excitement I brought 3 shades however 'Caramel Infused' is the one that I love the most and wear the most. They are very pigmented, shiny, moisturising, are not sticky and have good staying power for a gloss. 

If you want to see which lip products were my favourite in 2013 you can check out that post here: http://theblogforbeautifulliving.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/top-3-lip-products-for-2013.html

I would love to know what lip products you loved in 2014, let me know in the comments below :) 

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!!! Thank you to every single one of you who has ever visited my blog or left a comment. I hope 2015 is an outstanding year for you and I look forward to sharing with you some changes and new features on the blog. 

Cheers and all the best for 2015 :)

Products that smell amazing...

Are you a sucker for products that smell amazing? I am!!! Don't get me wrong, quality, packaging and price are all important factors but, in my book, a product gets bonus points for smelling delightful.

I'm going to start with a type of product that you wouldn't expect to smell good...nail polish. Revlon has a range of nail polishes that have different scents. Their 'Parfumerie' collection of nail polishes have three different types of scent: sweets & spices, freshes and fruits & florals. I have four polishes from this collection and all of them are consistently good quality. My favourite is the 'Apricot Nectar' polish that smells unbelievably delicious (plus it lasts for over a day). 'Apricot Nectar' smells quite sweet and fruity. Kind of like peach lollies? To read my full review of 'Apricot Nectar' click here.

The lipsticks from She are some of the best smelling lipsticks out there in my opinion! They have a very rich, luxurious aromatherapy oil scent that is really unique for a lipstick that only costs $14.95! If you want to read more about these lipsticks click here. 

These lip glosses get a lot of rave reviews in the blogosphere but I'm just going to mention them anyway! What am I talking about? The Nyx Butter Glosses of course. These are some of the best lip glosses ever. They smell like cupcakes or cake mixture, are super duper moisturising and give your lips a nice touch of colour. Perfect for the winter time when your lips are dry and chapped but you still want some colour on your lips!

Another lip product that smells amazing and does amazing stuff is the Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid with Lemon Oil. This smells like "real" lemonade, not the cheap stuff, and works fabulously to keep your lips hydrated.

I am a bit of a hand cream fiend but I think I might have found my favourite hand cream ever?! What hand cream am I talking about? The L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream for dry skin. I know most of the products I have talked about smell like food but I promise this one doesn't. Unless you like eating baby powder??? This is a very luxurious hand cream with a subtle scent that is hard to put your finger on but to me it smells like baby powder, but in the best way possible!

I would love to know what your favourite smelling product is...?

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!!! :)

Colour Theory Pouty Pink & Flirt Alert Lipstick Reviews

Today I am going to be reviewing Colour Theory's lipsticks in the shades 'Flirt Alert' and 'Pouty Pink'. 'Pouty Pink' is a gorgeous bright pink berry colour. 'Flirt Alert' is a tomato red. 

The packaging of these lipsticks is great. The plastic tubes are thick and feel really sturdy. The lids click on firmly with no possibility of them coming lose when they are in the bottom of your handbag. I like how the tubes are completely clear so you can see the the mechanism and (obviously) the colour of the lipstick clearly.

On application 'Pouty Pink' feels really creamy and moisturising but not heavy. I have had pretty dry and chapped lips lately but this lipstick didn't dry my lips out or emphasise my flaky lips. If are afraid of a bold lip (like me) you can wear 'Pouty Pink' sheer by just swiping it over your lips. But if you want that bright berry lip you can get it easily as it is a very opaque and buildable lipstick. After two hours this still looks perfect on my lips and after three hours I was left with a stain on my lips (after eating and drinking). You could easily apply a clear gloss or balm over this after three hours to turn the stain into a glossy look. The lasting power of this lipstick is simply AMAZING!!! 

'Flirt Alert' is a very vivid matte tomato red. If you love a bold lip you will love this red. It feels different on the lips when compared to 'Pouty Pink' - slightly heavier and less creamy. After an hour the colour is still pretty vibrant. It's only when you are getting close to the 2 hour mark that you notice it starting to look visibly less vibrant. 

Both of these lipsticks are very opaque and have great lasting power. Out of the two lipsticks I personally prefer 'Pouty Pink' as it is a colour I can wear relatively sheer (I'm scared of bold lips) and the formula feels amazing on the lips but if you love a bold lip, or are thinking about trying out a bold lip, you might want to check out 'Flirt Alert' as Colour Theory lipsticks are only $6! Bargain :) 

You can buy Colour Theory nail polishes at Amcal, Amcal Max and Guardian Pharmacies and online from Amcal and Guardian Pharmacies.

