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.

How I store my "everyday" make-up

Does anybody else fret about optimising their make-up storage? I do! Especially when it comes to my favourite beauty products and products that can be used "everyday". Although, let's be honest...most days I'm rushing out the door and don't have time to mix up the boring old routine. Today I am sharing how I store my "everyday" make-up. This is by far the best system I have used for storing my make-up. I do have another drawer full of make-up. But...products that I know I will be reaching for throughout the week are kept out on the desk.

Last year Target were selling these acrylic 3 drawers + lipstick topper. One of the lipstick top bits are kept in that drawer mentioned so I can stack the two for a total of six drawers.

On the top I keep my favourite lip products, primers and foundations. At the back, I keep my eyeliners.

Drawer 1 - lipglosses and lip crayons

Drawer 2 - Blushes 

These are my favourite blushes at the moment! The one I reach for the most is the Maybelline Master Hi-Light blush in 'Pink Rose'. 

Drawer 3 - Face Powders 

This drawer is face powders, the Revlon 2-in-1 foundation (which is very bulky and difficult to store) and a random blush.

Drawer 4 - Eyeshadows + Primers 

If I'm going to wear eye shadow I have to wear eye primer. My favourite is the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I'm a bit of an eyeshadow palette addict however I do have a few singles and I do try and use them. 'Millionaire' from Rimmel is a great shadow for a one-shadow look.

Drawer 5 - Blushes 

Another drawer of face powders, blushes and two primers. These primers are smaller so I keep them in the drawer. If I am honest I don't reach for anything in this drawer much.

Drawer 6 - Random things I want to use more (but never do)

I cannot remember the last time I used anything from this drawer. However, if you look closely you can see a blush underneath the Thin Lizzy compact. It's a blush from Chi Chi and it is gorgeous. I think I should pull it out and put it somewhere more prominent.

I would LOVE to know how you store your make-up and any tips you might have!

Have a beautiful day :) 

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Chi Chi Nudes Eye Shadow Palette + BARGAIN Alert

Today I have swatches from Chi Chi's 'Nudes' Glamorous Eye Shadow Palette. Consisting of 12 different shades,  2 matte and 10 shimmers and housed in a sturdy plastic palette, with a clear lid it's a great palette and very good quality...especially considering how cheap it is! I don't personally own the Naked Palette by Urban Decay but I believe it is very similar...

I only recently picked this up so this post will only be swatches but I will do a more in-depth review once I've used it for awhile. Before I get stuck into the swatches though I want to let you know about how YOU CAN GET THIS FOR A BARGAIN!!!Yes I know...I probably went OTT with the bold and the underlining but, seriously, give me a second to explain and you'll be rushing down to the shops to score yourself a bargain :) This palette can be brought alone for $22.95 or you can get it in a gift set with a RRP of $24.95 that also includes a full-sized blush and 4 mini lipglosses. And now here comes the clincher, there is 25% off Chi Chi gift sets at Target at the moment meaning that this palette + full sized blush + 4 mini lipglosses will only cost you $18.71. So you can either buy this palette individually for $22 or buy it in a gift set with a blush and 4 mini glosses for $18.71. Kind of absurd really but nonetheless a great bargain! 

Okay now onto the actual swatches that I promised you...forgive me for getting side-tracked by bargain, pretty please :)

(Shade)

Cheers and have a great weekend!

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 

INNOXA Skin Perfecting Illuminator

If you are prone to oiliness and often find your face is as shiny as polished silver you have probably had to make the decision between matte and lifeless or glowing but looking like a fairy has thrown a bucket of glitter at you. I have been known to pile on the mattifying foundation and powder to control my shiny face but I often find that I go too far and end up looking lifeless and bleak. But now after wearing Innoxa's Skin Perfecting Illuminator for a couple of weeks I think I have a solution to bleak skin.

The lovely people at INNOXA sent me the Skin Perfecting Illuminating 5 in 1 BB Creme. This is a newly released product which hit the shelves in October and retails for $25.95 at Priceline, Myer and leading pharmacies.

This liquid illuminator is designed to give you a luminous radiant glow. You can apply it as an illuminator  on your cheek and eyebrow bones to highlight these high points of the face or you can mix it into your foundation for an all over glow and to give your skin a youthful radiant effect. It also corrects skin pigments giving you a more even skin tone, hydrates and nourishes your skin, contains essential nutrients, green tea, chamomile extract and vitamin E. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?

