Monthly Favourites // October

I honestly don’t know where this year is going! It is crazy to think that next month is Christmas and my birthday. October was definitely a hectic month and all I could think about was going on holiday. Last month I didn’t have too many favourites as I haven’t tried out many new things but I did find a few old favourites that I have brought out again.

The one favourite I did buy this month was a Millie Marotta colouring book. Now I know I am a bit late on the band waggon with this one but I never really understood the whole hype until now! I have honestly done so many in the book and to be honest I think I spend way too much time on each page but I have been loving it. Colouring really is therapeutic and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

My next favourite is my Bath and Bodyworks Twisted Peppermint Shower gel and Body lotion. Now that the festive season is coming up I have brought these gems back out to use. Needless to say, I am very excited about Christmas.

Last but not least, the fake tan. Winter is over here in Australia and that means I need to tan up the body ready for my real tan. As always I am loving my Bondi Sands. Although lately, I have been using the dark foam rather than the lotion form. I have never been very good at fake tan so I tend to stay away from the foam, but I thought I would just bite the bullet and use it and so far so good!

Cant wait for November favourites, I have so many news things I am trying out! xx

Top Picks: Drugstore Lipsticks

When it comes to lipstick I don’t really have a preference. As long as I like the colour and formula I will wear it. Trying to pick 3 lipsticks that are my all time favourites was both easy and hard (so I picked 4). I picked out the lipsticks that I find I wear the most and then narrowed it down to the ones I liked the most.

After much consideration these are my top picks:

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate – #11

This was the first dark berry lipstick I ever bought. I bought it just before I went on holiday to the UK for Christmas a number of years ago. I thought it was an appropriate colour for the festive season. I love the formula of this lipstick. It is really creamy and has a nice shine to it. It is a lasting finish lipstick from the Kate Moss range and I find it does actually last quite a long time.

Maybelline LIP gradation – PINK2

Now on the other spectrum of colours. This is a very bright, summery colour. Not something I would usually go to but there is just something about this colour that is really nice. The formula is so buttery and I love the application. It comes out like a crayon on one end and then on the other end there is a sort of sponge tip that you can use to blend out. I would say this lipstick is more on the matte side than glossy but it is not drying at all.

Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolour – Seduction

This is lipstick is a newer purchase and definitely on trend with the liquid lipsticks.  I love the colour of this lipstick it is what I would define as my perfect nude. I feel it has just enough pink tone to it that it doesn’t wash me out. The formula is quite good for a drugstore lipstick. The only thing I would say is I find it takes a few minutes to dry matte, so make sure you don’t apply too much.

Essence Lipliner – #11 In The Nude 

I thought I would just add in this lipliner because more often than not I will wear it alone. I would describe this colour as a classic ‘Kylie’ colour. It has nude that has brown undertone. I love this liner and I wear it under a lot of lipsticks. The formula is quite drying but if I apply a lip balm on before I don’t have a problem with it.

These are my top picks! Let me know what your top picks are.

xx

 

Everyday Makeup Routine

I thought today I would do a blog about my everyday makeup routine. I’m not going to lie I love days where I don’t wear makeup and I can just let my skin breath. When I have these days I usually give my face a really deep cleanse and then apply a thick moisturiser and it does wonders. For the most part, though I do like to put on a little bit of concealer and some mascara just so I don’t look completely sleep deprived. On the days when I want a bit more coverage the products I use are fairly  basic and I tend to stick with the same thing.

So here is my everyday makeup routine:

Base 

I always start by moisturising my face. I usually do this after I have cleaned my face and I let it sink it before I start my makeup.

For the primer, I like the Benefit Porefessional Primer. I will usually just apply this to my t-zone and use any remaining product on the rest of my face.

As for foundation, I am loving the Estee Lauder Double Wear. I apply this all over my face with a damp sponge.

I will then go in with a light concealer and apply that under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose and my chin and any blemishes I may have.

Once I have blended everything out I go in with a translucent powder over my whole face.

Face

For contouring and bronzer, I usually use NARS laguna. I will go in with a smaller brush to contour then take a small fluffy powder brush and just blend it out with some more bronzer.

I don’t always wear blush but when I do it is Rimmel matte blush in 002 blushing berry. I will just apply this slightly above the bronzer and on the apples of my cheeks.