*This product was kindly provided to me for review purposes, all opinions are 100% honest.

March Favourites

Hi guys!!! March is coming to an end so it's time for me to sit down and tell you all about the products that I have been loving. There is one product that is screaming from the rooftops, "talk about me, talk about me, talk about meeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!" and that would be L'oreals Colour Riche Nutrishine in 'Sandalwood Beige'. It's a hybrid lipstick / lip balm (think Revlon, Lip Butters) that gives your lips a gorgeous wash of colour and feels nice and moisturising too. I think this might be the perfect nude for me. I have been wearing it nearly every day for uni because I can re-apply it easily and I know I won't end up looking like a clown. I'll be writing a review on it in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more details!

























A couple of months ago I had a moisturiser debacle and my skin was feeing all dry and tight. Not nice at all. So I went and brought my holy grail moisturiser and my skin is feeling back to normal again - yay!!! The Buttermilk Moisturiser is, by far, the best moisturiser I have ever tried. Throughout the years I have probably brought ten bottles of this stuff! It is very soothing and moisturising without feeling greasy. The only reason I tried another moisturiser was because this one does contain parabens and I tend to avoid parabens when I can.

I have been loving Nivea's Pure & Natural Milk and Honey Lip Balm. One of my all time favourite lip balms because it actually moisturises my lips instead of drying them out like some other lip balms do! Plus, it smells like honey. I think I have raved about this balm numerous times so I'm leaving it at that for today.

I posted a review of Nyx's Mega Shine Lip Gloss in 'Beige' earlier this month (click here to read it) and have really loved wearing it. Despite being a bit sticky it gives my lips a lovely MLBB wash of colour, is incredibly shiny and lasts well.

Revlon's 'Girly' nail polish has been sitting in my nail polish drawer for probably a year now and I have only worn it once. I think the idea of removing all that glitter (as gorgeous as it is) scares me away from this polish. But, I wore this earlier this month over a nail polish that turned out to be a streaky mess and it did a great job of disguising my manicure that went wrong :)

That's it for me today! I now need to hit the books and get some study done because yesterday I accidentally found myself at IKEA and Freedom and we all know those shops take a long time to walk through. I actually brought a new make-up organiser from Freedom so I will be posting about that later this week. Have a great week, cheers :)

January Favourites 2014

I cannot believe I'm sitting here writing my first "favourites" post of 2014. It feels like I haven't written one of these posts for ages since I skipped Decembers' because I was focused on getting up my 2013 yearly favourites. And, in some ways January seems to have lasted forever. But now it is the 30th of January and I really should get a move along and tell you all what I loved in January (and stop rambling).

• Chi Chi Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

I didn't use to wear much eyeshadow, but now that I have the Nudes palette I find myself reaching for it all the time. You can create so many different looks with this one palette from day to night time, plus the quality is great. For the daytime I love the matte browns and the rosey coppers for night.

• Rimmel London Match Perfection Blush in 002 Light/Medium 

I'm going to be honest, I never use to wear blush (strange for somebody who blogs beauty I know) because I didn't want to look like a clown but recently I have started dabbling in blush and have loved how it has looked.This match perfection blush is pretty perfect. It's nearly foolproof, lasts a decent amount of time and works well with my skintone. It's also super cheap so if you are thinking about giving blush a go, I definitely recommend this. 

• Maybelline Sea-quins Nail Polish ey

Sea-quins from Maybelline is a stunning teal glitter. Tricky to remove but it's worth it for the sparkles!I'm ashamed how long this sat in my polish drawer before I eventually got around to using it. Lovers of glitter and/or teal...you need this polish :)

• Nyx Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee 

I've raved about this before so I'm going to keep this short. Creme Brulee is the perfect pinky nude gloss. Not sticky, lasts well and feels really moisturising. 

• Nyx Lipstick in Tea Rose

If you after an opaque dusty pink lipstick this could be it! I fell in love with this lipstick after discovering it would last 2+ hours and my munching on snacks. Very impressed with this lipstick and can definitely see myself wearing this a lot in the coming weeks. 

• Nivea Pure & Natural Milk and Honey Lip Balm 

First up, it smells like honey. So I don't think I need another reason why it's in my favourites post but I do have some. This lip balm is very moisturising, lasts on lips for around 2 hours (which in my book is fantastic) and doesn't dry your lips out once it wears off unlike some other lip balms. 