I have used the Skin Perfecting Illuminating 5 in BB Creme for a couple of weeks now, usually by applying it on my cheekbones after applying foundation however you can mix it into your foundation for an all-over natural glow. Using my fingers it was easy to apply and blended in well without much effort. I was really impressed with how it gave my skin a healthy glow without making my face look shiny and it was really easy to use which is good because I am always running late. The fact that it also helps to even out my skin tone is an added bonus.

No foundation

Matte Foundation

Matte Foundation + Innoxa Skin Perfecting Illuminator

Overall this is a really lovely illuminator which is easy to use and gives a natural glow. A new favourite in my beauty routine!

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  

Top 10 Products I would repurchase

I was reading Agnieszka Pelczar's amazing blog (click here to visit her) and she did a tag about if you lost all your make-up what ten products would you repurchase? So I decided it looked like a bit of fun (even though imagining losing all of my make-up and nail polish is super horrible) and did the tag myself. And if you are reading this.....you are officially tagged :) Please do leave your blog link below in the comments section if you do this, would love to read what your top ten favourites are!

Credit: http://www.rgbstock.com

1. Revlon Colourstay whipped foundation
I brought this in January and I have used it nearly everyday. It applies effortlessly with my fingers, blends well and lasts for most of the day. It doesn't cling too badly to dry skin patches and definitely gives my skin a flawless coverage.

2. Enzyme Cleansing Gel by Mario Badescu
I've raved about this cleanser before and I'm going to do this again. I started using then about five years ago when I was a teenager and had really bad skin and lots of pimples. It cleared up my skin and since re-purchasing it probably six or maybe seven times it continues to keep my skin in-check. I rarely break out and I thank this cleanser. I use it every day and love it <3

3. Nivea Pure and Natural Hand Cream
I love hand cream, I practically hoard the stuff! But this stuff is truly the best hand cream I have used in a long time and I will definitely repurchase it. It contains no nasty chemicals (e.g. parabens...etc) and is super cheap, $3.73 when not on sale. You can buy it from places like Woolworths and Priceline. It absorbs quickly and leaves your skin soft even after washing your hand.

4.  Maybelline Eye Studio Shadow Quad in "Copper Chic"
This costs $16.95 from Priceline when not on sale and is my favourite eye shadow palette. I reach for it the most and I'm never disappointed. Beautiful colours, strong pigmentations and good lasting power. What more could I possibly ask for?

5. L'oreal Colour Riche Lipstic in 235 Nude
I carry this lipstick around with me all the time and whenever I'm not sure what to put on my lips (which is most of the time) I reach for this. I have a review of this coming up so I won't go into too much detail but it lasts well, feels really creamy, doesn't dry your lips out and has a really great "old-fashioned" lipstick scent which I adore. $25.95 when full-price but I got this for 40% off :)

6. Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm
This is one of the best balms out there - seriously! It lasts easily over an hour on my chapped, dry lips. Protects it when I'm out in a cold and windy day and moisturises my lips. It's great!

7. Sinful Colors Nirvana Polish
I'm a nail-polish blogger so ofcourse there is going to be some polish in this list! The difficult bit is deciding out of my 100+ collection which ones would be the first I repurchased.....I picked this polish because it's 3-free and is a stunning colour that looks great wherever you are and whatever you are doing. It also applies really well. $4 from K-Mart or $4.95 from Target or Priceline.

8.Essence English Rose Polish
 I was going to include Essence's 'A Piece of Forever' gold nail polish but it was limited edition so I guess that wouldn't be realistic. Instead I will with Essence's English Rose polish. A one-coater that is a stunning pinky colour. Absolutely fantastic and only $2.75.

9. Sally Hansen - Diamond Strength Hardener
My nails have been shocking lately and I have been using this hoping my nails will stop peeling and breaking. I've also started using Sally Hansen's miracle cure but haven't used it enough to figure out if I love it.

10. Origins VitaZing SPF 15 Energy Boosting Moisturizer
I just finished my first tube of this and I love it. It's really moisturising and I like how it is tinted because it's perfect for lazy days or for underneath foundation.

What 10 products would you first re-purchase if you lost your collection?