Then for a highlighter, I have been loving MAC’s Mineralise Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle.

Once I have finished my face I will spray it with MAC Fix +.

Eyes

Eyes are the one thing I keep very simple. I don’t wear eyeshadow everyday only for special occasions.

For mascara, I have been using Benefit They’re Real and apply a few coats of that.

Then I will just brush through my brows and fill them in with Benefit Gimme Brows, nothing too fancy.

Lips

As for lips, I will usually apply a lip balm before I start my makeup just so my lips aren’t dry when it comes time to apply my lipstick. At the moment I have found myself reaching for Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolour in Seduction.

And that is it!

It seems like a lot when you write it all down but honestly it isn’t that much and it usually only takes me 10 minutes or so to put it on.

Hope you enjoyed today’s post! Let me know what your go -to everyday products are.

xx

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer // Friday Favourites

This favourite is a cult classic and loved by many. Collection is a cheap drugstore brand based in the UK. They have quite a variety of different makeup products, many of which I have heard amazing things about. I have only tried the concealer from the range but I love it and if I lived in the UK I would definitely try other products. It’s really hard having a product that you love and can’t get your hands on easily.

When it comes to concealers I haven’t really tried a lot, the only other concealer I have used is the NARS creamy concealer and honestly the collection is just as good and a much cheaper option! As for shades they only have 4 shades that I am aware of and the 3rd darkest is almost a perfect match for me and I am not very tan at all.  So if you are quite tan or have a darker skin tone this concealer probably isn’t for you.

The shade I use most often and love though is 1- Fair. This is a great shade for highlighting and brightening the face. I usually apply it under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose and on my chin. I will then set it with a translucent powder under my eyes just to ensure it doesn’t crease. I can’t say I have had any problems with blending or creasing. It is a really pigmented and creamy concealer so a lot goes along way. I also like that it has a doe foot applicator because you can get a more precise application especially if you are using it to cover spots.

Overall I think this is a great cheap concealer that definitely gets the job done and I will be using this for years to come. Let me know what your favourite concealers are and any you recommend trying!

xx

New to Youtube

My  best friend has recently started a youtube channel. She is amazing at makeup and she wants to commit to getting heaps of new videos up this year. Her channel is still a work in progress but she as so many great ideas. It would mean so much to her if you could check out her youtube channel!

Sophie’s Channel

Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation // Friday Favourites

I thought I might try something different and do a review of a favourite product each Friday (this week it is Saturday, as I came up with the idea very last minute). Each week I will pick a product I have particularly been liking that week or something that I find is just a staple product that I can’t live without.

The first product I have chosen to talk about is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. It’s quite simple really, I love this product. For ages, I just used cheap drugstore foundation like the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, which I thought was everything – needless to say there was definitely better foundations out there. As I have gotten older I have started to appreciate the fact that taking care of your skin and using more expensive products does really make a difference.

I had heard so many great things about the foundation and I contemplated getting it for a long time. I even went to get colour matched but I wasn’t happy with the way it looked on my skin (but I concluded that that was because of the way the lady applied it to my face). I went away still unsure as to whether I should buy it or not. One day I just thought you know what I am going to go and get it and apply it how I would at home and hope for the best. So that is what I did and I am so glad I did.

I got the colour 2N1 Desert Beige, which was a perfect match. I applied it like I usually do with foundation. I apply a bit to the back of my hand and blend it out with a damp sponge. The finish it gives is amazing, not too matte and not too shiny. Just a really nice glow! A little also goes a long way so I find that I use much less foundation than I do with others. Might I also add it lasts for such a long time and the coverage is medium/full and easily buildable. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t slept in it a few times but honestly, when I wake up my skin is still almost flawless (until the next day when I break out because I slept with my makeup on, but that is my wrong doing of course).

Let me know in the comments what your favourite foundation is!

xx

7 Deadly Sins Makeup Tag

1. GREED

What is your most expensive beauty product? NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. I love the formulation and the coverage of this foundation. Although it is not currently one of my favourites it is definitely in my top 2 foundations along with my Estée Lauder Double Wear, which is not as expensive as the NARS but it is still fairly pricey.

And what is your most inexpensive beauty product? Collection concealer. Absolutely love this product and have done for many years. I have tried a few concealers but I just always find myself going back to my collection one.