• Physician's Formula Organic Wear Mascara

This mascara has appeared in so many of my favourites posts it is kind of ridiculous. But it never disappoints me so I'm going to say (for the 100th time) that I love this mascara. 

And now time for a short ramble. My final favourite for the month of January is that trolley I used in the photo. This stainless steel, exact replica of a shopping trolley (complete with plastic features, wheels and a fold out baby seat) was a gift from Mum for Christmas. Every time I see these at the shops I think they're great but it's not like you buy yourself a scaled replica of a shopping trolley when you are just out and about...anyway this now lives on my desk and I use it to keep whatever base coat and top coat I'm using plus any polishes I've swatched recently and want to write up a review of. I'm in awe okay? Love it!

Before I forget...sorry about the dodgy photo today. With this crazy heat wave this was all I managed before rushing back inside.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have had a great January. What products have you been loving this month?

Top 3 Lip Products for 2013

To wrap up 2013 I will be doing a series of 'top 3' posts in the following few days. I am going to start with my top 3 lip products of 2013. I would love to know what your fave lip products of the year were so please do leave a comment below! Cheers. 

You could call 2013 the year of the lip crayon, don't you think? Bourjois, Cover Girl, Face of Australia, Models Prefer, Revlon, Laura Mercier, Stila, Nars, Inglot, Lipstick Queen, Kit Cosmetics, Soap and Glory, Top Shop, and Sportsgirl have versions of the lip crayon gracing their shelves (and no doubt there are many more I haven't mentioned). 

My favourite lip crayons are the ones from Cover Girl. My collection of them is slowly growing but my favourite and most worn is definitely the one in 'mauve twist'. A very versatile pink with brown undertones. For a "sheer" lip crayon the colour payoff and lasting ability is fantastic and it also doesn't dry your lips out. I would definitely recommend these. 

Warm Me up from Maybelline is a creamy, long lasting and extremely pigmented lipstick that spent the majority of the winter months on my lips. A warm, dusty pink colour. Another must have! 

Left: Warm Me Up Right: Mauve Twist

Left: Warm Me Up Right: Mauve Twist

Finally, the Yes To Carrots Lip Butter in Melon has been my favourite lip balm of the year. It keeps my lips moisturised and well cared for, has a wonderful creamy yet lightweight formula and has been repurchased by me many many times.

Cheers :) 

Blogmas - My Introduction to Nyx Products

Hi guys!!! Today I realised I had never done the first impressions Nyx post I  had intended on doing. So... I'm doing it now :)

So when I first spotted the Nyx stand at Target early in November I was like a kid in a lolly store. The prices were a tiny bit more expensive than I thought they would be, but that doesn't mean they are expensive. Their jumbo eye pencils are $9.95, powder blushes $9.95, cream blushes $11.95 and their famous butter glosses are $9.95. Not too bad, right? 

I picked up their jumbo eye pencil in yoghurt, butter gloss in creme brulee and a creamy round lipstick in tea rose. 

I am planning on doing a full review of these products once I have worn them more but so far I can tell you that that the butter gloss is amazing! Not only does it smell like cake mixture and cupcakes (yummy) but they feel really moisturising, don't dry your lips out, don't feel sticky, have good pigmentation and are super easy to wear. The lipstick feels really creamy and has great pigmentation and the jumbo eye pencil is a really lovely colour, easy to use but without a primer or setting crease after 4-5 hours. 

What Nyx products should I pick up next?
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.

July Favourites

This month I have fallen back into love with some old products and have attempted to get into better make-up habits. I have also put an emphasis on trying to use some products up because I have way too many lotions and potions open...on my desk alone I have three hand creams and probably five or so lip balms floating around. Ridiculous! I finished one tube of balm up (it's currently sitting in a box marked "empties" hopefully I will eventually get enough products in there to do an empties post!!!) and have tried to stop myself from buying more :p 

Anyway, I should probably stop rambling and get onto what I have been loving. 

First up is my omSHE lipstick in Moon (which I reviewed here) which I have been reaching for quite a lot this month. It's a lovely warm brown/nude colour and smells divine. It's quite pigmented, lasts awhile and really easy to wear. OmSHE should seriously make a perfume with this scent, I would definitely buy it. 