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day :)

Maybelline Eye Studio - Copper Chic: Product Review

Generally speaking, I am not an eyeshadow person. When I was a teenager and was first getting into make-up I use to whack on the eyeshadow like it was going out of fashion. Black shimmery eye shadow was my favourite....I guess it went with the whole 'emo-look' thing I had going on. I wasn't emo or gothic but I liked pretending. I guess when we are teenagers we don't want to be ourselves? Anyway, I haven't worn eyeshadow for a very long time but after starting this blog earlier this year and reading a heap of amazing blogs reviewing all kinds of make-up I decided I wanted to buy a new eye-shadow palette and toss out all of my old eyeshadows because they were all bad quality and horrible when I first brought them and now they are just a rainbow of powdered mess. Think purple,black, blue, pink...... 

So I set out to buy a new eye-shadow;  I read reviews on blogs and spent hours on Priceline's website. I decided to get Maybelline eye studio copper chic. It wasn't the cheapest but I figured since it was going to be the only eye-shadow in my arsenal of make-up that it was okay to spend a little. It was on sale too....... 

I have actually only worn it once, and I forgot to notice how it wore :( I know, epic blogger fail!!!! So this review will be based on application, quality and vague memories. Sorry, sorry, sorry. 

The palette contains 4 tones: a white-ish shade, a red-ish copper, a golden-copper and a darker brown. All are metallic and have good pigmentation. They are all neutral tones but look special and can be worn in multiple ways. I only wore the golden-copper tone as I am not skilled at eye-make-up but I'm sure you could do great things with these. Since this is my first eye-shadow review my photos don't properly show how pigmented the shades are and the pictures themselves are kind of bleh. Overall, I was impressed with how pigmented the eye-shadows were (all of the colours). The applicator thingy that comes with it works well and is a good size. They apply easily and wore well { I can't give you specifics because I was too busy having fun to notice my eyeshadow, hahaha } 

Overall score: 9/10 

Top 5 products under $10 July

The title of this post is pretty self-explanatory, I am going to show you my top 5 products all available for under $10 for the month of July :)

I hope you enjoy this new kind of post, let me know in the comments section please :) There is no word-verification required so it should now be a lot easier to comment. 

1. Lush Ultrabalm $7.95 - admittedly I have only had this product for two days but I am already falling head over heels in love with this balm. I will post a review after I have used it for a bit longer. First impressions is that it is a soothing and moisturising balm that can be applied dry and chapped skin. 

2. Nivea's Lip care Honey & Milk $3.95 - yep another lip balm! 

3. OmShe nail polish $9.95 - it's free from nasty chemicals and made in Australia. 

4. Essence's mattifying compact powder - I decided I wanted to experiment with some compact powder because whenever I see my self in photos my face seems really shiny. Plus, I heard that compact powder might help my foundation stay on for longer (yes I use primer too). 

5.  Face of Australia acetone free nail polish remover $3.99 - a polish addict needs a good nail polish remover. This is what I am currently using.  

*Please note that the prices above are estimates. Whilst I cannot remember the precise cost of every single item listed they were all under $10 and even though some items were on sale they are all below $10 even before discounts*

Make-up and nail polish haul

After last weekends haul (wow it seems like forever ago) I really wanted to stay away from the shops this weekend but after hearing that you could buy one Revlon product and get one free I was lured into Target and also into Priceline where essence has just arrived. If you want to buy essence cosmetics and you are in Victoria you can find them at Target and also Priceline. Furthermore, the ranges that Priceline and Target receive do differ. For more info visit the essence australia facebook page.

****For people in Victoria, essence has 20% off products such as powder and foundation at Priceline at the moment!!!****

Anyway, what did I get?

Make-up
essence mattifying compact powder
essence soft touch mousse make-up in 03 matt honey

Lipsticks
Revlon Just Bitten in Dawn
Revlon Peach Parfait
Essence lipstick in Glamour Queen

Nail Polish
essence Where is The Party?
essence Season of extremes - My best nude friends and me
essence - Nude or What?

The nails inc nail polish was a freebie with the CLEO magazine. Three colours are available to collect: a pale pink (the one I got), a gunmetal silver/grey and an orange. To be honest, as soon as I got home from the newsagency I put two thick coats of nails inc 'Bag A Bachelor' but I was disappointed by the formula, which was very thin. Not sure if that was because I was in a hurry or if all nails inc polishes have thin formulas. 

I am looking forward to having a play around with my new mousse and powder from essence. I usually wear Maybelline foundation with either Rimmel's primer or Garnier's BB cream underneath but I guess its time I experiment :)

Reviews and swatches will be coming soon!

Hope you have had a great Saturday :)