2. WRATH

What beauty products do you have a love and hate relationship with? I have a love hate relationship with Benefit They’re Real Mascara. My reason for this is I find it is a mascara that you need to have really clean eyelashes for or it will clump and I hate it when my mascara clump. In saying this it is a really nice mascara when the eyelashes are clean. It makes them super long and gives them heaps of volume.

3. GLUTTONY

What are your most delicious beauty products? I think I am going to have to say Soap and Glory Breakfast Scrub. It smells absolutely incredible! If you like sweet-smelling things and maple syrup you will love this scrub. The product itself is amazing too and leaves your skin feeling so soft.

4.SLOTH

What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness? Eyeshadow without a doubt!! On a day-to-day basis I tend not to wear eyeshadow, if I am going to use anything I tend to just run a bit of bronzer through the crease to add a bit of dimension. Or if I am feeling a little bit fancy or want something extra that is easy I use Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin.

5. PRIDE

What product gives you most confidence? Mascara is my go to makeup product if I were to pick one makeup product to use for the rest of my life it would be mascara. At the moment I have been loving the Maybelline The Colossal Volume Cat Eyes.

6. LUST

What product makes you feel more attractive? To be boring I am going to have to say mascara again. There is just something about mascara that just changes your entire face.

7. ENVY

What beauty item would you most like to receive as a gift? I would love to receive any of the Urban Decay Eyeshadow palettes as I have heard so many great things about them. I have tried my friends and I loved it. I also feel if I had one I would experiment more with eyeshadow. They have been quite hard to get a hold of in Australia in the past but now that they are sold in store I may treat myself to one this year.

Monthly Favourites // June

It’s so hard to believe that half the year has already gone! Before we know it, it will be Christmas again (but I’m not complaining :p). So I thought I would write my first monthly favourites. I love reading these and seeing what other people have been loving and I love finding new products to try out. I haven’t got many this month purely because I didn’t plan on writing this blog post but I thought why not. I have picked out a few things that I feel I used a lot this month and have recently been loving.

First off, I have been loving this Victoria’s Secret Body Mist. It is the Victoria’s Secret Angel. It is quite a musky smell with a hint of vanilla. I feel it is perfect for the colder month and I have found myself reaching for it a lot lately. I have a few of the body mists but I feel the lasting power with this one is probably one of the best that I have. Probably because it is quite a strong scent it lasts a long time.

I recently tried out the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip colours. I have two shades. My favourite has been the shade Seduction. It is a pink colour but it is more on the nude side so it is really easy to wear. As far as the formulation, they aren’t too drying like a lot of matte lipsticks are. I usually apply some lip balm before and let that soak in and then apply the colour on top. You also only need a tiny bit as they are very pigmented.

As you probably saw in my Favourite mascaras blog post I mentioned this little gem. I love this mascara. It makes my eyelashes so long and gives just enough volume! Has far as a waterproof mascara it lasts really well and doesn’t flake. Unless of course you wear it to bed and then there will definitely be some flaking, but I wouldn’t recommend.

I love all of Zoella’s products, but I been especially loving the Creamy Madly Dreamy Body Lotion. A really thick and creamy body lotion during winter is so important because your skin gets super dry. I like this body lotion because it is super thick but not greasy and it sinks into the skin really quick so you don’t have to sit around waiting for it to dry because you get dressed. It also smells really fresh and pleasant. I like a cream especially when I go to bed that doesn’t have an overpowering smell.

Last but not least this jumper. As it is getting cold here it is time to whip out the knitted jumpers! I recently bought this from a shop called Witchery. They were having lots of sales for the end of financial year so I thought perfect time to find a new wardrobe piece. The jumper its self it quite long and has a loose turtle neck with can be folded down and also has a zip. There is another zip that runs down the length of one side. It is almost a very pale pink (or rose gold as the shop assistant called it? not sure about that haha). It is super warm and perfect for winter!

Hope you enjoyed reading about my favourite items of this month. If you had any favourites that you think I should try out let me know!

Favourite Mascaras

 

If I had to pick one makeup product to use for the rest of my life it would probably be mascara. I love mascara and I have had my fair share of them over the years. For the most part I will usually wear waterproof mascara only because I feel it holds the curl better although it is such a pain to get off.