Second is my trusty old Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Butter (phew, what a mouthful!) which has been the only balm I have been using for a couple of weeks now because as I said I am trying to finish up some products. This is another product which smells absolutely amazing, it also protects your lips from drying out in the cold winter weather and also gives a nice gloss effect. I also use this over lipsticks when they have started to wear off or when they start drying out my lips out. I will definitely repurchase this once I work my through my collection of lip products. 

Third is the mascara I've been using. I'm not really a mascara lover, mostly because I find application tricky, but I really like the effect mascara gives and have started wearing it a lot lately. I feel really comfortable using this mascara since it's free from harsh chemicals, synthetic preservatives and parabens. Also, clumsy me finds the brush easy to maneuver without stabbing myself in the eye and it lasts all day. 

Fourth is a product I don't think I've featured on the blog before (probably because I rarely wear mascara and never take my make-up off *guilty face*). It is The Body Shop's Camomile waterproof eye make-up remover. I haven't used any other make-up removers so I don't have anything to compare it to but it removes my mascara easily and without rubbing excessively. It feels really gentle and works well.

Finally, number five is a product that has probably featured in every single favourites post I've done...it's my revlon Colorstay whipped creme foundation in 240 natural beige. Easy to apply, lasts nearly all day and gives a good amount of coverage. I apply with my fingertips and sometimes put some of Rimmel's stay matte powder on top. This works really well for me. My jar is nearly empty so I'm currently trying to decide between buying another one, or the beauty blogger in me is tempted to try another foundation. What do you think I should do? Any suggestions? 

So that's it for July. I hope you have had a good July and here's to hoping August is another great month :) 

Cheers  

L'Oreal Color Riche Lipstick review #235 Nude

Hi guys, today I have product review for you that has been a long-time coming! L'oreal Paris has a fantastic range of lipsticks whose name I believe to be "Color Riche Made For Me Naturals" and there are also "Color Riche Made For me Intense" lipsticks out there too. They are advertised as being moisturising and contain Omega 3 and Vitamin E. In the "naturals" range there are 14 different shades designed to complement different hair colours and skin tones. If you go onto the L'oreal website (click here) you can see the colours available and it tells you, this lipstick is for brunettes with olive skin or whatever you are looking for. I think this is a great idea because I have a lot of lipsticks that I can't wear because they don't suit me but looked pretty when I swatched the tester.....

Okay anyway I guess I should rambling and get onto the actual product review.

Overall I think this is a fabulous lipstick and it is one of my absolute favourites. It feels luxurious and creamy upon application and glides effortlessly across your lips. It is a lovely nude colour and despite not being super pigmented it gives my lips a "my lips but better" look which I love. It is not drying at all and feels moisturising. It lasts easily for an hour and after two hours the moisturising feeling will have gone but that doesn't mean that your lips will be any drier than before you applied. For more details, keep reading.........

I'll start with the packaging, which is a classy (and sturdy) gold tube that clicks into place firmly when you place the lid on. I love the packaging and can't fault it. I've been carrying this around in my handbag for a couple of months and the lid has never fallen off and smeared lippy all over my stuff and the packaging still looks nice even though its a bit scratched. You can't really notice the scratches though.

Packaging Score: 9/10

The scent of this lipstick is absolutely divine, it has the traditional lipstick scent (yes I know, I'm absolutely hopeless at describing things) and again, I'm going to use the "L" word, I love it. If you don't like fragances in general this should still be fine for you because it's a relatively subtle scent and once you have used the lipstick for awhile the scent from the bullet seems more subtle and on the lips it doesn't stay around for too long anyway.

Scent Score: 10/10

This is a very nude colour and for me it gives my lips a "my lips but better" look. A very natural look but it's fantastic for every day wear and you can apply it without a mirror. It's not the most pigmented lipstick but (I think) that could be because it is such a nude, my lips but better look...

Pigmentation Score: 7.5/10

 I find the lasting power for this lipstick to be a little tricky to judge because it is a nude lippy. I get around a hour of perfect wear from this and after two hours most of the pigment has worn off. It  feels really luxurious and creamy when you first apply it and this feeling stays for around an hour. Upon application it glides effortlessly across your lips and feel moisturising. This moisturising feeling stays around for at least an hour. This lipstick is not drying at all, it feels moisturising for at least the first hour or so of wear and once it has worn off your lips are not dried out, they are simply returned to their original state.

Top: 1 swipe Middle: 2 wipes Bottom: 3 swipes

Lasting Power Score: 8/10

Moisturising Score: 8/10

Overall score: 9/10

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of the weekend :)