When it comes to picking one brand for mascara I will have to say Maybelline (considering 3/5 of the mascaras I have picked are maybelline). I feel like I havent had a bad one from them yet! They all hold the curl really well, they don’t flake and they dont clump. I’m not a clumpy eyelash sort of girl. I need to have they separated, false lashes kind of look.

Today I am going to share with your my top 5 mascaras. THey are in no particular order except for the first which is my current favourite.

The Colossal Volume Express Cat Eyes: Now this mascara is probably my all time favourite. I have naturally quite long lashes as it is but the mascara just takes them to the next level. It is very lengthening and gives quite a lot of volume. It separates the lashes really well and for a non-waterproof mascara it doesn’t flake or leave black marks under the eyes.

Heroine Make Long and Mascara: I’m always on the look out for some alternative brands of makeup. I tend to google things like best waterproof mascaras and 9/10 of the time I can’t get them where I am from. Although this little find is a japanese brand (don’t quote me on that) I found in Hong Kong. I really like how this mascara makes my lashes look, really volumising and gives great length. The only downside is that it is “super” waterproof and one of those mascaras that you need to have clean lashes before you apply it for the best results.

The Falsies Volume Express: This is a cult classic mascara and another one of my go to makeup products. I tend to reach for this mascara on those days where I may have had mascara on the day before that hasn’t completely come off. I find it just works no matter the condition of your lashes. Works great for length and volume and the formula is easy to build up.

The Magnum Volume Express: I hadn’t seen this mascara where I live when I bought it. I found it in Hong Kong at the end of last year which makes me think it was a fairly new mascara from Maybelline. I love this mascara, it is very similar to the original colossal mascara except the wand is curved. It gives great length and volume and last forever (well until you wash it off). As far as a water proof mascara it is fairly easy to remove.

Benefit They’re Real: As you can see this is the only high-end mascara I have in my top 5. This is purely because I haven’t tried any others and I always tend to stick with my Maybelline ones. If you do have any suggestions let me know! This mascara also makes my lashes look super long, it doesn’t make them as thick as some of the Maybelline ones but it is great for length. I do find though for my lashes they need to be super clean for it to give me the result I want.

Thank you for reading about my favourite mascaras! If you have any favourites you think I should try let me know.

 

 

Current Skincare Routine

As someone who has suffered from acne, a solid skincare routine is very important to me. I have since almost completely cleared my acne apart from the rare spot and a few scars. Now I am going, to be honest, and not try to convince that there is some miracle skincare product that works because quite frankly I don’t think there is (unless you know of one let me know).

The only thing that worked for me was going on the pill. I was fairly apprehensive about going on the pill after hearing lots of bad things but after trying multiple things I just needed something that worked and for me the pill was the answer. After about a year my skin was 100% better than what it had previously been. Saying this my skin was always quite oily, so I used a lot of toners and scrubs to try and minimise the oil as much as I could. Now my skin is completely dry, so a new skincare routine it was.

I have always had fairly sensitive skin so I don’t like to use anything too harsh. For cleanser, I have always used Cetaphil Cleansers. The only difference now is I just use the cleanser now for normal skin rather than oily skin (although I still use the oily/combination as I have a huge bottle to get through). At the moment I am using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. I like this cleanser because it doesn’t have a fragrance as such just smells fresh and I feel as though it does a good job of getting the dirt and oils off my face.

As for something to give my skin a really deep clean, I am loving the St Ives. Smooth and Hydrated Oatmeal Scrub and Mask. I find it is very gentle on my skin but still gives a deep clean. You can either use it as a scrub or as a quick mask to help moisturise the skin.

Once I have washed my face, again I like to use a gentle moisturiser, Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturiser  SPF 15 does the job. I will apply this morning and night after I have washed my face. On the nights where I want to give my skin some extra moisture I will massage a generous about of the Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask (which I will leave on overnight).I just find that when I wake up in the morning my face is so much more hydrated and because of its thick formula you can still feel it on your face in the morning which I like.

An extra step I may take every now and then is applying a small about of acne cream to any spots I may have. I use the Epiduo cream which I was prescribed to by my doctor to help fight my acne. This cream just minimises the size of the spots overnight. As it is quite a strong cream it tends to dry out my skin quite a bit so I will always apply moisturiser on because I apply the cream.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my skincare routine. Let us know what skincare products you use or would recommend!

Thank you 🙂